Did you know that most organizations utilize less than 50 percent of their office desks while 42 percent of commercial office space goes underused?
This is because many businesses still rely on guesswork to analyze space occupancy instead of leveraging robust sensor data.
But as more and more companies embrace hybrid work models, these practices are quickly becoming untenable.
When companies use sensors to capture accurate occupancy data and pinpoint dead zones in their buildings, they’re able to reduce square footage of leased space and accrue major corporate savings (as a reminder, commercial real estate is the second biggest expense for businesses after labour).
Besides reducing expenditures, obtaining granular occupancy insights also enables organizations to think long-term and build modern workspaces of the future that optimize working practices, boost employee engagement and attract top talent.
Check out what the following sensors can do for your organization by helping you transform your office into a cost-effective, contemporary workspace that your employees will love.
Desk occupancy sensors
These sensors detect human presence via motion and movement and are triggered when there’s a status change from “occupied” to “available,” and vice versa. They’re usually installed below the desk or on top of it for minimal visibility and interference with employees’ work.
Benefits for organizations: Companies are able to evaluate the utilization of their desks and provide real-time information about space availability for their employees and contract workers. Gaining visibility on the efficiency of desk space can empower companies to save on real-estate costs by pulling the plug on a fixed number of assigned desks. This frees them to adopt a hot-desking model, which allows different people to use different desks at different times on an ad hoc basis. In 2019, 30 percent of multinational firms used hot-desking, while 45 percent of multinational enterprises planned to implement it by 2020, according to Deloitte.
Conference and meeting room occupancy sensors
These sensors track the number of people using conference and meeting rooms and the duration of it. They work by monitoring people as they’re entering and exiting these rooms in real-time to provide actionable occupancy insights.
Benefits for organizations: Firms learn which rooms operate at optimum efficiency and which are underused. This helps them determine whether they have enough conference and meeting rooms, too many or too little and if they’re in the right capacity. They also gain oversight on usage patterns, including times of peak demand. As a result, they can eliminate double bookings, reduce the time people spend to search for available spaces in conference and meeting rooms, while maximizing their availability.
Environmental sensors
Sensors that detect changes in temperature, light, noise and the level of humidity are referred to as environmental sensors. They provide data that companies analyze in order to take appropriate action towards improving air quality and ensuring workspaces are suitable for employees.
Benefits for organizations: Optimizing indoor air quality improves the well-being of employees and staff, resulting in higher productivity gains for organizations. A Harvard study has found that minimizing air pollution in the office and ensuring proper ventilation with outside air positively affects employees’ cognitive function. Furthermore, healthy workspaces with optimal humidity and temperature levels lessen fatigue among employees and reduce heat and cold-related medical conditions. This is why it’s not surprising that implementing changes to air quality can lead to reduced absenteeism, better office morale and decreased energy costs.
In summary: Sensors enable companies to reduce real estate costs and improve the employee experience.
Gone are the days when company leaders were expected to rely on their hunch to determine how much square footage and the number of desks they needed for their offices.
Unlike in the past, today’s offices are dynamic communities that cater to employees seeking inviting workspaces that improve their wellbeing and enable flexible working arrangements.
Companies need accurate occupancy and environmental data to prevent underutilization of space in today’s transformative office environments and boost employee engagement.
By embracing appropriate sensor technologies, they can right-size their conference and meeting rooms, predict the number of workstations they’ll need and attract a workforce that’s ready for the future.
EAIGLE develops AI-powered workspace management solutions that help organizations transform their office space, embrace hybrid work models and reduce real estate costs. Visit eaigle.com to find out more or schedule a Demo below.