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Introducing Municipality of Midden-Groningen
When the Municipality of Midden-Groningen acquired new buildings, the organisation was already moving towards hybrid working. It needed a way to manage its workspaces flexibly while keeping a clear view of how the space was actually being used. It started by introducing Flexwhere at around 60 workstations. Within roughly six weeks, people had really embraced it.
Situation
The municipality soon discovered that employees found it difficult to manage desk reservations. For example, someone might reserve a desk and arrive at 9 a.m., only to find that a colleague had already taken it at 8 a.m. Employees simply weren't ready for this way of working yet, so the municipality decided to stop using the reservation feature relatively quickly and focus on showing who is using which space in real time.
The bigger challenge was perception. People are very sensitive to perceived crowding, and complaints about full offices reached team leaders and sometimes the works council. In 2022 the municipality volunteered to accommodate 500 asylum seekers in a building in Zuidbroek, and the Royal Marechaussee and police were also to be housed at the municipal depot. A team leader quickly said there was no room, and the first reaction was that an additional temporary office had to be built.
“Nine times out of ten, people are speaking from feeling.”
Solution
Instead of building first, the municipality looked at the data. Flexwhere showed an occupancy rate of around 50%, so there was more than enough space.
Today, the arrival experience is fully connected. Employees cycle in, park in the bicycle storage area, and within the first few steps inside the building they see a screen. It shows workspace availability per floor: green means available, yellow means occupied and red means people are actively working. Occupancy sensors measure whether desks and meeting rooms are actually used. Workspaces free up automatically when someone is away for more than an hour or logs out.
The municipality pairs this with clear, simple agreements. For example, a quiet workspace shouldn’t be occupied for more than two hours, after which employees head back to their team’s zone or, if necessary, work from home.
“You want to move away from assumptions and use data to show whether desks and meeting rooms are actually used.”
Result
By using actual occupancy data instead of relying on assumptions, Midden-Groningen has been able to make more informed decisions about its buildings and workspaces.
- Avoiding unnecessary building costs. Adding an extra room to the building would have cost around €150,000. With occupancy data, the municipality could demonstrate that the additional space wasn't needed. By making better use of existing workspaces and following the agreed rules, there's no need to expand.
- Reducing tension around workspace availability. Instead of relying on how crowded a building feels, the municipality can use data to show how much space is actually being used. This helps take the tension out of discussions about workplace capacity.
- Understanding how meeting rooms are used. Sensors revealed that roughly 10% of meetings are no-shows. The municipality is also encouraging employees to rethink their meeting habits, including why meetings are often scheduled for a full hour rather than 45 minutes.
- Encouraging new ways of working. Previously, everyone had their own dedicated workspace, and each team had its own meeting room. That's no longer the case. Employees are learning to share spaces and use them more efficiently.
- Supporting sustainability goals. Flexwhere data also helps the municipality explore opportunities to reduce energy consumption. By analysing occupancy patterns, it can assess whether an entire building could be closed on certain days, saving electricity and heating costs.
“Space is expensive. And space is scarce. Use it wisely.”
To see how Flexwhere can help your organisation make workplace decisions based on data instead of assumptions, book a demo here.