Like many other businesses, MRI Software is facing the challenge of reopening the workplace and bringing employees back to the office. In this case study, we’ll explore how the MRI facilities teams are using technology to manage the return to work for our offices around the world.
The challenges of reopening offices
The MRI Software facilities team is responsible for managing 26 offices globally, covering North America, APAC and EMEA. With the exception of the office in Sydney, Australia, most MRI employees have been working remotely since March 2020. As the MRI Human Resources team prepares to balance employee preferences regarding in-office and remote work, MRI looked to its own workplace management technology to assist with reopening the offices while ensuring the wellbeing of staff.
Centralized communication and project tracking
The MRI facilities team required a centralized system to communicate tasks and projects while staff members were working from remote locations. MRI ProLease Central helps them communicate and track issues such as recurring maintenance, onboarding for new hires, and company equipment, without having to rely on email.
Through MRI ProLease Central, the team can schedule recurring tasks (monthly cleanings, preventative maintenance, changing filters, etc.) over long timeframes or in advance of events. The “set it and forget it” approach makes communication much easier, rather than sending emails back and forth. The system has been essential in tracking maintenance and finding issues that require immediate attention, including HVAC problems, roof leaks, restroom issues, and more.
If tasks are not completed satisfactorily, they can be reassigned. MRI ProLease Central provides visibility into how quickly tasks are completed and how facilities team members are spending their time, which is important when employees are not working on site.
Employee management and space scheduling
As new employees join the company, MRI Prolease Central allows the team to manage seating and desk assignments and track the IT assets at employee workstations. The team can also ensure social distancing for employees who have returned to the office by checking the seating chart and tracking who is in the building.
Desk booking
The MRI facilities team is implementing the desk booking module from MRI ManhattanOne, which will provide employees with desktop and mobile access to interactive floor plans and search functions so they can quickly find and reserve an available desk or room. MRI employees can also easily find a colleague or book a safe desk in the same area as someone they need to collaborate with.
Sleek screens, placed on desks that are designated for hoteling, as well as outside conference rooms, will allow employees to check in, check out, and see whether other desks or rooms are available or occupied based on their LED status light.
Default and configurable rules and permissions will provide the facilities team with enhanced control over the booking process. For example, no-show rules will free up a workspace within a set time frame and make resources available to others if an employee doesn’t show up. Data captured by the desk booking module and desk screens will give the MRI team key utilization metrics by building, floors, Neighborhoods (department zones) and business units for ongoing insights into workspace usage across the portfolio.
Visitor and employee management
To control visitor access to the building and avoid overcrowding in the reception area, the facilities team has rolled out WhosOnLocation. With this program, the team can view visitors coming in at any time of the day. If there are multiple visitors at once, the employees that they are visiting are asked to retrieve the visitor as soon as the notification is received. WhosOnLocation is actively used in the MRI Sydney office.
Managing changing local requirements
Through WhosOnLocation, the facilities team is able to ask COVID-related questions to employees and visitors prior to their arrival at the building. The team can provide guidelines for the office, such as wearing a mask, social distancing, and other rules which may vary by office location. As local requirements change, guidelines can be adjusted for each office in a region.
Strategic benefits and cost savings
Through ProLease Central, the MRI facilities team can ensure money is spent where it’s needed. During the return-to-office space planning process, they can focus on desk utilization to adhere to CDC guidelines. WhosOnLocation emergency services enables the team to adhere to risk management protocols and obtain data daily to ensure employee safety during COVID.
Learn how MRI is managing the return to work in this on-demand webinar.