Understanding and optimizing occupancy levels in the workplace can be a challenging task, with fluctuations from day to day and office to office. With the increasing array of technology options available, choosing the right combination of solutions for your organization can be a daunting prospect.
While many occupancy tracking solutions may seem similar at first glance, it's important to recognize that they are not created equal. Each technology offers unique capabilities, benefits, and costs that can impact your decision-making process.
To simplify this evaluation, let's delve into the pros and cons of two popular technologies used for occupancy tracking: WiFi dataand occupancy sensors. Let's explore which solution aligns best with the needs of your workplace.
WiFi Data
WiFi data gathers information on workplace occupancy by connecting to a company's IT infrastructure, like Ethernet and WiFi, and monitoring where its connected devices, such as phones and laptops, move within a building.
How Does WiFi Data Work?
WiFi location tracking determines the location of transmitting devices within workspaces. It utilizes existing WiFi access points or WiFi-enabled sensors to detect the signals emitted by devices.
One of the most commonly used methods of collecting WiFi data is the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) method which measures the strength of the WiFi signals received from the devices and uses this information to triangulate their location.
Some applications also leverage more advanced WiFi positioning methods, such as Time of Arrival (ToA), Angle of Arrival (AoA), and Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA) techniques, which use the time and angle information of the WiFi signals to determine the location of the devices.
The Pros of WiFi Data
Easy to Implement
Most WiFi data tools work with your existing network infrastructure and require no installation, so implementing is a quick and easy process. Since WiFi data is based on access points, you don’t need to install any sensors, as they rely on picking up transmissions, rather than having a direct field of view into your spaces.
Low Cost
For some companies leveraging WiFi can be a cost-effective, scalable alternative. If you don't currently have the budget for sensors, WiFi data allows you to leverage a resource you already have installed. Teams can start collecting occupancy intelligence, and gaining a better understanding of how different parts of their portfolio are being used.
With VergeSense's Occupancy Intelligence Platform, customers can effortlessly connect occupancy data from existing WiFi infrastructure to gain a holistic view of trends across your buildings and floors. What's more, devices are automatically deduplicated per user, meaning one person count per WiFi user, while preserving security and privacy.
Movement Tracking
WiFi tracking can understand how people are moving in spaces beyond simply when they enter or exit defined areas, providing greater insight into employee behavior. Other similarly-priced occupancy tracking solutions, such as badge data and PIR sensors, are unable to capture this kind of information.
The Cons of WiFi Data
Doesn't Capture Passive Occupancy
In today's world of dynamic and flexible workplaces, people are on the move in-office more than ever before, leaving behind their bags, laptops, and coats within spaces for their return. This concept is known as passive occupancy and it comprises about 50% of your total workplace occupancy.
WiFi data can’t capture and analyze passive occupancy. Missing out on this data means you are missing half your occupancy data.
Occupancy Sensors
Occupancy sensors not only accurately understand people count, but can also provide context of what is happening within spaces, which is what makes them the backbone of an occupancy tracking solution.
How Do Occupancy Sensors Work?
Occupancy sensors detect people count as well as when spaces are actively and passively occupied by identifying humans and common objects that are associated with human presence.
They are powered by anonymous computer vision technology, which means that these occupancy sensors go beyond just counting people in spaces to actually understanding how these spaces are being used.
They detect when spaces are actively and passively occupied by identifying humans and common objects that are associated with human presence. They do this by converting light into an image, which then uses AI to derive information from that image.
VergeSense occupancy sensors generate low-resolution imagery on the device and uses ELS technology (edge-processing, low-resolution, and secure) to keep employee privacy protected. This means that the low resolution image derived is immediately destroyed once the AI derives information from it in the form of 0’s and 1’s.
Other occupancy sensor solutions, such as XY Sense, use edge-processing high-resolution cameras.
The Pros of Occupancy Sensors
Accuracy
Occupancy sensors, both entryway and area sensors, provide a true understanding of people count, active occupancy and passive occupancy. Because this technology does not rely on a certain human behavior such as connecting to WiFi or badging in to be correct, occupancy sensors are among the most precise in the industry.
