Virtual on Real: Adapting the Office Environment

Q: How are office management products adapted to various market segments?

A: We work with different industries including railway, oil and gas, pharmaceutical and technological companies. Having high-quality services is the only way to cover the needs of enterprises working in different market segments, which have varied expectations. Excellent standards of air conditioning, reliable sound systems, safe networks and comfortable furniture, among many other aspects, have helped us meet the requirements of a wide range of industries.

Some of our customers have part-time or short-term staff while others have more than 100 full-time employees. The company’s product range serves the spectrum, including virtual and part-time offices, co-working spaces, communications and messaging services, meeting rooms and working environments for smaller groups of people. Our clients have realized that it is more cost-effective to outsource office administration than to manage it internally. Finding the most suitable characteristics for any service or product requires constant reassessment. To provide work solutions we must focus on a problem that needs to be solved instead of selling a product. IOS OFFICES stays informed about the changing needs of our customers via focus groups with our members.

Q: What opportunities will allow IOS Offices to continue expanding?

A: The Mexican market has been growing steadily for the last 20 years, bolstering national GDP and purchasing power. Different industrial segments such as the automotive industry also have enjoyed considerable growth, along with large cities such as Queretaro and Tijuana. All these changes have raised the bar for office space in the country, which assures us that we can keep expanding our market in different locations. Another area is the virtual office. These have been present for more than 40 years worldwide and for 20 years in Mexico and are developing further as we incorporate more technology into our daily activities. As more companies allow employees to work remotely, we are seeing an even greater rise in virtual  offices and co-working spaces. Now, employees do not have to commute for an hour to the office. Instead, they meet clients at more convenient locations or visit a closer working space to carry out their normal activities. We have operations in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Tijuana, Cancun, Puebla, Villahermosa, Queretaro and Merida, and have plans to expand our business to new locations that will be announced in the upcoming months.

Q: What factors into the selection of IOS’ facilities and staff?

A: For IOS OFFICES, the human factor is extremely important and 58 percent of our staff has been recommended by another member of the team. Our talent retention level is extremely high, especially compared to other companies in the sector. The company’s recruitment processes are innovative and groundbreaking in that two years ago we decided to stop receiving traditional applications and requested videos instead. This strategy allows us to filter applicants more efficiently since we receive more than 300 submissions annually. The selection of facilities and equipment also goes through an exhaustive process. We perform intensive audits on buildings and the surrounding neighborhoods before making an acquisition. Our philosophy is to generate more value, not to simply save money. Every detail of a workspace, down to the fragrance, lighting and the attitudes of coworkers have a direct impact on an employee’s wellbeing so we have dedicated many years to improving our services.

Q: What are the main challenges that IOS OFFICES has faced?

A: Administrating an office is not particularly difficult as it represents similar costs for different companies. Nonetheless, few enterprises change their offices regularly, which means most of them do not have extensive experience in identifying the most appropriate equipment and services for their facilities. Even so, one of the challenges that we have identified is making companies aware that rent is not the only cost to ensure a quality working environment. Usually, rent only represents 30 percent of the overhead that a company must allocate for its offices.

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