How companies are addressing rising office fit-out costs

Despite more employees being in the office, the complexity of hybrid working means they’re still likely to be involved in calls with colleagues working elsewhere. It’s why technology that supports seamless collaboration and immersive meeting experiences is high on fit-out wish lists.

“A much larger proportion of fit-out budget is being spent on better technology solutions, bigger high-definition screens, better audio and cameras that track, all to better reflect in person meetings” says Hudson.

JLL’s Global Technology Survey found more than three quarters of corporate real estate leaders are investing in better office technology, while the 2024 Global Occupancy Benchmarking report shows 39% have specifically enhanced their conference room tech.

Yet tech alone won’t improve productivity. “It's extremely important to train your people on how to get the best out of it,” says Romeu Carpinteiro, Head of Commercial Ops at JLL design and fit-out company,Tétris.

It’s an issue that many of us are familiar with. Cisco found seven out of 10 employees reporting proficiency issues with videoconferencing platforms and cloud-based document sharing, while two thirds of employees said current meeting rooms were ineffective.

Occupancy sensors, plus those that support wellness and sustainability goals by monitoring light and air quality or energy use, are also now commonplace.

With 86% of CRE leaders focused on cost reduction, Carpinteiro says this tech investment can rapidly pay for itself. “It helps reduce overall operating costs and provides hard metrics on post fit-out ROI.”