Synopsis:

The Challenge: 
As Suffolk County Council was moving, a second modern office block adjacent to the new County Council building also became available. It would form a perfect headquarters for CSD, but there was one problem. CSD had around 650 Ispwich based staff but the new building would accommodate only 450 at the most.

The Solution: 
A flexible and responsive technological environment was required. This meant only a single network connection to each desktop was needed to connect both computer and telephone. BT installed a structured cabling system, to a plan that enabled desks to be installed in a grid together with network printer stations and breakout areas for collaborative working, designed after the Workstyle group had analysed work families, team-by-team requirements and the spatial needs to support business functions.

The Results: 
Centralising services in the new building under flexible working has enabled Suffolk County Council to cut costs significantly. Accommodation charges were reduced by 25 per cent because the organisation is using only 450 desks, PCs and phones instead of 650. And the joint venture is looking to reduce operating costs by around another 25 per cent in the first three years. As well as cutting costs, the council is making more efficient use of its space. Traditionally, office desks are occupied around 50 per cent of the time, while smarter working has raised its occupancy to around 75 per cent.