For example, the VergeSense platform uses occupancy sensors to provide data with 95%+ accuracy.
Generate Actionable Insights
The most advanced occupancy sensors use sophisticated AI to process the data that they capture, which constantly improves their understanding of every space over time. The AI generates insights into people count, active occupancy, and passive occupancy, and computer vision automates the collection of insights and adapts it to employee behavior.
Because these sensors leverage a holistic understanding of the people, objects, characteristics, and interactions happening within workplaces, they can provide contextualized utilization insights unlike any other sensor technology on the market.
Private And Secure
Occupancy sensors convert light into images, which then uses AI to derive binary code from the image. This technology automatically anonymizes all data captured so that no personal information is ever captured, transmitted, or stored.
These platforms are built for mature enterprises where security and privacy have strict requirements. As a result, most occupancy sensor technologies and their associated platforms are GDPR CPIA, ISO/ IEC 27001 and SoC2 Type II compliant.
Concerned that occupancy sensors may violate your company’s privacy policies? Learn more here.
The Cons of Occupancy Sensors
Longer Installation
Occupancy sensors are a lot more complex than most occupancy tracking technologies, let alone WiFi tracking specifically. The complexity of the product means that the installation process can take a bit longer. This, however, depends on the square footage of space in your portfolio as well as the number of sensors being deployed.
At VergeSense, installation and implementation is typically completed between 60 and 90 days. This is the fastest time to value of any occupancy sensor technology on the market.
Camera Use Misconception
Occupancy sensors are often incorrectly associated with an ability to track and monitor individual human beings in a way that violates their privacy. All sensors (occupancy, thermal, etc) have the ability to anonymously capture human behavior, but due to lack of education on the technical specifications of the device and how it works, there is often a misconception that employees are being monitored through the use of cameras. And this could not be farther from the truth.
This fallacy can dissuade the adoption of this technology. These fears often emerge from a lack of knowledge of how these sensors work, and therefore providing transparency when introducing the technology to your company is paramount, whether it is a WiFi system or a new sensor technology.
The reality of smart offices today is that nearly every intelligent device, from Google Home to Alexa, has some form of occupancy technology designed to drive accuracy. It is the fear of who has access to this data that impedes these investments.
Should I Invest In WiFi Data or Optical Sensors?
Making an investment in workplace technology is not a decision to take lightly. While countless hours of research and discussing solutions will be behind your final decision, knowing where to start is key to making the process smoother.
Depending on your priorities (granularity of information or cost) or use cases, you have a couple of different options. For portfolio evaluation, if data granularity (+95% accuracy) is the driving factor, entryway sensors can provide you with the level of information needed. If you're comfortable with a little less granular information (80-85% accuracy) at a scalable, lower cost, WiFi data might be sufficient. Both sensors and WiFi data can help you understand people count, average person count, and peak person count at the building and floor levels.
For neighborhood planning, granularity of information becomes more of a concern and area sensors are recommended. WiFi data loses accuracy the more granular you try to get given the variance of AP types and distributions the precision of device location is unreliable at scale. VergeSense allows customers to be able to set up large zones (minimum 5,000 SQFT) as Neighborhoods, contingent on surveying their AP layout.
A Single Platform for Occupancy Intelligence
Both WiFi data and occupancy sensors are powerful solutions that can help leaders like yourself better understand how spaces are being used.
VergeSense now supports the analysis of data from existing building systems, so you can enhance portfolio optimization and make neighborhood planning decisions. Get more out of data from your existing building systems with a scalable solution that can help you understand trends at the individual space, neighborhood, floor, and building levels across your portfolio.
While both have short comings, unifying your data into one central location allows you to see the bigger picture, and better understand how your spaces are being used. The more data you have access to, the more actionable insights you can discover.
Whether you choose to utilize WiFi data, occupancy sensors, or both - VergeSense can support and enable your decision making process. Make better, faster decisions based on personalized recommendations.
So, What Solutions Should You Consider?
If you would like to connect with an expert from VergeSense to learn more about our platform, discuss solution ideas, or get a demo, connect with us here. We are excited to hear from you! If for some reason we may not be the best fit for you, we can help point you in another direction.
