What Is a Space Utilization Sensor?

In today's work world where the rules are constantly changing and employees aren't coming in and sitting at a designated desk for eight hours a day anymore, space utilization is more important than ever.

Understanding your space utilizationallows you to maximize your space usage while minimizing your costs. It’s also an often-overlooked asset for employee retention. Information on your space utilization helps you stay on top of what your employees need so you canoptimize their experiencesin the workplace. This can lead to better productivity and a lower turnover rate. It can even help you prepare for what's to come in the future.

So, what's the best way to measure your space utilization without leaving any room for the types of human errors that can occur withobservational and badge studies? Space utilization sensors. If you’re new to space utilization sensors and what they do, we’ll walk you through this experience as well as the benefits they can offer to a workplace.

Space Utilization Sensors: What Are They?

While they may seem small in size, space utilization sensors are mighty in terms of what they deliver. You see, this type of sensor technology is an occupancy device that can be placed around your workplace to inform how employees are interacting with the office. They can be placed on desks or in areas like conference and meeting rooms and will provide an unbiased accurate analysis and data about the usage of that desk or space without disrupting employees' workday.

With 4SITE, some of the common features and differentiators with our space utilization sensors are:

• They're wireless, so they're easy to install and use and offer the flexibility of redeployment if you change your layout or want to measure another space.
• They don't use cameras – 4SITE uses PIR sensors - so they aren't invasive.
• They don't record any personally identifiable information, so they don't compromise your employees' privacy.
• They're easy to install.
• They're flexible enough to use in multiple spaces.
• Communications and data are stored in the cloud.
• They produce usable reports in real-time.

How Can Space Utilization Sensors Inform Occupancy Analytics and Data?

As you learned above, occupancy sensors work by determining if a person is using a specific space at any given time. With 4SITE sensors, we assist with this by taking care of the hard part for you by installing our devices throughout your office.

Once they're installed, they send data to an onsite gateway. The gateway then sends the data to a cloud outside of your network as to not interfere with your data or infringe on your organization’s privacy. There, the space utilization data is securely stored until you want to access it, which you can do from a web-based dashboard.

You can create customized reports based on your specifications to review and optimize based on your unique occupancy analytics. For example, you may want to know about a specific location at a certain time — you can create a specialized report that meets that criteria.

When conducting any type ofspace utilization study— be it room occupancy, office occupancy, desk occupancy, or something else — sensors are essential. Observational studies are invasive, time-consuming, and leave room for human error. Similarly, badge studies may also be seen as incomplete and inaccurate, and they don't usually provide the full picture. Sensor studies backed by data are cost-effective, accurate, and do not interfere with day-to-day operations.

Why Is it Important to Understand Space Utilization?

The workplace has been changing for years. The last two years have sped things up. Now, more than ever, space utilization is the key to moving forward and staying competitive.

Allison Ballard, Vice President & Executive Director for 4SITE by CORT, explained this best when speaking on the future of the workplace, “The workplace will become increasingly self-service, allowing employees to select when and where to work while providing visibility into when and where collaborators will be working. Allowing for flexibility to respond to this type of agility will be key to keeping the office relevant. Bear in mind the space has to perform, therefore experimentation is the only way forward. Don’t be afraid to experiment, measure, evaluate, and iterate.”

When you use sensors to determine your space utilizations and make changes accordingly you:

• Create an optimal environment for your employees
• Increase productivity
• Make data-driven decisions that inspire confidence and remove room for error
• Support your team by giving them what they need when they need it
• Change workplace dynamics by making room for options like hybrid work, remote work, hoteling, and hot-desking
• Attract and retain the best talent
• Reduce costs on storage, furniture purchases, and possibly even your lease
• Encourage employees to make smarter decisions about how they use the space

Trust 4SITE by CORT to Conduct Your Space Utilization Study

If you're ready to conduct a space utilization study, count on 4SITE by CORT. Unlike some other desk usage sensors, our platform can help bring employees back to the office, understand how they are using the space, and save your organization money while protecting employee privacy.

We'll also help you answer those bigquestions that keep you up at night,such as:

• How will the office space change or normalize in the months and years to come?
• What is the ideal amount of space and mix of types of spaces for the future?
• What type of furniture and configurations of that furniture work best for my unique workforce?
• How can my company mitigate exposure to long-term unproductive real estate?

When you choose 4SITE by CORT, we'll even help you address additional issues like lease renewals, space optimization, proximity, and sanitization. Call us today to learn more and set up a demo.