ABW is most effective in organisations where individual knowledge work, collaborative discussion, and call-based communication are all regular daily activities — professional services, technology, creative agencies, financial services, consulting, and media are canonical examples. It works less well in roles requiring sustained fixed-workstation presence (laboratory work, manufacturing-adjacent office functions, roles with multiple physical screens or equipment). The Gensler Workplace Survey consistently finds that high-performing workplaces across all industries share the common characteristic of providing both collaborative and private focused spaces — suggesting the zone variety principle applies broadly even where full ABW implementation is not appropriate.