FROM OWNERSHIP TO ACCESS
Our society is changing. ‘Us’ is becoming the new ‘me’. Access to items is becoming more important than actually possessing them. We are currently in the midst of a transition towards a circular, sharing economy in which we make more efficient use of everything we already have. We are now looking to share, lend/borrow and exchange anything and everything. Not only consumers can join this movement. Quite frankly, the success of businesses will start to be characterized by the more efficient use of company assets through sharing.
Why? Because there are three significant advantages to asset sharing that are hard to pass up. Businesses improve their sustainable impact, enhance their social position and reap major financial benefits.

INTEGRAL PART OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Therefore, sharing assets can be seen as an integral part of the development towards a more circular economy, in which loops are closed and todays’ waste are tomorrows’ resources. www.FLOOW2.com (est. 2012) has been the first company in the world to identify the opportunities of asset-sharing for businesses. FLOOW2 developed the first business-to-business sharing marketplace that enables companies, (healthcare) organizations and government agencies to share overcapacity of equipment, waste, materials, services and the knowledge and skills of personnel. Assets can be shared with other companies, within a network of businesses, at business parks or within an (healthcare) organisation between departments or entities. The platform is currently operational worldwide with a rapid global expansion plan envisaged.
 

FINANCIAL BENEFITS
Does sharing assets lead to financial benefits? Definitely. Companies are able to save costs when they rent or borrow from each other instead of making investments when purchasing equipment or hiring personnel. So, if you choose to use assets from colleague businesses, you will lessen your capital expenditure, leaving you with a larger cash flow for alternative investments. Additionally, they are able to generate additional income by (temporarily) renting out assets that aren't optimally being used: "revenue from underutilized assets".

THE NEW SUSTAINABLE
Making efficient use of what we already have – a natural aspect of the circular economy – is often forgotten in the sustainability debate. FLOOW2 seamlessly fills the gap left by reduce/reuse/recycle. The utilisation of surplus capacity through working together and sharing prevents overproduction. Instead of creating and buying new products, companies can now make better use of what's already there. In addition, maximising the use of company resources during their life means that raw materials and energy are used more efficiently. Furthermore, sharing assets helps organisations in reaching several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as well. Namely, number nine, eleven and twelve. 

INTERNAL SHARING PLATFORMS
One of the key barriers to medium and large companies switching to a model like FLOOW2 is the mind-set change required to shift from ownership to access. Asset sharing is a new business process within most organisations, and requires a different approach to traditional operations and procurement practices. To make the step towards sharing assets a bit easier, FLOOW2 provides existing business communities and organizations with (private) internal sharing marketplaces.
On these personalized sharing platforms, businesses can share all kinds of capacity within their trusted community or between departments and entities within the organization. See our website for more information and examples of internal sharing marketplaces that FLOOW2 has realized for hospitals, business parks (www.parksharing.nl), market sectors like construction (www.werflink.be), business associations and large industrial companies for instance.

SHARINGSCAN
Starting with an innovative and new business practice, like asset sharing, is always a challenge. Especially when you do not know the outcomes upfront. That’s why FLOOW2 developed a SharingScan, a new online tool that enables businesses and organizations to calculate in advance what they can earn or save, on a financial and a sustainable level, with sharing assets, materials, services, facilities and personel.
The SharingScan (www.sharingscan.com) calculates within a few minutes how this new, circular business model could be beneficial for organizations, which assets could generate the best ROI, and it’s free of charge. The SharingScan can also be specified and personalized for specific organizations, sectors or branches.

CHECKLIST FOR ASSET SHARING
So, just like all major changes, the switch to asset sharing will not be easy, but when you just start and try you will discover that it’s even more beneficial then you thought. But first: the management team has to be on board and an organization has to be ready, willing, and know how to embrace this new addition to their business. It will be the task of, for instance, procurement or facility managers to think along with the executives, advise them, and implement it in the daily business of organizations and make sure that every employee knows that if an item available is not available or if they are in need of something, that it’s better look for it at our neighbours before anything else. But most importantly, they will need to be proactive about the management of matching supply and demand, closing deals, arranging transport and taking care of billing. Then, asset sharing will become anyone’s new business.

More: www.floow2.com