The interior of Halton Housing’s new offices which could provide a blueprint for Irwell Valley’s new approach to organisational structure.
Irwell Valley were TAG’s first client back in 2009 so it is great to have them re-appoint us for the next phase of their development as they seek to consolidate their office functions under one roof in a new and exciting format.
Irwell have office locations in Worsley, Bolton and Old Trafford. The idea is to replace these with one facility roughly half the size. However, the new facility will need to be able to accommodate the same number of staff, if not more. The solution will involve a comprehensive adoption of agile working principles.
This project is multi-faceted and is an opportunity for the organization to refresh not only its property portfolio but also its technology, logistics and productivity.
It is rare that a client approaches a relocation project with such a wide-ranging agenda and it will undoubtedly be an exciting project to be involved with.
As part of a fact-finding exercise I recently accompanied some of Irwell Valley’s senior management team around an exemplar project. The new headquarters of Halton Housing in Widnes was deeply impressive and might well provide a roadmap for Irwell’s own journey over the next 12-18 months.
This photograph of a 1990’s call centre in India is about as far away as you could get from what Irwell Valley are seeking to achieve for their new office environment.
The above shows an office environment that has fully embraced agile working.
So what is ‘Agile Working’? Is it just another way of describing ‘Hot Desking’ or does it have a deeper, more fundamental meaning for an organisation? And what impact is it likely to have on staff and, particularly their productivity and well-being?
‘Agile Working’ is a concept designed to improve productivity through more flexible applications of technology, interior design and personnel management. Whilst solutions will inevitably vary between different organisations and between different sectors, agile working looks as though it is here to stay. The reason for this is that technology has changed the way we are all now interacting with data. The emergence of smart phones, tablets and lightweight laptops together with 5G and better quality Wi-Fi means staff do not have to be chained to their desk eight hours a day. Instead, they can choose the work setting that is best for them. This new-found freedom is empowering and motivational. It is also believed to improve productivity by reducing presenteeism and increasing collaboration between individuals and teams.
As you can see in the office pictured above, individuals and teams have the freedom to choose from a variety of workstyles to suit their needs at any given moment. There are collaborative spaces, informal meeting areas, individual study cubicles as well as traditional open plan work stations.
However, agile working is not simply about a fresh approach to furniture design and an investment in wireless tech. To work effectively, agile working requires a new style of management. Put simply, it requires a new level of trust between managers and their staff. This can sometimes prove challenging.
If you would like to discuss agile working in more detail please contact Martyn Markland on 0161 457 1422 or email him at mm@tenantag.co.uk.