Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2019 | Page 43
However, strict definitions of various
real estate may soon be a thing of the past, as
the lines between living, working, and enter-
taining become increasingly blurred. What
this means is that concepts such as the activ-
ity-based office and user-centric design are
transforming our environments.
“People are more demanding and tech-
nologically aware and they expect far more
from the spaces where they live and work.
For example, in the residential sector, people
expect their building to provide integrated
solutions that make their everyday lives eas-
ier. Building owners that do not anticipate
these demands will see their bottom line take
a big hit,” argues Voutilainen.
Engage & Excel
Streamlining Business Evolution of the Office
While KONE Residential Flow focused on
one segment, KONE People Flow Planning
and Consulting applies more to the corporate
segment. Voutilainen explains that the ser-
vice has been designed to support custom-
ers with people flow challenges in various
scenarios including when planning a new
building, or when the population changes,
or when the site needs to be used for differ-
ent purposes.
“The service is aimed at customers
who, for instance, have people flow chal-
lenges to solve – such as vertical or hori-
zontal flows, bottlenecks or guidance issues
– or they are perhaps dealing with changes
in building usage or business conditions,”
Voutilainen says.
Depending on the project in question,
customers benefit from a variety of improve-
ments, such as reduced waiting and jour-
ney times, better utilization of valuable floor
space, and improved planning and budget-
ing. Voutilainen points out that workplaces have
undergone significant changes in recent
years. “We have seen a shift from cubicle-
based office layouts towards open-plan lay-
outs in order to accommodate more people
while simultaneously facilitating increased
collaboration and interaction,” he says.
At the same time, the increased use of
video conferencing and the need for quiet
working spaces has increased the demand
for meeting room space as well as “quiet
room” spaces. Furthermore, the shift in
focus towards employee well-being and
developing communication technologies has
increased the demand for new innovative
ways to improve and enhance the workplace.
The New Services and Solutions team is
focused on developing and commercializing
end-user centric solutions which improve
the people flow in and around buildings.
“This involves engaging partners, cus-
tomers and users to co-create the solutions
together,” Voutilainen explains.
A big part of the team’s work is turning
challenges into opportunities. Voutilainen
notes that when you’re seeking to address
the current and future needs of developers
and building owners in the residential and
office sectors, it is “critically important” to
take a measured, iterative approach when
bringing new solutions to the market. There
is no place for blanket assumptions here.
“Jumping to conclusions or simply
assuming you know what the market wants
will almost certainly be doomed to failure,
with solutions that neither address the real
needs of customers and tenants, nor add
value to your offering.” l
Stay Flexible
Property developers have to ensure that their
assets remain competitive and attractive,
balancing the needs of constantly chang-
ing building requirements as tenants come
and go.
“Flexible solutions for things like info
screens, access control, and elevator traffic
control that can adapt to changes in build-
ing dynamics, will go a long way to solving
these issues,” Voutilainen believes.
“Property developers can reap the
rewards of technology that can be adapted
to the changing needs of the building and
its tenants while also helping their building
stand out from the crowd as an attractive
prospect for potential new tenants.”
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