In February 2024, the Purchasing department in Lengerich introduced a new office occupancy concept and therefore gained space. Fewer workplaces are now available; instead, there is more space for teamwork. Marietta Wiesinger and Philipp Reiplinger explain how desk sharing works, what advantages it offers, and why upcycling played a role in it.

Desk sharing in brief 

• Voluntary offer: Whoever does not take part retains their desk
• Five permanent workplaces - eleven desk sharing places 
• Online booking possible using desk.ly. The workplace equipment is described there
• Desk sharing workplaces only on the 3rd floor. Mainly permanent on the first floor
• New office rules regarding cleanliness, booking period, cancellation, etc. 
• Mail delivery reorganized with personal mailboxes
• Possibility of storing private property newly established 

What caused you to rethink the spatial layout?
Philipp Reiplinger: Since the pandemic, not all of the workplaces in the building have been occupied due to mobile working. At the same time, there is a great need to get back into direct contact with our stakeholders and colleagues. We didn’t have the facilities to do that, so we had to get creative.

How are the offices divided up today?
Philipp Reiplinger: First of all, we formulated a voluntary offer. Employees who take part in mobile work will automatically take part in desk sharing in the future. Conversely, some employees are retaining their permanent workplace at their own request. There are now five permanently allocated workplaces and one permanent place for a trainee. Eleven desk sharing workplaces remain for the 15 employees who are taking part in desk sharing. That offers the Purchasing department employees maximum flexibility. #excellence #trust #appreciation 

How did you prepare this desk sharing?
Marietta Wiesinger: In the beginning, we had to declutter. Everything that was superfluous and analog had to be removed from the offices. We were able to make the desks bookable with the existing desk.ly booking software licenses. We additionally applied QR codes on the desks so that the employees can also rebook or cancel a desk.

Where are the desk sharing places now located?
Marietta Wiesinger: The whole of the third floor is dedicated exclusively to desk sharing workplaces. The permanent workplaces are mainly located on the first floor.

What else did you have to think of?
Marietta Wiesinger: We had to adapt and extend our “office rules”. There are now rules regarding booking or for leaving workplaces behind clean and tidy. We’re still working on a voluntary fine catalog for our Purchasing kitty. ? #active learning culture

Where do the employees put their personal belongings?
Marietta Wiesinger: We had to reorganize that, too. We refurnished a room with items of furniture that were no longer needed due to the decluttering work. An old, tall filing cabinet is now used as a mailbox and a shoe cupboard. We use the old sideboard as a parcel shelf and stowage space. The only new items we purchased were a small, locking metal locker and a coat rack, which was installed between the tall cupboard and the wall. That enabled us to keep our outgoings below 500 euros. #efficiency #sustainability

What has changed in Purchasing due to this being introduced?
Philipp Reiplinger: First of all, we’ve gained space with this restructuring. We now have an internal meeting room that also serves as a communal room and a storage space for private belongings. We additionally have a non-bookable workplace that we can make available at short notice. 
Marietta Wiesinger: The majority of the bookable workplaces are equipped identically. There are no personal belongings on the desk, and everything is in its place. The consistent use of XPhone makes constantly changing workplaces easy.

What is your conclusion?
Marietta Wiesinger: At the minute, we’re still trying things out and learning how to handle desk sharing, but it’s already going very well! It takes a familiarization phase until the new procedures such as booking the workplace or stowing private belongings in the locker become routine.

So what comes next?
Philipp Reiplinger: I would be delighted if other departments would take part in desk sharing via desk.ly in the future. Then we would also have the opportunity to use workplaces outside of the Purchasing department. I am convinced that it would be beneficial if a category manager from Purchasing would occasionally book a place in the Technical Service department or a Sales employee booked a workplace in Purchasing. Perhaps this interview will inspire others to follow our lead. Feel free to talk to us! #Proactiveapproach