Occupancy intelligence for high performance workplaces

A workplace analytics platform is a software tool designed to help organizations monitor and analyze the use of physical spaces in their commercial real estate portfolio. These platforms commonly report on occupancy, movement, and utilization of physical spaces within a workplace by displaying data collected in various workplace zones. 

This data is most commonly collected through the use of occupancy sensors but can also be captured by aggregating data from other sources such as badge access cards or booking software. To learn more about the pros and cons of different technologies when it comes to workplace occupancy data collection, check out this guide. 

The best platforms, like XY Sense, combine high precision, privacy-preserving sensor hardware with real-time workplace analytics to provide a precise picture of how people are using the office space in real-time and across time. Workplace or corporate real estate teams are able to log into the workplace analytics platform to view both live and historical occupancy reports as well as analyze the use of different kinds of spaces such as desks, meeting rooms, phone booths and breakout/social spaces. By analyzing the average occupancy and utilization of these spaces they can determine how much space and the types of spaces their employees require to be productive and happy in their work environments. 

Companies leverage occupancy analytics to manage a broad range of projects in addition to ongoing analysis. These include return-to-office planning, occupancy planning, improve workspace experience initiatives, CRE portfolio optimization, reducing real estate costs, and hybrid workplace design.

Workplace analytics platforms can also help organizations improve the overall experience for occupants – including employees, customers, and visitors. Typical “power users” of workplace analytics software are occupancy or real estate teams, but the data are also used and valued by line-of-business (LOB) and team leaders across an organization. 

Further benefits arise if your platform offers API integrations. Once integrated with a company’s booking technology, teams can access live views of which desks and meeting rooms are currently in use, book available spaces in real time, and end the phenomenon of ‘ghost bookings’ where rooms and desks are booked and marked as unavailable but not actually occupied. This often drives marked improvement in employee satisfaction and productivity.

Learn more about occupancy sensors and workplace analytics in this blog post.

Workplace data analytics helps real estate teams address critical needs, including projects that:

• Cut Real Estate Costs: Many real estate teams are being asked to find savings to help their companies be more efficient and profitable. Occupancy analytics provides the data necessary to rightsize workspaces based on reliable quantitative usage data. 
• Optimize Space Utilization: Workplace leaders optimize the use of space by identifying under- and over-utilized areas and making informed decisions about space allocation. This can help to reduce costs, maximize occupancy rates, and improve the overall efficiency of a company’s property. It can also create a desirable office “vibe” that makes employees want to come to the office and stay with the company. 
• Improve Employee Experience: Real-time data on the availability of spaces provides actionable insight into helping to improve the overall experience for office occupants, including employees, customers, or other visitors. 
• Address Key Workplace Initiatives: Insights from workplace analytics platforms provide the foundation for crucial company real estate and HR initiatives, including return-to-office planning, occupancy planning, improve workspace experience initiatives, CRE portfolio optimization, reducing real estate costs, and hybrid workplace design.
• Reduce Energy Consumption: Workplace planners can leverage workplace analytics platforms to reduce energy consumption by aligning energy and other costs to actual office occupancy. Many companies find that they are heating, cooling, and lighting unused floors and spaces. By optimizing the use of lighting and HVAC systems, real estate teams can reduce energy costs and improve sustainability.
• Predictive Maintenance: Facilities leaders can predict maintenance needs and prevent equipment failures by monitoring occupancy patterns and identifying areas that are used heavily. This can help to reduce maintenance costs and improve the overall reliability of the property.

For more insight on this important question, visit this blog post about deploying occupancy sensors and analytics.

In today’s environment, real estate teams must maximize efficiency and control costs while avoiding potentially costly rash decisions that can create significant workplace disruption. Occupancy analytics helps companies make informed real estate decisions based on actual workplace utilization. It is key to an objective, data-driven approach to rightsizing spaces, validating space types, and other workplace decision-making. Using occupancy analytics, you can:

• Understand Location Attendance: Start understanding how much space you really need at each workplace location
• Identify the Spaces Employees Use and Prefer: Define and build out a workplace environment that maximizes utility and efficiency
• Align Workplace Resources with ROI: Conduct an ROI assessment of all spaces in your workplace
• Accurately Forecast Future Needs: Make an accurate assessment of the potential future needs of the company so you can reserve only the amount of space you need.

These four core sets of insights give you the insight necessary to make better real estate and workplace decisions that help the company control and reduce real estate expenses. 

Learn more in our guide to measuring ROI from workplace analytics. 

Computer vision sensors are far better than infrared-, WiFi-,  Bluetooth- and RFID-based sensors for several reasons:

