As companies implement new workplace strategies, the traditional metrics for office success are no longer sufficient. A shift towards flexible, hybrid, or in-person work models demands a reevaluation of how we measure and enhance office effectiveness.
Gone are the days when the number of desks equaled the number of people in the office. Today's workplace strategies are more dynamic, reflecting the diverse needs and preferences of employees. In fact, in modern workplaces, desks often sit empty as employees opt for spaces better suited for collaboration.
Evaluating the effectiveness of your office space in relation to these new strategies is crucial. It’s essential for cost management (underutilized spaces are a huge financial burden), and it’s vital for the employee experience.
This is where occupancy intelligence comes into play. By leveraging occupancy data to track how your workspace is used, you can make informed, data-driven decisions that positively impact your organization. Let’s take a look at how occupancy intelligence can transform workspaces, and how to use it to track the effectiveness of your new workplace strategy.
An effective workplace is one that balances several key factors to create a space that is both efficient and supportive of employees' needs. Here’s how to define and measure workplace effectiveness:
To achieve workplace effectiveness, you must balance the cost of a space with the employee experience. Managing expenses is important, but cutting corners on the employee experience can hurt satisfaction and productivity. You want to provide a quality environment without overspending.
Occupancy intelligence enables you to achieve this balance. The Space Usage Timeline identifies when more than 80% of a particular space type is being used within a given location and space — down to the hour — allowing you to flag shortages. This data enables you to recognize when the employee experience is being compromised and make adjustments only when needed — spending money only when you have to and on exactly what you need.
Conducting an office audit is a crucial step in ensuring that your workplace strategy is practical and that your space design meets your team's needs. An audit provides a clear picture of how your spaces are actually being used, enabling you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your office environment.
Capacity usage measures the number of people in a space over time relative to a space's user-defined capacity. This metric provides insights into your office's performance and efficiency.
Analyzing both peak and average capacity usage helps you understand how well your space is being utilized. For example, consistently low capacity usage indicates that there might be an opportunity to reconfigure or repurpose underutilized spaces.
Active time usage calculates the amount of time that a particular space, or multiple spaces, are actively used by at least one person, divided by the total available time for use. This metric provides insights into space availability and usage patterns.
Understanding active versus passive time usage can help you identify which spaces are frequently used and which are not, allowing you to optimize the allocation and design of these areas.
Once you have collected data on capacity and active time usage over a set period, you can gain valuable insights into how and when your space is being used. Here are some potential findings and their implications:
At this stage, you should be able to form questions, create hypotheses, and begin experimenting with changes in your workplace. The insights gained from occupancy and usage metrics can highlight popular spaces, identify underutilized areas, and suggest where improvements are needed.
Workplace Assistant accelerates the decision-making process for workplace leaders providing fast, personalized recommendations and answers.. Powered by generative AI, users can receive analysis tailored to their specific needs within minutes—a process that traditionally takes weeks or months.
It combines the capabilities of a real estate strategist, workplace experience, and occupancy analyst—all right at your fingertips, allowing you to capitalize on optimization opportunities quickly. Here are a few questions Workplace Assistant can help you answer:
Transforming workspaces to enhance office effectiveness is an ongoing journey. It’s essentially reliant on your ability to find your workplace's 'breaking points' and solve them with a blend of data-driven insights and an understanding of your employees’ needs.
Let’s recap your key takeaways:
Ready to transform your workplace? Learn more about how VergeSense’s Workplace Assistant can help you make data-driven improvements and enhance office effectiveness. Discover the power of occupancy intelligence and start optimizing your space today. Learn more about Workplace Assistant.