The fact is that organisations are now having to operate beyond the 9-5 time frame and so should be seeking to exploit the benefits of flexible working. 10-15 years ago we could leave home at around 8 am and travel to work in an hour, whereas now this is probably two hours. There is only so much we as individuals can give to an organisation so we need to start redressing the balance. Similarly, in many cases, the job we are paid to do is actually done outside the 9-5 time frame because, all too frequently, this is the most productive time. Many people take work home in order to benefit from lack of interruptions and so people need to be supported in their home environment if that is where it is most viable to work.
People now work in a variety of ways rather than in one 'fixed' style.
Many organisations are putting a huge amount of resource into supporting their office location whereas many of their people are actually working in many other environments. It can be seen, therefore, if people haven't got the appropriate technologies they may be wasting time travelling back to the office to access information, send emails and faxes, etc. The emphasis should move from property to a more technology-led approach which can be variable according to requirements. We have been working with a number of authorities who are beginning to realise these points - Surrey County Council, for example, has adopted our approach. They valued their property portfolio at 1.3 billion and also realised that the nature of work was changing.