• Higher Precision: Computer vision sensors use advanced algorithms and machine learning techniques to detect and track the movement of people and objects with a high degree of precision. This superior detection technology enables them to pinpoint and count people accurately, even in crowded or complex environments. Computer vision provides far better data on the number, location, and activity of each person present in a workspace. 
• Wider Range: Computer vision sensors can cover a broader range of physical spaces compared to infrared-, WiFi-, or Bluetooth-based sensors. For example, XY Sense Area Sensors have a coverage range of 1,000 square feet (95 square meters) – about the space required for 20 workstations. By contrast, competitor infrared and other sensors typically have a range of about 1/2 that size. A wider range means companies need fewer sensors, which controls costs and delivers a more sustainable measurement solution.
• Better Detection: Computer vision sensors are better at detecting small movements or subtle changes in occupancy levels than other types of sensors. This means they can provide more accurate and detailed data on occupancy patterns.
• Complete Security and Privacy: Unlike other types of sensors, computer vision sensors do not require occupants to carry devices or wear special equipment (such as a lanyard with RFID tag.) This makes them easy to use and reduces the risk of equipment failure or inaccuracies. Further, the best computer vision sensors leverage a variety of safeguards to ensure the highest levels of security and employee privacy. For example, XY Sense Entry Sensors and Area Sensors never store or transmit images of your office location, and process all detection inputs inside the sensors — something called edge processing. The only thing our sensors transmit are XY coordinates of each individual in a space. That’s why we call ourselves XY Sense. You can learn more about our security and privacy protection on this webpage. 
• Address More Use Cases: Computer vision sensors can be customized and configured to meet specific requirements, such as monitoring occupancy levels, detecting social distancing violations, or identifying security threats. This flexibility makes them ideal for a wide range of applications.
  

The most important metrics for a workplace analytics platform depend on the specific goals of the organization, but some common metrics include the following:

• Occupancy Rate: The occupancy rate is the percentage of occupied versus available space. This metric helps organizations understand how efficiently they are using their space.
• Peak Occupancy: Peak occupancy is the highest level of occupancy observed during a specific period. This metric helps CRE teams identify high-traffic areas and plan for peak usage.
• Utilization Rate: The utilization rate is the percentage of time a space is being used versus the total time it is available. This metric helps workplace professionals identify underutilized spaces and optimize their use.
• Dwell Time: Dwell time is the length of time that people spend in a particular area. This metric helps organizations understand how people use different areas of their space.
• Movement Patterns: Movement patterns refer to the flow of people through a space, including how they move from one area to another. This metric helps real estate teams understand how people use different areas of their space and identify areas for improvement.
• Occupant Density: Occupant density refers to the number of people in a specific area at a given time. This metric can help organizations ensure compliance with safety regulations and identify areas where workers may feel too crowded or may sometimes lack resources like desks or conference rooms.
  
  

XY Sense offers a comprehensive guide to workplace analytics platforms that you may find helpful for learning more. Download our buyer’s guide to workplace utilization technology.

When choosing the workplace analytics platform that best for your needs, there are many factors to consider, including:

• Accuracy: The accuracy of the platform is critical in ensuring that the data collected is reliable and can be used for decision-making. Look for a platform that uses reliable and accurate sensors and algorithms to ensure accurate data collection. We recommend and use computer vision sensors in part because of their superior accuracy.  For example XY Sense Entry Sensors and Area Sensors offers superior accuracy (<1ft) and are highly accurate in identifying the precise number of people present in a space. 
• Range: Broader coverage area per sensor means fewer sensors – and lower installation and maintenance costs. Here again, choosing computer vision offers significant advantages because these sensors have a far larger range than other technologies. For example, XY Sense offers wide-area sensors that cover 1000 square feet (95 square meters,) versus competitors that usually have a range of only about half that figure. 
• Sustainability: Some systems are better than others at limiting materials usage and e-waste. Wide-area sensors cover a greater office footprint than competitor sensors – 1,000 sq ft, or the area for about 20 desks. That means fewer sensors and less wiring are necessary.  Additionally, daisy-chain installation methodology pioneered by XY Sense in our SenseLink solution dramatically reduces wiring and equipment costs for every installation – including up to 90% less cabling. Further, battery-free sensors mean reduced toxic e-waste. For a 20,000-headcount organization, a battery-powered system could mean as much as 1-2,000 pounds of disposable battery waste every 2 years.
• Integration: The platform should be compatible with the existing infrastructure, including networking, IT, and building management systems. A robust API powering real-time integrations with a variety of leading workplace experience and booking applications, including Appspace, Calven, and GoSpace, is highly valuable. This kind of integration can be a great way to boost employee productivity by putting an end to ghost bookings of conference rooms and workstations.
• Security and Privacy: The platform should have robust security and privacy features, including data encryption and access controls, to protect sensitive information. For example, XY Sense offers robust security and privacy protection through multiple means, including leveraging computer vision with “edge processing,” which ensures that no images or other information that could potentially contain proprietary company information or employee personally identifiable information (PII) are stored or transmitted from sensors. This means an unsurpassed combination of privacy and security protection. 
• Data Analytics: Many sensor systems can provide data, but insight is quite a different thing. The best systems offer a comprehensive insights platform to help make your data actionable. For example, XY Sense offers a comprehensive analytics toolset as part of every engagement. 
• Cost: The cost of the platform is an important factor to consider, including the upfront costs of installation and ongoing maintenance costs. Installation costs can vary by $Millions on global installation programs – make sure you factor those into your overall considerations. For example, XY Sense was able to save a financial services company $12M for a global deployment across its facilities. 
• Support, Service, and Strategic Assistance: The availability of technical support and service is essential in ensuring the continued operation and accuracy of the platform. This kind of human support, in combination with real-time data from your platform, can help boost employee productivity, give business leaders critical facts, and power better decisions in a host of areas.
  
  

Get a complete overview of workplace analytics platforms by downloading our buyer’s guide to workplace utilization technology.

The XY Sense team would be pleased to show you a demo of our workplace sensors and analytics platform. Just contact us using our convenient website form.