Reduce costs, increase
satisfaction and efficiency
BASF relies on sensor-based space management
Together with Thing-it, BASF has implemented an intelligent workplace solution in the Berlin hub that optimally supports the hybrid working world .
The new booking system from Thing-it for workstations, meeting rooms, parking spaces and other resources, as well as a white-label app in BASF design, enable efficient planning and use of the office space.
Sensor-based usage analyses also provide valuable data on actual space utilization and enable dynamic, needs-based planning.
Problem: Challenges of the new, hybrid working world
BASF was undergoing a profound transformation. Originally, employees worked in a huge, traditional office building with 20 floors and fixed workstations. However, the lease expired and the pandemic fundamentally changed the working model. The move to a new hybrid working environment - the BASF Hub Berlin with just six floors - presented BASF with challenges, as it offered 40% less space for the same number of employees:
"By adjusting the head-to-desk ratio from a rigid 1:1 to a flexible 3:1 ratio together with Thing-it, we were able to reduce the rental space and optimize the use of workstations at the same time. This led to a significant increase in efficiency and cost savings. "
Mattieu Jonathan Plainevaux
Global Business Services Intranet Apps, BASF
Support for hybrid working models: Enable flexible workplace bookings.
The need for modern land management: efficient use of limited resources.
Efficient use of meeting rooms and office space: ensure optimization of room utilization.
Change management: promoting smooth acceptance of the new, hybrid way of working. Long-serving employees in particular were initially critical of the switch to shared desks.
Lack of motivation to return employees: Facilitate adaptation to new structures.
Decision-making process: Why Thing-it?
After evaluating various office management solutions, BASF opted for Thing-it. The following factors were decisive:
Seamless integration
Connection to the existing IT landscape, including Outlook calendar and Microsoft 365.
Sensor-based space management
Automated check-in and check-out ensures that reserved but unused spaces are released. In addition, dashboards provide real-time insights into workplace utilization and enable data-based planning of office space.
Experience and suitable references
Successful implementation at comparable large companies, e.g. Deloitte, Rolls-Royce, Drees & Sommer, Hypoport.
Wide range of features
Thing-it offered a comprehensive booking solution for workstations, meeting rooms, parking spaces, lockers and much more.
Individual rights management
The SCIM integration enables automatic synchronization of user roles and permissions, allowing access rights to be managed efficiently and in compliance.
"The compatibility of Thing-it convinced us. The solution can be easily adapted to our complex IT structure."
Mattieu Jonathan Plainevaux
Global Business Services Intranet Apps, BASF
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The solution:
Optimization of office space through sensor-based booking systems
Thing-it was introduced as a workplace experience platform for the BASF Hub Berlin and has helped to optimize numerous work processes:
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Employees can book workstations and meeting rooms flexibly.
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Release unused resources for optimal use of space - no-shows are recognized & vacancies avoided.
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Sensor-supported usage evaluations for the dynamic optimization of space planning and usage.
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The look and feel of the app is fully adapted to BASF's corporate design. This creates a uniform user experience across all corporate channels, which significantly strengthens both the acceptance of the app among employees and management as well as identification with the solution.
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Home zones and booking overviews for better collaboration.
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Indoor navigation via Bluetooth beacons makes it easier to find workstations - especially in open-plan offices.
The result: More efficiency and employee satisfaction with Thing-it
By using Thing-it, BASF was able to achieve significant successes:
Space efficiency and cost reduction
Together with Thing-it, BASF has implemented a new space concept that guarantees a positive workplace experience while providing employees with 40% less office space after the move. The reduced space will save BASF around €450,000 per month in rental costs.
Data-based decision-making
Dashboards and sensor-based usage analyses provide valuable insights to understand office utilization and make informed strategic decisions on space optimization.
More flexible collaboration
The office space can be used dynamically, encouraging spontaneous meetings and agile collaboration.
Better user experience and intuitive booking
A user-friendly white label app with Outlook synchronization enables intuitive booking and makes employees' day-to-day work easier.
"The most important measurable benefit is the significant reduction in office rent. Without the tool, the company would have needed a much larger building, which would have led to higher costs."
Mattieu Jonathan Plainevaux
Global Business Services Intranet Apps, BASF
"The dashboard allows us to see for the first time how the office is actually being used. We can see which spaces and meeting areas are used a lot and which are not. This information can be used for data-driven management decisions."
Toon De Backer
Executive Expert Business Solutions, BASF
Curious?
What you have seen so far is just a glimpse - you can find the full results in our PDF!
Outlook: Future visions and further developments of Thing-it at BASF
The implementation of Thing-it has shown that digital technologies play a central role in the transformation of modern working environments. BASF plans to further expand data analysis and develop detailed dashboards with the help of the Data Cube project in order to make the use of space even more efficient.
The Data Cube will serve as the central data source for room analyses. It makes it possible to identify trends in room usage at an early stage so that adjustments can be made quickly.
By integrating real-time data, decisions on office and room design are continuously optimized, resulting in a more sustainable and flexible working environment.
This project illustrates how digital technologies are transforming the world of work and how companies can make optimal use of their resources through the targeted use of sensor-based data analysis.
The BASF Hub Berlin: Flexibility meets efficiency
Supervised location:
BASF HUB Berlin
Employees:
Over 3,500 employees
Office space:
900 workplaces
meeting rooms:
220
The BASF Hub Berlin is a central branch of the world's leading chemical company and an essential part of BASF's global network. With 15,000 m² of office space, 900 workstations and 220 meeting rooms, the hub offers a modern, flexible working environment for around 3,500 users.
The introduction of Thing-it is helping BASF to create an innovative and efficient working environment that is optimally tailored to the needs of its employees.
You can get all the insights in our free PDF!
Less space, lower costs, satisfied employees - how does it work? Fill out our contact form and receive the complete success story - find out how BASF uses space more efficiently, saves costs and successfully shapes the hybrid working world with Thing-it.
BASF Success Story
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"The brain of a building! With its technology and interfaces, Thing-it manages to bring our concepts to life. Buildings, technology, users and devices are digitally connected."
Steffen Szeidl
Chairman Drees & Sommer
"We chose Thing-it because the platform outperformed all competitors in our scoring - it was the workplace solution with the best usability, the broadest range of use cases and it can be easily integrated with additional functions."
Lennart Goschin
Head of Digitalization Hypoport
Worldwide customer and partner network
