DIGITAL SOLUTIONS / WORKPLACE STRATEGY – KBC

Transforming hybrid work into a strategic lever for real estate optimisation and employee experience.

KBC, one of Belgium’s leading banking groups, partnered with AREMIS to transform a fragmented hybrid work environment into a data-driven, digitised workplace ecosystem — reducing real estate footprint, cutting costs and improving the daily experience of thousands of employees.

1:3

DESK TO EMPLOYEE RATIO

80

FM PROCESSES DIGITISED

€32M

ANNUAL COST REDUCTION

-50%

REAL ESTATE FOOTPRINT

THE CHALLENGE

A large-scale portfolio fundamentally misaligned with the hybrid reality.

KBC is one of Belgium’s leading banking groups, operating a large multi-site corporate real estate portfolio supporting thousands of employees and millions of customers. The bank has been working with AREMIS across its Facilities, HR and IT departments for over 30 years.

Following the acceleration of hybrid work, KBC needed to rethink how office space was used, managed and optimised — while preserving collaboration, culture and operational efficiency. Traditional workplace models designed around peak occupancy and assigned desks were no longer sustainable. Office capacity, parking and collaborative spaces were increasingly misaligned with actual usage patterns.

The Group needed a data-driven model capable of continuously balancing workplace experience, occupancy, operational efficiency and real estate costs.

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

Transform hybrid work into a strategic opportunity to optimise real estate, improve employee experience and increase organisational resilience.

Consolidate real estate while optimising space usage across a multi-site portfolio

Transition from assigned desks to activity-based working with a 1:3 sharing ratio

Give employees flexible digital tools to organise hybrid work effectively

Align workplace tools and policies with KBC’s strategic goals

Maintain company culture and collaboration in a reduced footprint

APPROACH

A data-driven hybrid workplace strategy — combining occupancy intelligence, digital tools and governance.

AREMIS designed and implemented a comprehensive programme combining Archibus space management, occupancy analytics, sensor-based monitoring, workplace planning tools and integrated digital services connected to KBC’s existing ecosystem — supported by a 30-year partnership with KBC’s Facilities, HR and IT teams.

01

Occupancy Intelligence

Sensors deployed across KBC buildings to monitor desk, meeting room and collaborative space usage in real time — including the finding that 50% of meeting rooms were underused at peak times.

02

Space Management via Archibus

Digitisation of 80 facility management processes — from real estate management and workplace coordination to maintenance operations — centralising data across all KBC locations.

03

Hybrid Work Planning Tool

A resource planning tool enabling employees and teams to book desks and meeting rooms based on actual needs — reducing wasted space and supporting flexible attendance across all locations.

04

Activity-Based Working Design

Underused spaces identified through sensor data and repurposed into collaborative environments — with meeting room typologies redesigned to better match hybrid working patterns.

05

Digital Workplace Integration

40% of KBC’s workplace app (Kate) capabilities connected to AREMIS solutions — giving all employees a mobile-first interface for desk booking, room reservation and facility services.

06

Hybrid Work Governance

Workplace pilots, governance frameworks and change management support — ensuring adoption of new ways of working across Facilities, HR and IT departments and throughout KBC’s locations.

DELIVERY

A continuous programme of
optimisation and transformation.

KBC’s transformation was not a single event but a sustained programme of continuous improvement — built on real-time data, iterative governance and a long-term advisory relationship. Each phase deepened the integration between workplace strategy, occupancy intelligence and digital tools, allowing KBC to adapt progressively rather than disrupt operations.

1

ADVISORY & STRATEGY – WORKPLACE ANALYSIS

AREMIS analysed employee behaviour, space usage patterns and company goals across KBC’s portfolio. Sensor deployment across buildings provided real-time occupancy data — identifying that 50% of meeting rooms were underused and that the 1:1.2 desk ratio was unsustainable in a hybrid context. This phase established the data foundation for all subsequent decisions.

2

DIGITAL IMPLEMENTATION – ARCHIBUS & PLANNING TOOLS

AREMIS configured and deployed Archibus to digitise 80 facility management processes across KBC’s locations — centralising lease management, space management, maintenance operations and workplace coordination. A resource planning tool was implemented to enable employees to book desks and meeting rooms in advance, directly connected to KBC’s Kate app, with 40% of the app’s capabilities tied to AREMIS solutions.

3

CONTINUOUS OPTIMISATION – GOVERNANCE & IMPROVEMENT

With real-time data flowing through Archibus, AREMIS supported KBC in continuously adjusting space allocation, repurposing underutilised areas and governing hybrid work adoption. The programme contributed to a 50% reduction in real estate footprint, approximately €32M per year in savings and an estimated 5,600 tCO₂/year reduction — achieved through iteration, not a single transformation event.

PROJECT AT A GLANCE

CLIENT

KBC

SECTOR

Banking

LOCATION

Leuven (BE)

ANNUAL COST REDUCTION

~€32M

PLATFORM

Archibus IWMS

PROCESSES DIGITISED

3

EMPLOYEES SUPPORTED

80

DESK RATIO ACHIEVED

1:3

CO₂ REDUCTION

5,600 tCO₂/yr

RESULTS

50% less real estate. €32M saved annually. A hybrid model that works..

By combining occupancy analytics, planning tools and hybrid work governance, KBC gained real-time visibility into workplace usage and transformed underutilised spaces into more valuable collaborative environments — while significantly reducing costs and environmental impact.

01

REAL ESTATE OPTIMISATION

A 50% reduction in real estate footprint across KBC’s multi-site portfolio — achieved through data-driven space rationalisation, hybrid work governance and activity-based working implementation.

02

FINANCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Approximately €32M per year in real estate cost savings and an estimated 5,600 tCO₂/year reduction — making the programme both financially and environmentally significant.

03

WORKPLACE DIGITISATION

80 facility management processes digitised via Archibus — centralising data across all locations and enabling real-time decision-making on space, maintenance and occupancy at Group scale.

04

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

A mobile-first digital butler — 40% of KBC’s Kate app — giving all employees seamless access to desk booking, meeting room reservation and facility services from their smartphone.

A HYBRID PORTFOLIO TO OPTIMISE

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