Enhance your occupant experience. Drive greater performance

May 3, 2023

The needs, demands, and expectations of building occupants have changed. It is a process that began before the pandemic, and now it has accelerated dramatically, shaping how building users will work, and how the office is managed in the next era.

Image courtesy of Honeywell

Facility managers, developers and building owners have traditionally been the focus in terms of the importance of building outcomes, but occupants—workers, visitors and customers—and their experience in the space are key to the future of optimizing the investment in buildings. Facility managers have always looked to run an office building efficiently while minimizing operational costs. For developers and building owners, the focus has always been return on investment. Where does that leave the occupants and their needs?

Staffing an office building accounts for roughly 90 percent of the total cost of operation. So, improving productivity, attracting, and retaining talent, improving the occupant experience and increasing employee engagement seems obvious. But in reality, the human element is often overlooked in the pursuit of more traditional metrics.

Image courtesy of Honeywell

While there had been increasing demands for a home-like experience at work, the COVID-19 pandemic put the office work environment under a magnifying glass in terms of both the role the office will play in the future as well as the expectations occupants have while they are in the office. Occupants now expect a safer, more secure, and well-coordinated experience. From parking to check-in, from getting through security to the comfort of their workspaces—they want the office experience to be as seamless and easy as it was working from home.

Providing an engaging occupant experience will play a key role in transforming the office into a collaborative, interactive work environment. People will want to work in the office for the collaboration they cannot replicate at home. Studies show that people are more creative when collaborating in person and that the process of bonding develops trust among participants. Trust then becomes an enabler of creativity.

Not only will the office building of the future be highly dynamic and collaborative, but it will also serve as the cornerstone of a company’s identity and culture, which you simply cannot get from an online environment.

The Honeywell Advantage

A great occupant experience means providing the reassurance that everything is being done to keep building users healthy, safe, and secure. In a post-pandemic world, the healthy work environment is non-negotiable. Beyond feeling reassured, occupants will also want to know that their work environment is helping protect them and their loved ones.

Honeywell’s experience across 10 million commercial buildings has provided a unique view into the problems building owners, managers and users need solved. That is why we have developed five outcomes which will enable occupants, facility managers, developers and building owners to be more successful in their day-to-day activities, creating a collaborative work environment that can help increase productivity and efficiency. These solutions, through interconnected ecosystems, will provide actionable insights as the role of the office evolves, and will not only provide for changing needs, but can completely transform the experience of occupants in the building.

The vision is focused on five outcomes:

Frictionless: Welcoming & memorable experience from Gate > Parking > Lobby > Elevators > Desk / Floors for employees & clients.
Sustainable, predictable & efficient: Improve buildings performance / KPIs that balances comfort and energy with ease.
Safe & secure: Well prepared responsive operations to address issues, anomalies and threats.
Healthy & comfortable: Intelligent and autonomous building controls with occupant feedback / request to enhance all time comfort.
Inviting & informative: Intuitive and effortless access to all information: find / navigate / seek help

What happens in your building is what matters most about your building. An occupant experience that delights building users pays dividends throughout your business model, from talent retention, to repeat business, to energy optimization. Honeywell’s vision, breadth of innovative products, and global experience all come together to deliver true end-to-end open solutions.

Download ‘The New Office Building Returning to the Future’ to dive deeper into how technology can improve your occupant’s experience.