Supporting the future of work at University of Minnesota
brightspot developed Work+, an alternative workplace strategy program for the University of Minnesota, as a way to rethink the space, technology, and training necessary for productive work. Rather than assign people to a single work space, Work+ provides a variety of options within a neighborhood of spaces.
“We worked with brightspot to plan workspaces that were a completely new concept at the University and in higher education. They were a flexible partner throughout the process as good listeners, facilitators, and analysts.”
– Brian Swanson, Assistant Vice President, University Services, University of Minnesota
Working collaboratively with the University’s administrators as well as an integrated team of HR, IT, and Facilities representatives, brightspot oversaw a multi-phase planning process to design and brand the program, determine the typical project process, develop the tools, train staff to use them, and implement a successful pilot.
The resulting Work+ program has boosted productivity in less space. A post-occupancy analysis on the pilot revealed improvements in business performance (69% reduction in response times and 43% greater access to other departments), space utilization (36% less space per person), and workplace satisfaction (114% greater sense of energy). As a result of this pilot, the University is pursuing ways to apply the Work+ program more broadly.
The University also applied Work+ to the University of Minnesota Rochester, a satellite campus, as a way to minimize its physical footprint. The resulting space combines open, collaborative workplace for faculty within office suites paired with adjacent private consulting areas for meetings with students.
