Facility and business leaders recognize that workplace space optimization has a significant impact on business performance, but most organizations are not investing in the technology that can unlock value from better space use, according to reports by facilities management firms JLL and ISS.
“Most organizations are still not structured to capture the full value of the workplace, creating a significant opportunity for FM and CRE leaders to unlock additional value,” Steve Quick, CEO of Americas at ISS, said in announcing findings from a report his company released.
Facility leaders call improving space data accuracy and reporting capabilities two of their top planning objectives, a JLL survey shows. That signals that organization leaders believe an effective real estate strategy begins with trustworthy data, the JLL report says.
But cost constraints, and the need to support the addition of technology tools with hard data to prove their value, are holding them back from making the investments they need, according to ISS’s report. Only 20% of survey respondents prioritize those investments in their facilities management strategy due to a “proof gap” when it comes to gauging their effectiveness, ISS says in its report.
At the same time, 83% of business leaders believe how the workplace is organized – space optimization – has a large impact on organizational performance, according to ISS. But, against that, 68% say economic factors weigh more heavily on their planning. The ISS survey responses are from nearly 3,000 business leaders in 28 countries.
ISS calls the focus on cost control at the expense of better space optimization a “workplace performance gap.” Organizations “are not short of awareness,” ISS says, “but they are constrained by competing pressures, capability gaps and systemic friction.”
In its report, JLL says portfolio optimization is the top objective for corporate real estate leaders for the third consecutive year, and cost reductions are also a top priority. The survey is conducted annually. The latest results are from 84 organizations that manage 716 million square feet of space.
In a shift from previous years, respondents that prioritize space optimization and the data accuracy that’s needed to make that happen is listed as the second-highest priority, displacing the “cost-reduction priorities that dominated prior years,” JLL says. “This meaningful shift signals that organizations believe effective real estate strategy begins with trustworthy data. As AI-powered analytics tools move from aspiration to active procurement conversations, the quality of underlying data has become a strategic differentiator.”
The shift isn’t yet translating into space optimization tech investment, with 40% of organizations saying they’re not exploring AI for occupancy planning and portfolio strategies.
High cost isn’t the only barrier; 70% of organizations cite privacy risks as a concern.
Closing the gap between value and investment requires “more than stronger belief in the workplace’s value,” ISS says. “It requires breaking reinforcing loops by aligning cost discipline with performance measurement, strengthening digital foundations and building execution capability at scale.”
JLL’s report echoes that sentiment, saying that “organizations that will lead in the next era of occupancy planning are those investing in data quality and governance infrastructure today.” “The most effective utilization strategies—office mandates, design changes, footprint reductions — all depend on knowing what is actually happening in your buildings, not what you assume is happening.”
