New technologies and innovations are emerging rapidly and will forever impact the way we work, how we manage space and the human experience. Artificial Intelligence is bringing a new wave of change, often leaving workers wondering what it means for the future of their jobs. We need to look to the future to see the shift that is on the horizon, how these shifts and disruptions will impact the way we work. Integrating rapidly emerging technology has been our focus in recent years. These are both exciting and alarming times as we venture down a new path. This session takes a look at how evolving technologies and new innovations are impacting work, workers and the workplace.

Kay Sargent, ASID, IIDA, CID, LEED® AP, MCR.w, WELL AP, Director of WorkPlace, HOK
As the Senior Principal and Director of WorkPlace for HOK, Kay Sargent brings over 30 years of experience in the interiors industry. Her work has taken her to multiple continents where she has worked with Fortune 500 companies on their global real estate strategies and designed workplaces of the future. Kay specializes in helping companies identify their unique organizational DNA and requirements, align their space with their business goals, develop the workplace of the future and deliver it across their global portfolio.

Kay was recently elected to serve on the International Federation of Interior Designers/Architects, IFI and on the CoreNet Global Board. She also serves on the National ASID Foundation Research Taskforce and the Advisory Board of Virginia Tech School of Architecture and Design. She has also served on the International Boards of IIDA, ASID, NCQLP, ASID Foundation Board of Trustees, and NCIDQ. She is an active member of IFMA and co-founder of the IFMA Workplace Evoluntionaries, WE, community. Kay was recently selected as a ‘POWER WOMEN’ by Bisnow and is a networker and mentor to many in the industry, and as such is a Founding member of the DC Chapter of Upward.

The concept of managing space is really quite abstract. We don’t actually “manage” space but instead understand and plan how to use space in the most effective method. Simply stated, space management involves the management of an organization’s physical space inventory. Whether you realize it or not, every organization manages their space one way or another. You might have an automated space management solution, use AutoCAD and Excel spreadsheets or manage your space with printed off floor plans and coloured pencils. At a high level, the management of your space inventory includes tracking and maintaining your space, as well as occupancy information – identifying who sits where, understanding how much space your organization has, and how it’s actually being used, and projecting and forecasting how much real estate you will need in the future. Every organization has their own process in place to manage their facility and real estate portfolio – it may be working for them or they might need a solution in place that aligns with the goals and objectives of the organization.

When we think about workplace transformation and the impact of activity based workplaces (ABW) in space management the traditional ways employed over the past decade don’t lend themselves to this new way of working. New forms of data are required to make informed decisions about sharing ratios, assigned and unassigned seating, and utilization vs. occupancy. These forms of data and information are all examples of space management principals in an ABW paradigm. More than ever we, as space managers, need automated tools, data collection and assimilation of information, and above all speed to keep up with the demands of this new way of working. As real estate is our second most expensive line item on the balance sheet, our portfolios demand that a greater understanding of how space is being utilized, its criticality and efficiency are pertinent to real estate portfolio management and decision making to ensure prudent space management practices. You might think your current process works just fine, and it might, but research has found that moving from a manual process of managing your space inventory to an automated solution can reduce your overall operating costs, increase the productivity of your entire organization and provide you with real-time visibility into how your space is truly being used, across one or many locations. The best part is, at the end of the day we are aligning our real estate supply with demand and ensuring efficient use of space to support the prudent use of resources both now and in the future.

Kathy Paul, Managing Director, Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions
Kathy Paul is a workplace leader with over 15 years experience in developing solutions for the workplace across several sectors. As Managing Director of BGIS Workplace Solutions, Kathy leads a team of over 120 professionals who work to develop and support workplace solutions throughout North America. Kathy holds a Masters of Science in Facilities Management, and a Masters of Corporate Real Estate with a specialization in Workplace, and is a certified Change Manager and Interior Designer. Kathy’s deep knowledge of workplace is applied to the management and effective operation of corporate real estate space and solutions for over 20 million square feet of space for BGIS clients.

We are in a workplace revolution! Flex and activity based working (ABW) is becoming the new norm and the office layout is changing to allow for more collaborative and open concept spaces. New generations of employees entering the workforce are more tech savvy than ever and they want the tools to allow them to collaborate and remain productive whenever and wherever they are. The presentation will introduce various ABW technology enablers including, collaborative solutions for the boardroom, huddle room, and common spaces. We will discuss tools to help you efficiently measure and manage the utilization of your desk and meeting room spaces, as well as strategies to reducing environment impact and increasing document security by enabling follow you print strategies.

