Client projects: Puls & Träning

More efficient and satisfied in existing office

The Puls & Träning gym chain has changed offices before, and found themselves in the position to do it again. They felt that their office space was cramped and inefficient and did not make people happy. This time, management wanted to get it right from the start, so they enlisted the help of Kinnarps to do a Next Office® workplace analysis. Not only does the company now have a new interior design, but they also have a new, improved way of working – in their existing office.

Puls & Träning was established in 2006. Today, the company has about 90 gyms around Sweden, headquartered in Stockholm with about 40 employees. For the last few years, the office has been feeling cramped. Also, management and employees have been feeling that the office was not promoting efficiency nor was it making people happy to the degree they wanted.

Founder and part-owner Karin Sager recollects:
“We had a relatively new office but still weren’t overly happy. We started thinking that we would need to move to a bigger office but after talking to Kinnarps, we started to consider whether we were using our environment wrong and whether we could improve what we have.”

Needs mapping and analysis

The key to success was Next Office®, Kinnarps’ workplace analysis to develop working environments customised to operations. The method entails mapping and analysing the business, involving the management team and employees in the change process and, using this knowledge as the basis, creating sustainable working environments for the long term.

“Kinnarps helped us see our operations from a different viewpoint and challenged us on what we took for granted as being absolute truths. In particular, we learned that we would need to start from scratch and do things right from the start. It was clear that we couldn’t just switch out our furnishings, we would have to change our way of working.”

Aided by a lecture, workshop, online survey and review of Puls & Träning's vision and goals, Kinnarps analysed the company’s needs. The analysis concluded that improvements to efficiency were needed, as well as a more pleasant and smarter environment through digital solutions. There are also formulations about increased environmental and health focus, better communication and a stronger team spirit.

“Our analysis also showed that Puls & Träning would not need to move to a bigger office. With the right interior design, customised to their operations, the square metres available at the office would be fully sufficient. This had the added benefit of making the project economically sustainable using each square metre more efficiently,” says Henrik Axell, Concept Manager for Kinnarps Next Office® in Sweden.

From cramped to pleasant

In many ways, the transformation from being a traditional open plan office to an office customised to operations has been an interesting journey. Karin Sager highlights that Kinnarps’ efforts to involve staff have been important and necessary tools in these value-creating change efforts.

“In the beginning, a lot of people misunderstood and were suspicious of the project, which is only natural. That’s why it's so important that staff are invited to be involved and that management is always available, that they always listen and that they are transparent. The end result has been a pleasant surprise in a lot of ways,” says Karin Sager.

The biggest surprise is that the office that once felt so constricting now feels airy, inspiring and pleasant, despite an increase in headcount and number of workspaces in the organisation. One of the reasons behind this is development of digital solutions.

“It was high priority for us to get a grip on our digital environment before starting anything else. Not only did it make our work more efficient, but we have also reduced our printouts by about 60 percent. Good for the environment and good for our economy,” says Karin Sager.

Another thing that surprises her is that the quiet zones, which were so strongly requested at the beginning of the project, are not the workplaces that attract the most people now.

“Actually, it's the calm, semi-focus zones that are utilised most. I think our experiences with our old office made people think that they wanted to sit more secluded. But now that the entire environment is more on point, you can work more efficiently from anywhere, reducing the need for quiet zones.”

Strengthens the employer brand

The workplace analysis that Kinnarps did within the Next Office® framework was the basis of the interior design proposal that has now become the daily reality of Puls & Träning. From a design point of view, they desired a stylish office that would reflect their operations without being too “sporty”. Karin Sager tells us that though their previous office was also visually attractive, there is a deeper dimension to the new office.

“We get a lot of appreciative comments from partners and other visitors and it's noticeable that they’re impressed that we took such great efforts with our interior design solution. I also see that we have strengthened our employer brand and have become more attractive as an employer, so not only is it now easier for us to retain staff, but also to recruit,” says Karin Sager.

This impression has also been confirmed in the follow-up included in Kinnarps’ workplace analysis. It shows that the average rating employees give the workplace has increased dramatically. On average, over 50 percent and in a lot of cases, over 100 percent. For example, responses to the question of how well the working environment supports both independent focus work and creative collaboration stand out positively.

“It goes to show how important it is to do our workplace analyses before changing an office. By creating customised solutions based on solid mapping and knowledge, we create value for the organisation and the interior design becomes a sustainable investment for the long term,” says Henrik Axell.