What is activity-based working (ABW)?
Activity-based working: what it is, its value, and the importance of customization
The concept of activity-based working (ABW) has gained significant traction for many years, promising increased flexibility and productivity in the workplace. However, a common misconception is that there is a one-size-fits-all recipe to implement ABW. In reality, successful implementation requires a deep understanding of how employees in each department work, what the organization wants from their office space, and their overall culture and vision.
What is activity-based working?
Activity-based working is a workplace design strategy where employees are not tied to assigned desks. Instead, the office operates more like a flexible environment where people choose spaces based on their tasks. Introduced by Erik Veldhoen in The Demise of the Office (1995), ABW has become a popular approach for organizations questioning traditional workplace norms.
ABW provides a variety of workspaces tailored to specific activities. These might include quiet zones for focused work, collaborative areas for team discussions, social hubs for informal interactions, and private rooms for confidential meetings. By optimizing spaces for their intended purposes, ABW ensures employees have what they need to perform their best.
The value of activity-based working
ABW offers several benefits for organizations and employees. Here are the key advantages:
Improved productivity: Employees can choose the environment suited to their task.
Enhanced employee satisfaction: By offering spaces that cater to diverse work styles and needs, ABW gives employees more individual-level choices to support their tasks effectively.
Better space utilization: ABW can reduces the inefficiencies of traditional office layouts.
Support for collaboration and innovation: By creating spaces that encourage interaction beyond meeting rooms, ABW offers a variety of areas for collaboration, unlike the traditional office layout.
Customization: why it matters
While ABW can deliver many benefits, its success depends on tailoring the approach to the unique needs of each organization. A common misunderstanding is that ABW is a one-size-fits-all solution. Each organization needs to gather insights about its own operations to determine what kinds of rooms and zones are necessary and in what quantities. Here are the key aspects of customization:
Understanding work patterns: Analyzing how employees in different departments work through occupancy studies and surveys helps to identify the types of spaces they require.
Aligning with goals: The office design should reflect the organization’s objectives, whether that’s increasing collaboration, or optimizing productivity.
Reflecting company culture: ABW should complement and reinforce the company’s culture and values.
Considering employee preferences: Engaging employees through pilots, and workshops can ensure the design meets their expectations.
Data-driven insights for better design
Combining occupancy data with employee feedback is essential to understanding actual usage patterns. For example, analysis of thousands of rooms across multiple buildings has shown that many spaces are underutilized. On average, only 36% of rooms are occupied during peak times. This highlights the potential to create fewer but better-designed spaces that align with real needs.
Meeting spaces also present a challenge. Data shows that 51% of meetings involve one or two participants, yet many meeting rooms are built to accommodate larger groups. Designing smaller, more flexible spaces can address this mismatch while improving overall efficiency.
No shortcuts
Activity-based working isn’t just about removing assigned desks or reducing space; it’s about creating environments that genuinely meet the needs of employees. By focusing on customization and quality, organizations can unlock the full potential of ABW. The most important lesson from research on ABW is that if you are going to implement it, do it correctly, and avoid shortcuts.