How Is the Return to Office Shaping Commercial Real Estate and Continuity?

A recent article published by BusinessTech highlights the significant shift in South Africa’s work environment as businesses increasingly transition from remote work back to in-office operations. According to a 2024 report by ResumeBuilder.com, 90% of companies plan to return to the office or adopt a hybrid work model by the end of 2024, signaling a strong rebound in office demand. With this rise in demand for office spaces comes the added risk of potential disruptions, making the need for business continuity and disaster recovery more critical than ever. As businesses embrace hybrid work models, they are realising that maintaining operations in the face of unexpected challenges requires more than just returning to physical office spaces—it requires robust strategies to ensure resilience and continuity.

As businesses return to the office, they are faced with the challenge of ensuring operational continuity during times of disruption. While traditional backup methods—generators, solar power, backup internet, and even water for essential operations—have become the norm, today’s business continuity and disaster recovery strategies must go further. Businesses need comprehensive strategies to ensure they can continue functioning effectively, even when faced with unforeseen challenges.

For large businesses, this shift is further compounded by increasing pressure from external parties—investors, clients, and regulators—demanding that businesses have some form of disaster recovery in place. There is growing pressure for businesses to demonstrate their ability to quickly respond to disruptions and continue operations without significant downtime. This external demand has made disaster recovery an essential component of corporate strategy, driving many large businesses to re-evaluate their continuity plans and invest in more resilient infrastructure.

Work Area Recovery (WAR) is just one of the great strategies businesses can use to reduce risk. It provides businesses with secure, temporary office spaces that can be used during unforeseen disruptions, such as natural disasters, power outages, or other emergencies. Organisations with a Work Area Recovery plan in place are significantly more likely to recover quickly from a disaster. These spaces are designed to allow businesses to continue operations without the need to pause or relocate, ensuring that their continuity plans are fully supported even when the primary office environment is unavailable.

As the commercial real estate market evolves, it’s clear that business continuity and disaster recovery must be at the heart of decision-making. The hybrid work model has reinforced the need for businesses to be agile, with the right infrastructure in place to respond to disruptions quickly and effectively. By integrating business continuity and disaster recovery into their real estate strategy, businesses can ensure they remain operational, no matter what the future holds.

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