At Flex/26 in New York in mid‑Could, conversations repeatedly returned to the identical query dealing with office and operations leaders: find out how to make higher choices because the constructed atmosphere turns into extra advanced and extra constrained. In his opening remarks, Raj Batra, Chief Govt Officer at Eptura, gave that problem a transparent body. He described a shift away from managing particular person methods reminiscent of area planning or attendance insurance policies and towards managing the constructed atmosphere as an interconnected entire.
The conversations at Flex/26 didn’t cease at outlining the issue. Presenters and individuals targeted on sharing how leaders can simplify resolution‑making, scale back friction, and make progress even in more and more advanced environments.
Key takeaways
- Managing the constructed atmosphere now requires related pondering: Leaders are transferring past particular person methods and insurance policies towards extra built-in approaches that account for a way area, property, and expertise affect each other
- Noticed habits is shaping technique throughout groups: Office and operations leaders are adjusting choices primarily based on how folks truly use areas, property, and companies moderately than relying solely on deliberate fashions
- Focus creates momentum in advanced environments: Essentially the most sensible progress comes from narrowing in on a single resolution, metric, or constraint and utilizing that focus to drive measurable enchancment
Selections about area, property, and office expertise more and more have an effect on each other, typically with much less margin for error and better expectations. Consequently, leaders are being requested to suppose past particular person instruments or insurance policies and concentrate on how all the atmosphere operates collectively.
One atmosphere, shared constraints
The conversations at Flex/26 approached the constructed atmosphere from completely different angles, however they constantly pointed to the identical underlying problem: find out how to function successfully when circumstances are tighter, quicker, and extra interconnected.
Throughout each office and operations discussions, leaders described related constraints — much less margin for error, extra compressed demand, and a rising have to coordinate choices throughout groups and methods.
We’re particularly grateful to our audio system and to our sponsors, Embrava and Pointr, whose assist helped make Flex/26 New York attainable and whose concepts and power formed conversations all through the day.
Office leaders are designing for a way folks truly work
For office leaders, the dialog has moved past coverage. Within the hearth chat on “Reworking the office expertise at AIG,” that includes Jeff Peel, Director of Company Actual Property Know-how at AIG, the dialogue targeted on how office expectations have advanced alongside worker habits.
Questions centered on how organizations outline office expertise in the present day, how methods have shifted lately, and the way leaders steadiness value management with creating environments that staff truly use. The dialog additionally explored how office insurance policies evolve over time — notably as groups reply to actual utilization patterns moderately than relying solely on deliberate fashions.
Throughout the dialogue, a constant theme emerged: office methods are more and more formed by noticed habits. Attendance patterns, reserving habits, and day‑to‑day utilization all affect how organizations modify area, insurance policies, and expertise over time.
The dialog additionally surfaced the complexity of managing workplaces throughout areas. Completely different places of work function underneath completely different constraints, making it tough to use a single strategy throughout a whole portfolio. Consequently, leaders are transferring towards versatile frameworks that may adapt to native circumstances with out shedding strategic alignment.
Operations leaders are conserving methods dependable underneath mounting stress
For asset and operations groups, the identical pressures present up in several methods.
Within the hearth chat on “Lowering asset downtime whereas controlling complete value of possession,” that includes Jared Hattaway, CMMS Product Lead at Savage Providers, the dialogue centered on how organizations keep reliability in advanced working environments.
The dialog explored widespread causes of asset and fleet downtime, the actions which have the best impression on decreasing failures, and the way groups prioritize upkeep underneath actual‑world constraints. It additionally examined how organizations monitor complete value of possession and make commerce‑offs between value management and operational efficiency.
A constant actuality emerged: upkeep groups are balancing competing priorities, together with uptime, useful resource availability, and funds constraints. Selections are not often remoted. As an alternative, they ripple throughout operations and require cautious coordination.
What’s altering in how groups handle the constructed atmosphere
Throughout periods, a constant set of themes emerged round how organizations are adapting to extra advanced working circumstances. These shifts span office, operations, and the methods that join them, pointing to a broader change in how groups plan, execute, and constantly modify the constructed atmosphere.
Habits is reshaping technique
Utilization patterns, reserving behaviors, and day‑to‑day workarounds typically reveal gaps between meant technique and actual‑world execution. As an alternative of designing round anticipated habits, groups are adapting in actual time — adjusting area allocation, refining insurance policies, and altering entry primarily based on precise utilization.
