FMJ magazine article featuring Joseph M. (Matt) Dawson, EY Real Estate Services Operations Leader, sharing insight on leveraging big data to advance workplace transformation.

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2. CASE STUDY
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3. U
sing big data as a transformative tool needs big
judgment — human judgment — to drive business
change that leads to a better working world.
Analyzing collected information through a human lens is
where true business advantage lies. Without the human
element, analytics is an informative tool to create a bank
of information. To create value from big data, you need to
intelligently analyze, review and act on data findings.
According to a recent survey conducted by professional
services organization EY and Forbes Insights, the majority
(66 percent) of global companies are investing upwards
of US$5 million in analytics, yet only 12 percent of global
companies describe their analytics maturity as “leading.”
Those who were not “born” digital have a longer journey
ahead than those who are capturing customer data and
interactions digitally from the start.
The leading 10 percent of enterprises surveyed reported
a significant shift in their ability to use data to help meet
competitive challenges. They encourage data analysis to
be performed by someone who knows the organization —
someone who is fully aware of the business objectives in the
context of culture and leadership who will inspire the right
line of questioning.
Data, at its best, should have the power to disrupt and
transform. Results from rigorous analysis of short- and
long-term data sets can confound an organization’s accepted
wisdom and assumptions influenced by human bias.
Real-world application: EY’s Workplace
of the Future
EY’s approach to analytics centers on its belief that the
better the question, the better the answer, and that these
better answers will produce the best solutions.
To this end, EY has developed the Workplace of the Future
(WOTF) — a trust-based flexible environment that supports
exceptional client service and helps attract and retain the
best talent.
At WOTF locations, the office is a place to work, but it’s not
the only place. EY’s people can either choose to work from
a variety of workspaces in the office or they can leverage
BY MATT DAWSON
Leveraging Big
Data to Advance
Workplace
Transformation
e y ’ s w o r k p l a c e o f t h e f u t u r e
MARCH/APRIL 2016 81
This article originally ran in the March/April 2016 issue of FMJ, the official magazine of the International
Facility Management Association, and has been reprinted with permission. For more information, visit
www.ifma.org/fmj, or visit www.ifma.org/fmj/subscribe to begin receiving FMJ.

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CASE STUDY
technology to virtually or remotely collaborate from client
sites, their homes or while in transit. This ability to be
connected and work in a variety of ways enables high-
performing teams.
EY developed the WOTF knowing that the workspaces
people occupy have an important impact on their well-
being and productivity. But as EY continues to grow — and
lifestyles, technology and the mix of its workforce changes
— those spaces won’t be the same as today.
Over the coming years, WOTF will provide the framework
and leading technologies to drive improvements to the
work environment and working practices of EY’s global
workforce. These changes will involve the refurbishment
of many EY offices and greater flexibility in how, when and
where people undertake their work.
For the EY culture to thrive, its global infrastructure and
related tools will need to enable its people.
Internal collaboration
Having an integrated approach from the start has been
the key to success for EY, with its talent (HR), IT and real
estate (RE)/FM functions working together globally on the
WOTF program. The group determined early on that having
a Business Enablement Center (BEC) function with related
support tools was also essential. But big data barriers
existed among IT, FM and HR groups which control key
source and dependent systems.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
In order for the BEC to be successful, it needed to be able to
provide comprehensive data that could be used to influence
the offices that were to pilot WOTF, WOTF business case
decisions and later deployments.
C-level members of the WOTF team worked to ensure
success across EY’s matrixed environment and aligned the
program with EY’s 2020 strategy. In addition, the executive
team helped to ensure a thorough global view by engaging
legal and data privacy/security among others to resolve and
accelerate solutions.
Virtual WOTF BEC
EY used its big data analytics framework as a starting point,
but human insight was essential to properly interpreting
the information and managing change.
EY elected a phased WOTF implementation starting with
its top 100 locations in 47 countries. The operational model
and costs were accepted as a strategic investment. Change
management issues were identified early on, largely related to
BEC big data analysis and influence on location business cases.
The objective was to unlock EY big data and analytics in a
meaningful way, serving as a catalyst to optimize all WOTF
transformational investments.
RE led the development of the BEC by leveraging three new
key global business support tools:
- Utilization system: Pulls data and analytics on office
and remote work activity
- Workstyles survey: Gathers employee perspectives
for WOTF local plans
- Global workspace and room reservations: Helps with
optimizing density via user-friendly, intuitive technology
It took 18 months, but thanks to regional business input
and analysis, team deliberations and ultimately the
creation of a global project team, EY developed key tools,
an analytics team and the BEC. During the process, EY also
considered disruptive technologies, such as cloud, big data,
mobile and social.
Today, the WOTF program is enabling EY’s people
to improve the way they work and collaborate and
is influencing business results. EY’s global portfolio
now aligns to its 2020 strategy, allowing it to leverage
technology investments, strengthen engagement and
recruitment, enable high-performing teams and deliver
cost/space efficiency.
Since the start of WOTF, EY has delivered on key talent
flexibility objectives while maintaining flat occupancy
spending and spatial portfolio during a period of growth —
including a 33 percent global staff increase while delivering
a 23 percent reduction in cost per person.
Lessons learned
Leadership tone sets the culture and acceptance of innovation
and change. To leverage this, the overall WOTF program was
specifically incorporated into EY’s 2020 strategy.
C-level team members were key to success, and an
entrepreneurial approach was essential given that EY is not a
single firm, but rather a global organization of partnerships
with varied local HR and FM teams. EY’s passion to deliver
exceptional service came into play internally by pulling
together a unified team that was driven to produce results.
Analyzing collected information through a human
lens is where true business advantage lies.

