Workplace Beta Testing

Finding the ideal approach for a reimagined, post-pandemic work environment is a journey BSA LifeStructures has traveled with Children’s Mercy. Visioning with the client on creating a workplace that best accommodates different work types – remote, on-site, or a hybrid of the two – was at the forefront of Children’s Mercy stakeholders’ minds as they began to meet with BSA back in October of 2020.

BSA analyzed the initial survey data completed by Children’s Mercy to gauge what it could mean for leased space. Once survey results came back, the BSA team met with the heads of 17 hospital leadership teams to reevaluate job descriptions considering survey findings. Performing the computational work, applying it, and translating the results into square footage, BSA was able to show Children’s Mercy that its projected post-pandemic on-site leased space needs in Crown Center decreased from 250,000 square feet down to 60,000 square feet or a space reduction of 76 percent.

Next, BSA worked with Children’s Mercy to establish new standards for employees. Departments were collocated on floors with similar ancillary space needs like large classrooms or video editing rooms. By reducing the typical office size, the reconfigured space was dedicated to collaboration, a select number of offices, and open workstations for shared usage depending upon the employees’ hybrid (in-office and remote) work schedules.

Over three months during Q4 2021, Children’s Mercy rotated departments’ teams through the re-envisioned office environment. Each team spent one week working in the space, testing it, and providing measurable evaluation. During construction of the Beta site, BSA worked closely with Children’s Mercy to develop a survey that would help gather valuable feedback to inform the future state. The questions were formulated to pull out data that allowed the team to understand if the original objectives were being met in the beta space and what other changes or improvements could be possible.