That shift requires higher knowledge, quicker suggestions loops, and methods that assist steady iteration moderately than static plans.
Office expertise is turning into a enterprise lever
Conversations in periods like “Scaling company hospitality experiences amid change,” that includes Jessica Purwin, Managing Director and World Head of Company Providers Operations at Jefferies, expanded how leaders outline office expertise.
The dialogue related expertise to broader enterprise outcomes, together with worker engagement, shopper interactions, and operational alignment throughout groups. Expertise is now not handled as a assist perform — it straight impacts efficiency, from attracting expertise to enabling shopper‑dealing with work.
To ship that impression at scale, organizations want extra constant service supply, stronger coordination between groups, and clearer visibility into how folks interact with area and companies.
The place methods break down is on a regular basis friction
One other sample centered on friction. In “Making versatile work truly work,” that includes Cameron Gagne, Director of Advertising and Partnerships at Embrava, the dialogue targeted on what occurs after organizations undertake hybrid fashions.
The dialog explored why methods that look robust on paper typically break down in apply the place small, on a regular basis challenges like discovering area, coordinating groups, or navigating the office create outsized inefficiencies.
Addressing that friction requires greater than coverage adjustments. Groups have to take away operational boundaries that make day‑to‑day work more durable than it needs to be, notably the place disconnected workflows and guide coordination sluggish execution.
Visibility is foundational to raised choices
Visibility additionally emerged as a recurring theme. In “Spatial intelligence: Connecting office technique, operations, and expertise,” that includes Ege Akpinar, Chief Govt Officer at Pointr, the dialogue targeted on the place organizations lose context between planning and execution.
With no clear view throughout area, property, and operations, groups are pressured to make choices primarily based on incomplete or delayed data. Enhancing visibility isn’t nearly reporting — it’s about connecting knowledge throughout methods so groups can perceive what’s taking place within the second and act with confidence.
From perception to execution within the workshops
Each tracks included workshops designed to assist attendees apply concepts mentioned all through the day. Moderately than specializing in idea, these periods centered on actual choices groups are dealing with now.
Turning office knowledge into management choices
Within the office workshop, led by Erin Sevitz, VP of Content material and Buyer Advertising at Eptura, attendees targeted on constructing a management‑prepared scorecard.
Individuals recognized a small variety of metrics tied to a single consequence like value, expertise, or operational effectivity and related every metric to a transparent resolution. The emphasis was on usefulness, not quantity, and guaranteeing metrics could possibly be reviewed and acted on constantly.
Shifting from reactive to proactive operations
Within the asset workshop, attendees assessed their upkeep maturity, recognized a single operational bottleneck, and outlined adjustments that would realistically enhance efficiency over the following 90 days.
By narrowing the main target to 1 constraint and one asset or system, individuals have been capable of join proposed adjustments on to outcomes like lowered downtime, improved productiveness, or higher value management.
What to take again to your group
If there was one constant takeaway from Flex/26 New York, it’s that progress begins with focus. Significant enchancment typically comes from narrowing in on one resolution, one metric, or one constraint and utilizing that focus to drive momentum.
For office groups, that will imply defining a scorecard tied to a single consequence. For operations groups, it might imply addressing one bottleneck contributing to downtime. Both manner, the strategy is identical: prioritize what issues most, tie it to measurable outcomes, and construct from there.
Be part of the dialog
Flex/26 bolstered that the groups making progress aren’t attempting to unravel every part without delay. They’re aligning round shared knowledge, clearer choices, and sensible subsequent steps that match their working actuality.
If the insights shared right here resonated with your personal challenges or if you happen to’re seeking to join with others navigating related transformations, discover our thrilling upcoming occasions.
Continuously Requested Questions
By Mike Petrusky
As Director of Podcasts at Eptura, Mike Petrusky hosts each the Office Innovator Podcast and the Asset Champion Podcast, sharing thought management with CRE, FM, and IT leaders within the digital and hybrid office. Mike has produced greater than 500 podcast episodes listened to in over 111 nations. As an in-demand public speaker, Mike engages audiences at quite a few trade occasions every year, together with Worldwide Facility Administration Affiliation and CoreNet conferences, specializing in the human component of office and facility administration.
