Improving Productivity With Coworking-as-a-Service (CaaS)

In today’s fast-paced, dynamic business environment, productivity is paramount. By optimizing productivity, owners can directly impact the success and growth of their businesses. They can increase cost savings, efficiency, competitiveness, employee engagement (including work/life balance), adaptability, and innovation, to name a few components typical of most endeavors.

One way to boost productivity is by leveraging Coworking-as-a-Service (CaaS). By CaaS, more than just flexible work space and a desk is implied. It also includes a host of other benefits, such as the utilization of digital technology, niche space for niche communities, mentoring, reduced administrative burden, and sustainability.

Digital technology plays an ever-increasing and important role in enhancing the shared workplace experience, improving productivity along the way. Some of that technology, obviously, is internet connectivity. Along with cybersecurity measures, coworking spaces can provide advanced Wi-Fi systems and networking equipment, giving business owners the freedom to focus on their projects and not be bothered with issues relating to online access.

Online booking with digital technology provides easy and efficient ways to reserve conference rooms, private offices, courtyards, and other amenities. Users can search for availability, review options, track their usage, and check billing.

There are some CaaS providers who offer dedicated mobile applications that boost productivity with online payment, event notification and organization, membership management, service requests, project collaboration, and access control. Some apps provide member directories, messaging capabilities, and resource information.

The Internet of Things (IoT) devices and smart office solutions—yet more digital technology—help maximize productivity and savings with environmental monitoring (air quality, temperature, humidity, etc.), energy management, occupancy monitoring (sensors or tracking systems that can display data), personalized user interface (provides preferred individual settings for elements such as lighting), and data analytics and insights.

Another way to boost productivity is with niche spaces for niche communities, offered by many CaaS providers. Niche spaces, tailored environments that meet specific needs and interests, contribute to productivity in a CaaS model with specialized amenities and infrastructure, targeted networking and collaboration, industry-specific events, and access to specialized expertise and resources. Such domains foster concentration, a laser-focus, and strong community feel.

Niche spaces allow individuals to immerse themselves in their work, surrounded by like-minded and knowledge-rich ecosystems. Individuals are able to connect with their peers who might or have faced similar challenges and experiences. Problem-solving occurs more quickly and creative juices getting flowing faster.

Mentoring, something that tends to happen organically in coworking spaces, enhances the flow of productivity by encouraging diverse professionals and experts to provide their own insights and practical advice. And even though coworking spaces, in general, naturally foster some type of informal mentorship, some CaaS providers have established formal peer mentoring programs and actively promote mentor/mentee matching. Some offer skill development workshops. Others encourage networking and the hosting of training sessions and educational forums.

Guidance, support, and encouragement are nurtured by whatever mentoring is taking place within CaaS frameworks. Productive, mutually beneficial relationships are developed, as is a strong culture for learning.

Reduced administrative burden—another productivity uplift—can be achieved with a CaaS. Time and money are saved since varied and numerous tasks are offloaded to the coworking space provider. Such responsibilities could include facility and member management, automated reservations and communications, help desk, logistical support, and vendor and service integration.

For many businesses, a professional infrastructure and accompanying amenities, if acquired independently, might be beyond budget. With CaaS, however, such benefits are a given at a reduced cost.

Lastly, sustainability, an especially hot topic for Millennials and Generation Z, is an altruistic benefit to Coworking-as-a-Service. Environmental stewardship, healthy workspaces, and integration of sustainable practices for long-term viability resonate with the values of many individuals and businesses.

Energy efficient systems, recycling programs, eco-friendly initiatives, reduced energy consumption, and waste reduction are built in to many CaaS models. They promote productivity by enhancing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and promoting well-being.

Coworking-as-a-Service is a powerful platform to enhance productivity. By leveraging the shared workspace, businesses will find themselves thriving in an energetic, supportive ecosystem. Individuals within these unique communities will, most likely, find greater focus, more mentoring, healthier work environments, better collaboration, and more shared insights. It all serves to fuel productivity and success.