Facts shattered assumptions at Telenor.

When Telenor was preparing to sell its premises at Fornebu, they focused on determining how much space they needed to lease back from the landlord and how they could begin adapting the returned spaces. They delved deeply into a wealth of collected data, and the results were clear.

"It's almost a bit embarrassing to talk about, because the numbers were alarming. There were no areas in our premises that had more than 50% occupancy, if we can call it that. For workstations, we were down to 28% – a very low figure," explains Karin E. Holme, Director of Real Estate and User Experience at Telenor.

"When we measured the meeting rooms, none were used more than 50%. Therefore, we saw significant potential for change. We know there can be many explanations for why meeting rooms might appear fully booked, but at the same time, we see opportunities for improvement."

Telenor then embarked on a major transformation, moving from having employees spread across six buildings to leasing back three of them as pure office buildings. However, the road to this decision was long; they spent several months conducting interviews, focus groups, surveys of all employees, and gathering sensor data. Additionally, there were all the commercial aspects surrounding such a sales process.

Holme emphasizes that Telenor's main priority was to provide employees with enough workspace without having vacant areas. This seemed wise in terms of work environment, sustainability, and cost.

She also stresses that the sensors did not serve as surveillance.

"There have been lengthy processes with union representatives to clarify that there is no personal monitoring. We are very careful about GDPR, and BLDNG was involved throughout to confirm and explain how the sensors worked."

"The sensors only register movement, heat, CO2, and similar factors," adds Steffan Thorvaldsen, CEO of BLDNG.

Fornebu Uplift

After collecting data, Telenor initiated what they call Fornebu Uplift, a project aimed at optimizing all their common areas. Here, too, they based changes on the data gathered earlier in the process.

"One of the things people said was that there were silos in Telenor, and they wanted more meeting places. There was also a desire for more energy and vibrancy in our spaces. Employees reported that it was difficult to concentrate and collaborate, despite having overly large spaces before we co-located," explains Holme.

"We upgraded all our common areas and technical meeting room solutions, created 'heart zones' with coffee and snacks, several meeting houses, numerous study spots, and meeting areas in the common spaces. We also built a study/quiet zone with a beautiful view."

A place for concentration and deep thinking. The idea was to create workspaces that harmonize with modern ways of working and also draw people to the office because it’s a pleasant place to be, while attempting to offer solutions to what employees had previously expressed as desires. So far, we have only worked in a limited capacity with the various work zones, but we have focused on common areas and technology.

Telenor and BLDNG have worked closely throughout the process, and even now that they have completed the initial assignment, they continue their collaboration. Holme views the technology as a highly useful tool for making decisions on the further development of the spaces.

"Fornebu Uplift has been well received, but we continue to monitor how much the different areas are used. If there are places that are not utilized, we look more closely at what might be causing that and what measures we can take to change it."

Can Achieve Significant Savings

The team at BLDNG explains that they always work closely with their clients to determine exactly what data should be collected and what the clients hope to achieve with the measurements.

"When conducting measurements, one must know why they are doing it. What will this data be used for? That’s where BLDNG can help, explaining how it’s measured and assisting in analyzing the data received. The client must be involved in the initial rounds," says Magne Gabrielsen, Chief Product Officer.

The results from the measurements can help clients make decisions based less on assumptions and gut feelings.

"People are creatures of habit. If their favorite room is occupied, they quickly assume everything is full, but that’s not necessarily the case in other floors," Gabrielsen believes.

The team also points out that companies must be proactive rather than reactive to the challenges that constantly arise in today’s society.

"Electricity prices are crippling businesses as it stands. Therefore, it’s even more important to make smart changes in a building based on facts, which can be justified on several fronts: energy prices affect costs and thus the bottom line, and the narrative around sustainability appeals to employees and creates enthusiasm for ambitious decisions. One must be brave enough to be the leader who makes the choice to, for example, close parts of a building when insights show that occupancy on certain days/weeks drops to 10-20%," says Line Schrøder, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer. "Think of the effect this can have on energy consumption, optimized cleaning, and maintenance – that’s when we start talking about effectively using insights to make smart operational choices, and not least reducing the carbon footprint while improving the bottom line."

Other examples of societal and business gains include the need for fewer new buildings, reduced areas for cleaning and maintenance, and minimizing food waste.

"If you know when the most people are in the office, you can also influence food waste in the cafeterias. If you see that on certain days, there are nearly 3,000 people at work, while on Wednesdays and Fridays, it’s only just over 500, then the cafeterias can plan better," Thorvaldsen suggests.

Holme adds that even though one can collect vast amounts of data, it’s always important to consider the bigger picture.

"All workplaces are different, and it’s important to preserve the work culture. Fortunately, BLDNG is good at sorting out what is 'nice to know' and what is 'need to know.'"

You can read the full article on Finansavisen.no here.