Digitalization, agile project management methods and approaches such as Scrum, design thinking, Kanban and rapid prototyping are increasingly changing the German office landscape. Many of the companies located at the Munich Airport Business Park (MABP) in Hallbergmoos are pioneers of digitalization and, as analogue companies, have opened themselves up to digital transformation and are realizing the workplace of the future.
Classic hierarchical structures are organized by department. Product development here, marketing in the three offices to the left of the entrance. Sales is on the top floor, with accounting in the far corner. Everyone is probably familiar with this kind of division from their professional life. You book a meeting room for a discussion, meet in the kitchen or go to your contact person’s office, often to the chagrin of the colleague in the same room. This may work in many companies. But isn’t it always worth reviewing work processes and therefore also the office structure? The fact is that the office world is undergoing radical change. What looks creative and flexible on the outside is an expression of an internal rethink.
New work organizations, perspectives and offices are in demand
Agile project management methods and approaches such as Scrum, Design Thinking and Kanban have been playing an important role in the IT world in particular for several years now, as they allow for short reaction times. Employees come together in networks and interdisciplinary teams that collaborate and adapt decisions to new circumstances or develop them further. This requires new work organizations, perspectives and ideas of offices. Partners at eye level are required instead of service provider-customer relationships. Hierarchies must no longer be reflected spatially and thus dictate the attitude. The classic corner office has had its day. Everyone has to be a leader. Everyone has to be a worker. Certain functions are no longer tied to fixed rooms, but rather to activities.
Places where information flows
If teams need to come together quickly, they also need places in the company that make it easier to get to know each other informally and facilitate onboarding – such as kitchens or bars. Informal exchanges, in which information that is important for agile projects flows, also work better in semi-public places that have been specially designed for this purpose. Sprints and sprint reviews, where teams compare their work status, are an essential part of Scrum. This changes the planning of space and resources. Special rooms for review processes must be available and present from the outset.
Image material © Unsplash
