How sensor technology can improve office planning and management

Office occupancy sensors is a technology that helps understand how office spaces are used, from counting how many people are present, which rooms are in use, to noting where they sit - and some of the sensors can even detect whether people are sitting or standing. They also track movement within the office and identify popular spots, providing valuable insights that can enhance office layout and efficiency.

This information is then used to improve things like energy efficiency and workplace utilization, and for both planning a new office, but also managing your existing office, they can help save a lot of money, and even increase employee satisfaction and productivity if used in the right way. Let's take a closer look at how sensor technology is being used in offices and what benefits it can bring.

Workplace planning

Office occupancy sensors can significantly improve workspace planning. However, very few architects and space planners know how to use the data as a foundation for planning office spaces. The common approach to office space planning has been to estimate the needs of the organization. It often starts with the simplest question: How many employees are there? This figure is then used to determine how many offices or desks are needed, which in turn dictates how many square meters are required. Next, planners typically consider meeting rooms, often basing their decisions on the current situation and discussions with managers about whether the existing spaces are sufficient.

However, this is where planning often fails.

The perception of meeting room availability is usually far from reality. Several factors contribute to this discrepancy, such as the overemphasis on peak hours and the fact that 10-30% of bookings result in no-shows, leaving rooms empty. Consequently, when managers and users are consulted, they tend to exaggerate not only the number of rooms needed but also the desired size of each room. The result is a significant mismatch between the size of meeting rooms and the number of participants in each meeting, often leading to many rooms being underutilized. But it does not have to bu this way.

Why guess when you can know? Base your meeting room planning on actual usage patterns. It’s easier to collect this data than you might imagine!

This often continues on with other room types; breakout rooms, social areas, cafeteria and so on. In the planning process, a lot of false assumptions and guessing becomes the foundation for the dimensions (size and number of rooms) of the office space. This does not only lead to having way too much space. Often, it leads to employees lacking the space that they need, despite there being plenty of space left unused. In fact, through more than 200,000 room observations, we’ve found that around 84% of all seats and 65% of all rooms are empty - during office hours! All the time while employees don’t have the necessary space to do their work. This can be avoided by using occupancy data as a foundation for planning your office space. And if sensors are too expensive, there are many other options available (book a meeting with us through the chat to know more).

Workspace management

Office occupancy sensors can provide valuable information for facility managers, architects, and space planners in managing office spaces. Not all adjustments to a workspace need to be physical. Often, a range of actions can be implemented without making physical changes.

One of the most common uses of sensor technology in offices is to improve energy efficiency. By tracking factors such as the number of people in the office and their arrival times, sensors can help building managers adjust heating and cooling systems. This not only saves money on energy costs but also reduces the environmental impact of the office.

Furthermore, by monitoring how the entire office is used and understanding peak demand, these insights can help manage employee expectations. For example, knowing that Wednesday is the most popular day in the office can prepare you for fully booked meeting rooms. This knowledge can also help combat "ghost meetings." When employees understand how missed meetings without cancellation impact room availability, they may be more likely to remember to cancel a booking if they no longer need the room.

Interested in how your organization can benefit from occupancy data, or need help setting up the right sensors? Get in touch with us