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Introduction to digital experience (DX)

Digital Experience (DX): The new frontier of multi-tenant workspaces

Table of Contents

In the traditional office setting, the focus was always on the physical environment—how aesthetically pleasing the office space was, how convenient the location, and the quality of amenities provided.

Digital Experience (DX) wasn’t even a consideration. Tenants brought in their own IT solutions, managed their own networks, and handled their own digital infrastructure.

But in the world of multi-tenant, flexible, and shared workspaces, things have changed dramatically. As an operator of these spaces, you’re no longer just responsible for desks, meeting rooms, and coffee bars – you are also in charge of your tenants’ digital experience.

Simply put: in today’s flexible workspace environment, DX is everything. If your WiFi goes down, it can bring an entire business to a halt. On the flip side, a seamless digital experience can increase tenant satisfaction, drive renewals, and ultimately boost your bottom line.

What is Digital Experience (DX)?

Digital Experience (DX) refers to the overall quality of the tenant’s interaction with the digital services provided within your workspace. This includes:

  • How safe and secure your digital environment is
  • How well-connected your space is
  • How easy it is to use and access your spaces and resources
  • How you use your technology to surface meaningful insights

In a traditional office, the tenant was responsible for bringing in their own network infrastructure. They hired their own IT staff, installed their own WiFi, and managed everything digital themselves. But in a multi-tenant workspace, all of that now falls on the operator. The digital environment you provide becomes part of the core offering, just like physical amenities.

In essence, your workspace’s digital experience is as important – if not more important – than its physical environment.

Why is digital experience important?

Today, tenants don’t just rent desks—they demand an infrastructure that enables them to work effectively and securely. A broken chair can be replaced with minimal disruption, but a poor digital experience can bring productivity to a grinding halt.

 

Physical vs. Digital Experience

What makes a great digital experience?

In a multi-tenant workspace, the quality of the digital experience is key to tenant satisfaction. Let’s break down the four essential pillars of a great digital experience:

  1. Safe and Secure

Your tenants need to trust that their data and systems are safe while using your workspace network. In a shared environment where multiple businesses, users and visitors might be accessing the same WiFi, cybersecurity is paramount. This is where WPA-2 Enterprise with RADIUS and certificate-based authentication come into play—ensuring that only authorized users and devices can access the network.

Key features of a secure DX:

  • Secure, certificate-based authentication.
  • Unique login credentials (no shared passwords).
  • Strong encryption to protect sensitive data.

  1. Easy to Use

Tenants expect the digital environment to be intuitive and friction-free. From day one onboarding, to day-to-day usage, everything should be as smooth and efficient as possible. Users should be able to access and use your spaces and resources easily, without friction.

Key features of an easy-to-use DX:

  • Fast onboarding with the ability to provide secure WiFi access to tenants and users instantly.
  • The ability to book and access spaces using smartphones and mobile wallets.
  • Self-service tools where appropriate (e.g. for managing accounts or adding new users).

  1. Well-Connected

Nothing frustrates tenants more than slow or unreliable WiFi. Lag, black spots, or constant network outages can drive users out of your workspace—and even out of their leases. A reliable, high-speed connection is non-negotiable in today’s environment.

Key features of a well-connected DX:

  • Comprehensive, reliable WiFi coverage across the entire workspace (no black spots).
  • Seamless handoff between different spaces (e.g., conference rooms, hot desks) with no connection loss.
  • The ability to visit other locations in your portfolio and automatically connect to secure WiFi (aka roaming).

  1. Intelligent

Digital experience is no longer just about providing a WiFi connection – it’s about using technology to enhance your tenants’ productivity and even drive business insights. The right systems can help operators understand how spaces are being used, improve energy efficiency, and even predict future tenant needs.

Key features of an intelligent DX:

  • Measurement of the digital experience from your users perspective.
  • Insights into utilization and user behavior that help improve services.
  • Predictive tools for capacity planning and resource allocation.

What happens when you don’t get DX right?

Getting digital experience wrong can have dire consequences. Poor connectivity, clunky access procedures, or frequent network failures could result in:

Churn: Tenants who are unhappy with the digital experience are more likely to leave once their lease is up.

Did you know? Tenant renewals can cost you up to 10% of Year 1 income in broker fees alone. Losing tenants because of bad DX is a direct hit to your bottom line.

Occupancy Decline: In flexible workspace models, operators face constant pressure to keep occupancy rates high. Word spreads fast, and in a highly competitive market, tenants are quick to move to spaces where they feel their needs are better met.

Revenue Loss: A poor digital experience leads to tenant dissatisfaction, which can directly impact your revenue streams. If your DX isn’t up to scratch, it’s negatively impacting the overall experience your tenants receive – impacting renewals, and therefore, revenue.

Your Digital Experience is key to retention

As a multi-tenant workspace operator, it’s likely that one of your biggest challenges is tenant retention. You have control over three key factors that drive renewals and occupancy:

  1. Physical Environment: Aesthetic appeal, location, and amenities.
  2. Price: Competitive pricing for the workspace.
  3. Digital Experience: Connectivity, security, and ease of use.

Of these three, digital experience is the most likely to change in the shortest amount of time. In six months, your physical environment is likely to be the same. But your digital experience can shift in minutes – one network outage or a persistent connectivity issue can frustrate tenants and push them out the door.

Retention risk:

  • If WiFi doesn’t work seamlessly, tenant productivity takes a hit.
  • Broken DX feeds into the overall tenant experience and impacts their satisfaction.
  • Poor DX = unhappy tenants = increased churn risk.

DX is crucial throughout the entire tenant lifecycle

Digital experience isn’t just important during the onboarding phase. It spans the entire tenant journey:

Invest in DX to future-proof your workspace

Operators often underinvest in digital experience, assuming it’s an expensive add-on when in fact, it’s one of the most affordable – and impactful – investments you can make.

Why invest in DX:

  • Ensures tenant satisfaction and retention.
  • Positions your workspace as a premium, well-rounded offering.
  • Future-proofs your business as digital needs evolve and expand.

DX is non-negotiable for multi-tenant workspaces

In multi-tenant workspaces, digital experience is no longer an optional luxury—it’s a critical component of your offering. The stakes are high: if your DX is strong, tenants will stay, productivity will soar, and your reputation as an operator will improve. But if your digital experience falters, it could cost you tenants, revenue, and credibility.

Now is the time to treat digital experience with the same level of care and investment as your physical environment, ensuring that your workspace is ready for the future of work.