Craig Milner, Senior Solutions Executive – Federal Government, Ricoh Canada Inc.
Craig Milner is part of Ricoh Canada's Federal Government team, dedicated to providing innovative workplace technology solutions exclusively to the Canadian Federal Government. Over the last decade, Craig has successfully collaborated with clients to empower their digital workplaces by improving document workflow, mobility, and collaboration capabilities. Located at the Toronto Head Office, Craig graduated with a B.Comm (hons) from the Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba.

Participants will be presented with a case study of CompuCom’s completed Digital Headquarters construction project encompassing digital switches, wireless, hyperlocation censors, power over ethernet (PoE) lighting, collaboration and mobile applications designed to create open, collaborative and productive workspaces. We will carefully explore the numerous stages in which information technology, corporate real estate and facilities stakeholder historically get engaged during these projects. The session will explore “the day in the life of” each stakeholder and their journey. We will compare the historical way of engagement vs. the “digital way” and examine what makes each department ‘tick’ throughout the journey. We will articulate digital/smart building business metrics and return on investment scenarios and why participants should consider this for new, existing buildings and participants who want to transform their work environments to a next generation collaboration workplace.

How will the session help the participants or their customers solve a problem or need?
This session will give delegates the tools/knowledge for inserting themselves into the real estate design and construction processes and to demonstrate how technology can reduce operational costs, and lower capital expenditure. We will review how to improve workspace experiences for employees and how to help future proof the building.
This session will detail new revenue opportunities/white space and how digital/smart buildings can be used as a competitive differentiator and lead to sole sourcing and higher profit margins.

Trent Tursi, Director, CompuCom - Digital Transformation
Trent Tursi is an accomplished Fortune 500 Executive Leader with exceptional vision, strategy and sales acumen complemented by proven results in business transformation models. With his unique background in construction, electrical, mechanical, and information technology, he brings forward financial models to executives that impact the bottom line. Having worked for Johnson Controls Inc., Trent currently is in charge of the digital building/digital workplace segment for CompuCom, where he leads pursuits across building owners and information technology executives sharing the ‘new way’ to deliver functionality across IT systems and having worked on 200+ ‘smart buildings’ here in North America.

JF Ladouceur, Solutions Architect, CompuCom Canada

Is your workplace being used effectively? How can you tell? What analysis should you use? The federal government has implemented GCworkplace which includes activity based work (ABW) at its core, where no one gets an assigned seat. As a result entire floors of previously assigned workers are now mobile. This is creating a challenge in measuring how the space is being utilized and whether or not the space program is effective. We will discuss different options in use today; observational studies; building/floor access analysis and real time tracking. Each gathers different utilization data, has a different analysis and reports results. We have analyzed these methods over a number of years and will speak to ‘what works’ and their use in determining workplace effectiveness.

Cheryl Jefferies, Principal, Senior Data Management Specialist, HOK
Cheryl Jefferies is a Principal and Senior Practice Specialist with ‘On Site Services’ at HOK. She is focused on services in Space Management including space/occupancy planning, data management, technology assessments and strategy. In her projects, she ensures strong links to the processes and tools needed to place information in the hands of facilities decision makers. She believes that 'solid data drives decisions' and has developed and led teams to manage clients’ data and drawings for large international portfolios of multiple facility types. She brings strong project management skills with experience in implementing integrated workplace management solutions with a focus on 'what is important' and the drivers behind the solution.

Did you know that since 2002, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) has been providing a unique service to the Government of Canada that uses the latest technology for digitizing information resources? The Document Imaging Solutions Centre (DISC) is helping bring the federal government into the modern times of digital records. As your partner in information management, DISC offers conversion from paper to pixels and so much more. We are a total service solution for your record digitization needs, operating on a cost-recovery basis. We can convert your valuable information assets into an electronic format, so you can easily access them, whenever and wherever you are. Avoid long procurement processes. We offer many different solutions, including pre-screened established network of skilled specialists to help complete the work. Other benefits of partnering with PSPC’s Document Imaging Solutions Centre include:

• A quick-start project initiation through a Memorandum of Understanding;
• Proven integration with legacy processes and systems using the secure Government of Canada intranet;
• A high security firewall;
• Encryption of the transferred data and controlled accesses;
• Evidentiary quality images in accordance with Canadian General Standards Board and ISO (International Organization
• Standardization) standards; and,
• Experienced specialists operating in secure Government of Canada buildings.