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CASE STUDY
Outcome
Big data is now a core element of the real estate decision-
making process, with the EY RE portfolio exceeding 22
million square feet in more than 140 countries.
WOTF helps EY realize a significant financial benefit that
can be reinvested back into the business.
Controlled governance, visualization and IT collaboration
tools are now universally leveraged, helping to ensure quality
use cases that are advanced to EY leadership, including:
- HR: WOTF action plans/new ways of working
initiatives, retention and flexibility targets
- IT: Investments for remote and onsite technology
- RE/FM: Portfolio sizing strategies, WOTF fit out and
indirect cost control
Leading practice
Big data analytics now enable all EY leadership to get a
better understanding of people’s requirements, and most
importantly, how EY’s people interact within their local
workplaces. This establishes how people are physically
working within their offices or from other locations, such as
another EY office, in transit, at home or from client sites.
The BEC also now provides data analytics and support to:
- Understand the big picture — it’s more than just a
real estate tool
- Align RE global and local strategies with WOTF and
region objectives
- Know and meaningfully communicate how RE impacts
the business
- Connect the WOTF dots — from workplace, to
flexibility, to technology, and so on
- Synthesize concise and meaningful messages
Innovation
EY RE used — nearly exclusively — existing internal
resources, tools, related big data and analytic methods to
shift its operating model to the next level. EY now has a
single interactive source for its changing business mix with
a database containing roughly 80 million records.
The project tools that were developed to integrate with
other EY applications will continue to change, specifically
related to how EY applications are participating with new
cloud-based platforms.
The WOTF team is planning “version 2” enhancements and
updates to stay ahead of the curve and new IT platforms.
Governance and audit procedures
EY leveraged a project activity management tool used
for lease management and capital projects among other
integrated workplace management system support
modules. Qualitative and quantitative reports are reviewed
by a WOTF Global Executive Steering Group and by
procurement, finance and EY internal audit.
In addition, EY has the following reporting and
review processes:
- Management team reporting: Monthly and managed
through the BEC analytics team
- Leadership reporting: Quarterly and audited by EY
procurement
- Biannual review: Global finance reviews, audits and
reporting validation
Savings and cost avoidance targets were established to
support EY’s strategy, and quarterly progress reports are
shared with senior management.
Savings and value definitions and processes were developed
to help ensure consistency with procurement, and
validations are reviewed with finance annually to audit and
obtain final approval and help ensure accurate, credible
savings figures to senior leadership.
Translating success for your organization
How can big data influence your RE/FM organization and
drive transformative business change?
Data-driven insight can create value — including reducing
risk and improving performance — that positions your
organization at a competitive advantage. However, some
enterprises are missing out on the opportunity to harness
its full potential. FMJ
REFERENCE
www.forbes.com/forbesinsights/ey_data_analytics_2015/index.html
Joseph M. (Matt) Dawson is the global operations
leader of the EY Real Estate Services group.
Dawson and his functional managers lead lease
administration, business enablement technologies,
reporting, compliance and operations support.
Dawson provides ongoing FM industry leadership and promotion
through academic conferences and international not-for-profit
professional organizations. He has served as chairman of the IFMA
Board of Directors and was a founding director of Global FM.
Within the FM profession, Dawson has received numerous awards and
international recognition. He holds a degree in Business Administration
from Georgia State University.