Less Could Be More: Why Right-Sizing Can Pay Off

For many banks and credit unions, an existing operations center acts as a reflection of the past. Technology, automation, and workplace design in an operations center may not be updated nearly as much as the branches consumers know and love. These outdated features leave financial institutions paying more for a space than needed for their operations. But right-sizing an operations center is much more than eliminating offices or team bonding spaces, it's about taking a deeper look into what employees need, and how these needs contribute to the most efficient workplace.

The Cost of Unused Space

While a large facility may seem like a luxury, every square foot comes with a cost. When space goes untouched, it's cost takes away from aspects that benefit employees. According to BOMA's latest national office market study, U.S. office buildings generated $134.9 billion in operating expenditures in 2022, an average of $15.76 per square foot. With heating alone accounting for 30% of energy use, reducing unnecessary square footage can create impactful savings across multiple operating categories.

Giving Staff What They Deserve

When approaching a potential right-sizing project, it's important to look at all of the reasons the project is being considered. How many employees work in the office? When was the last time the space was renovated? What costs are eating at important budgets? Rather than positioning the project as, "How much space can we eliminate?", ask yourself and the team, "What do we need from this space?". The design needs to depend on staff needs. Maybe there are far too many unused offices with the rise of work from home, but the building is lacking collaboration space, wellness rooms, or even more natural light. Perhaps the copy station on the second floor is never utilized, and could instead provide a much needed breakroom or private focus pods. Listening to the staff that use these spaces every day is the most important part of planning a right-sizing project.

Design for the Direction You're Heading

An operations center should be future-focused, not a recreation of every office space already in existence. While so much focus is put on the branch (rightfully so), the importance of investing in back-end digital tools and technology should span your institution's whole footprint. Employees need to experience what is being integrated in branches, from video conference rooms to the comfortable lounge experience that consumers get on a daily basis. Right-sizing should be an opportunity to rethink how the organization operates. Which functions need to be together? Which spaces are essential? Which processes have changed? Where are employees most productive?

Make Every Square Foot Count

The ultimate goal isn't to have the smallest operations center possible. It's to have an operations center that is appropriately sized, intentionally designed and financially sustainable. When an institution reduces excess space while investing in the people and technology that remain, downsizing can become an opportunity rather than a sacrifice. Fewer square feet can mean lower operating costs, a more efficient facility, a better employee experience and more resources available for the institution's next chapter.