RISMEDIA, Feb. 16, 2007-When the president of a Chicago area business attended a recent Runzheimer International educational session about virtual work and telecommuting, he was beginning his search for expanded office space and was seeking an additional 3,000 – 5,000 square feet, with plans to take occupancy in December, 2007. He left the program determined to evaluate ways in which his organization could better leverage virtual work arrangements to reduce the amount of additional space required. He has since reduced his additional space requirements by more than half, translating into a total estimated savings of $350,000 – $400,000 over five years.
"The Runzheimer Webinar caused me to rethink everything," says Dan Amdur, CEO of Moving Station, LLC, a third-party relocation administrative services company. "I was preparing to find office space that would support my organization's growth objectives for the next five years. At the time, we had a limited telecommuting program; however, after challenging our assumptions about where and how work can be effectively performed, we determined we could expand our program and give ourselves more flexibility to grow without adding as much space and expense. This move has been well-received by our employees. Clients will also benefit as it will enable employees to work at client sites as well. The end result is significant cost avoidance."
Advances in technology in the past decade, coupled with globalization and competitive pressures, have made the concept of the virtual office much more attractive and practical for companies facing talent management, facilities planning, and business continuity concerns.
"IBM, Ernst & Young, AT&T and Nortel have all embraced telework and its benefits, but a vast majority of organizations have yet to take advantage of the opportunities available. Most organizations are still managing their businesses and employees in a 20th Century way, assuming that knowledge work must be performed in a traditional office environment. Through a series of educational programs for business leaders, Runzheimer International is expanding awareness of the benefits available when organizations think differently about how work is performed in the 21st Century," says Heidi Skatrud, vice president at Runzheimer.
Runzheimer is offering three separate educational programs and is embracing the virtual work concept by delivering the programs over the Web using a variety of interactive approaches, such as live polling, Q&A, and sharing of video clips. The programs, strategic in nature, are led by Runzheimer's virtual office thought leaders and address the following areas:
1. Virtual work and its impact on facilities planning, talent management, and business continuity.
2. Mobile technology and the infrastructure and support systems needed to effectively enable virtual work.
3. Best practices in managing virtual workers and geographically distributed teams.
For more information, contact Cheryl Stang at 1-800-558-1702, ext. 2615 or vos@runzheimer.com.
