A records and information management lens on workplace transformation : How to minimise risk and reap the rewards during real estate changes

As organisations work to navigate a dynamic business environment, real estate leaders have been tasked with developing portfolio strategies that reduce costs, maximise efficiencies and meet evolving employee needs. While these strategies typically involve making changes to the workplace, real estate leaders often fail to involve key internal and external stakeholders as early and often as they should. This can be a mistake. Real estate transformation is both an opportunity and a risk and should be conducted with the full participation of everyone who is touched by the project. In this paper, real estate professionals and other stakeholders will gain insights into best practices for working effectively with stakeholders across the organisation to plan and execute real estate transformation while minimising the risk of a data breach. Key takeaways include the proper management and handling of sensitive documents and IT assets, tips for vetting external vendors, the importance of involving critical stakeholders such as records management and IT, and real-world examples of companies who have used real estate changes to reduce risk and clutter while evolving into a paperless or paper-lite workplace.