Overview
We worked closely with Deutsche Bank to understand the needs of its staff, ranging from traders to operations teams, and to explore how digital tools and building technologies could enhance the work environment. Our efforts informed the design of the bank’s flagship building in London, creating a more responsive and user-centric workplace that supports the bank's operational needs and sustainability goals.
Challenge
Deutsche Bank faced several challenges that required a comprehensive digital building strategy:
Lack of Digital Guidance:
There was no established framework for making digital decisions during building operations. Hard to access traders for use cases and requirements.
Inflexible Operations: Building management was dependent on outdated methods, such as spreadsheets, limiting the ability to empower operators and react to changing needs.
Sustainability Risks: Without access to energy consumption data at scale, the bank risked missing its sustainability targets.
Lack of Utilization Data: There was no real-time data on space utilization, making it difficult for operators to adjust to evolving staff needs or optimize space allocation.
Cybersecurity Concerns:Many of the bank’s buildings presented critical cybersecurity risks that needed addressing.
Opportunity
We identified a significant opportunity to reshape how Deutsche Bank approached its building management by developing a Digital Building Strategy that would:
Enable a more responsive and user-centric workplace by providing real-time data on space utilization and staff needs.
Support sustainability goals through data-driven insights on energy usage and environmental impact.
Enhance productivity and well-being of all occupants by optimizing building operations and environmental conditions.
Ensure the highest standards of cybersecurity in managing and operating the building’s digital systems.
Approach
We took an agile, collaborative approach, engaging stakeholders across multiple locations to ensure the final strategy met the needs of the bank’s global team.
Stakeholder Engagement:
We engaged over 90 Deutsche Bank stakeholders through questionnaires, interviews, and workshops to gather insights on staff needs, operational pain points, and the potential for digital technology to transform the workspace.
User-Centric Design:
By mapping out user profiles, journeys, and use cases, we ensured the building's digital tools were aligned with the diverse needs of staff—from traders who require fast, reliable systems to operations teams focused on efficiency.
Technology Mapping:
Noble developed a detailed guide for integrating smart building technologies, such as sensor networks and space utilization tracking. We provided high-level guidance on procuring or developing tools like employee apps, wayfinding systems, and facility management tools.
Strategic Alignment:
We created a Digital Building Strategy & Guide to align global teams around a unified approach to digital building management, ensuring that the strategy worked for users at all levels, regardless of their familiarity with digital tools.
Vision
Through our work with Deutsche Bank, We demonstrated how a thoughtfully designed digital building strategy can transform a workspace into a responsive, user-centric environment that not only meets operational goals but also enhances employee well-being and sustainability. This project laid the foundation for future smart building initiatives within the bank, providing a scalable strategy that could be implemented across its global portfolio.
