That was the question we sought to answer when we teamed up with Facilities Management Journal , asking a number of facilities managers nationwide about their experiences, frustrations – and solutions – when it comes to connecting their employees.
Here are some of the headlines:
- 1 in 3 (31%) of facilities managers rated the mobile phone coverage inside their building as either poor or a disaster
- 1in 2 51% reported that employees dare not move from the spot when taking a phone call, for fear of losing the signal
The notion of an army of workers, frozen in the moment as they field an important call, is a compelling image. But also surely an appalling one? You might think that the ability to make and take a mobile phone call simply and easily, anywhere in your place of work, at rest or on the move, is a forgone conclusion?
We weren’t entirely surprised by those results however. After all, we’re hearing first hand from our customers and partners about the scale and volume of problems faced on an everyday basis within a range of office types, right across the country. We know this is an issue, and we know it’s only going to grow as technological advancements such as 5G and an ever-more dispersed workforce place increasing strain on infrastructure that ceased to be fit for purpose a while back.
The genuine surprise – arguably, the most interesting finding in the survey – came when we looked at the responses of the 28% of FMs who said that their business (or another tenant in the building) already had a mobile coverage solution installed.
Almost 30% of this group still reported poor or disastrous coverage inside their building, very much in line with the overall average. While they fared better when it came to being able to move around, a high proportion (38%) were still auditioning for the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square on a regular basis – leaving them either changed to a desk, or competing for the popular spot by the window.