Are you not leveraging the paper assets that you have? Is all of your information access locked away? Do you have storage offsite for physical documents? Is the information that you require is locked away? The DISC group has been identified to play a Subject-Matter-Expert role and help identify options and implement a viable solution for document imaging. This presentation will help you learn some of our digitization service offerings and our value proposition.

Bruce Covington, Director, Document Imaging Solutions Centre, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Bruce Covington leads the Document Imaging Solutions Centre for Public Services and Procurement Canada. Bruce is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the business unit, integration of new technologies, ensuring compliance to all applicable standards, increasing client base from among colleague departments and agencies and ensuring client satisfaction with services.

The presentation will include the decision to use GCDocs and digitization to address information management challenges associated with the Department of National Defence’s move to a campus-based headquarters, including the requirement for business process change associated with moving towards a mobile workforce.

Ben Van-Vianen, CD, Executive Director, Knowledge and Information Management, Department of National Defence
Ben Van-Vianen joined the public service in 2015 following a 26-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces retiring as a Lieutenant-Colonel.

As a Signals Officer, Ben held numerous Command and Staff positions throughout his career including Commanding Officer, 742 Signal Squadron; Deputy Director of Signals; and Commander 73 Communications Group. Ben also served on a number of international operations including as the Signal officer in the Golan Heights, SFOR Chief J6 in Bosnia, and Senior Mentor to the Commandant of the Afghan National Army Signal School in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Ben is currently the Executive Director, Knowledge and Information Management, within the Department of National Defence, providing information management advice to the department and leading files such as open government, digitization, and GCDocs.

Ben is a graduate of the Joint Command and Staff Programme, the Canadian Security Studies Programme, and holds a Master’s Degree in Defense Studies.

The future has happened but most designers and delivery teams are using tools set decades ago. Even BIM has grown profoundly into digital twins and common data environments. This presentation will cover many of the new advancements within design technology and speak to the benefits of the advancements for practice. Cloud-based collaboration and client commentary management will be additional features within the course to discuss the best practices for meaningful dialogue using simply technology.

Aubrey Tucker, Innovative Technology Leader, Stantec
Aubrey Tucker is an Innovative Technology Developer for Stantec, across all architecture and engineering business lines where he investigates technology change management strategies and proposes business cases to change how Stantec delivers work. He is an enabler, technologist, international BIM speaker, university lecturer and revit expert with an extensive career with skyscrapers, hospitals, schools, airports and technology.

Rael Romero, Visual Technology Manager, Stantec

Chuck Lounsberry, Visual Technology Leader, Stantec

It is difficult to consistently meet business objectives for space utilization when one or more factors are changing over time. This is the place many workplace strategists find themselves when trying to design flexible workspace for an agile workforce.

Dedicated workplace design based on individual departmental profiles and ratios does not apply to these new type of spaces. Flexible workplace, a relatively new concept in corporate real estate, instead follows design principles of shared supply for variable demand.

Workplace digitization (sensors) provide the means to better understand trends in space/time based on employee preferences and usage over time.

Without this level of data, facilities can be over-built and under-utilized to create sufficient buffer for peak occupancy without affecting business continuity. With data, new options present themselves for peak management; saving costs and improving outcomes.

In today's workplace, we are experiencing a collision of archaic systems and modern technology. Everyday, we are working on teams with both tech breeding millennials and seasoned veterans who have seen it all. Like it or not, technology is changing faster than we can keep up. Change in any form is difficult, and naturally we are resistant to it, but gamification has entered the workplace allowing us to find the fun in changing in the way we work.

I challenge you to show up at our talk we'll plant one in your honour!

Tiffani Westerman, Leader of Product Development, YoppWorks Inc.
Tiffani Westerman is the Leader of Product Development at Ottawa-based company, Yoppworks Inc. Since 2016, Tiffani has led the successful development and commercialization of multiple products. Specializing in mobile platforms, Tiffani has led a team of over 20 developers using open source and leading edge technologies, including the Lightbend stack. Previously, Tiffani has over seven years business development experience in the wellness industry.