Do you need a smart building or just smart data?

Some real estate leaders aim for fully automated “smart” buildings. They imagine sensors in every corner, tracking occupancy 24/7 and adjusting the environment instantly. While that level of data can be useful, it is not always practical. The real question is whether you need constant monitoring or if periodic, human-led occupancy studies can provide enough insight to improve space usage.

“Tracking occupancy benchmarking and metrics is the first step to a more optimized real estate portfolio.”

• Occupancy Benchmarking Guide, JLL 2018-2019

The allure of continuous monitoring

Real-time data, real challenges

Deploying sensors at scale can strain budgets. Large offices or campuses might require thousands of sensors plus a dedicated system to process the data. If your goal is simply to determine which desks sit empty most afternoons or how many meeting rooms go unused, full-time tracking may be excessive.

Maintaining a massive system

Sensor-based solutions require ongoing calibration, network support, and data management. Facilities managers often discover that the complexity of these systems overshadows the actual decisions they need to make about real estate downsizing, remodeling, or desk-sharing policies. For many, continuous data becomes more noise than signal.

Why periodic insights can be enough

Focused effort, concrete results

Short-term occupancy studies capture actual usage in a typical work cycle (one to four weeks). Observers or part-time data collectors note how many people use each space, plus the types of activities (heads-down work, small-group collaboration, or phone calls). These snapshots still show which areas are oversubscribed and which sit empty.

While this quote speaks about sensors, the principle of measuring utilization over a set period applies just as well to short observational studies. You can gather much of the same data - occupancy levels and usage patterns - without installing permanent hardware.

Adding deeper context

An observer can record how people are using a space and whether it actually supports that function. Are employees standing in a corridor with their laptops because huddle rooms are fully booked? Are large conference rooms empty while smaller rooms are always over capacity? Short-term observation reveals these dynamics more clearly than raw sensor counts.

Practical ways to leverage snapshot data

1. Reconfigure underused areas
   If usage data shows certain open-plan sections are consistently empty, you can repurpose them into collaborative lounges or phone-call booths.

2. Refine desk-sharing policies
   By comparing occupancy patterns on different days, you know whether you can reduce the total desk count or create more hot-desking stations. This step cuts real estate costs if large portions of the office are rarely at capacity.

3. Rethink meeting room sizes
   Observational data can highlight whether large boardrooms go half-used. If smaller ones keep overflowing, it might be time to subdivide a big room into multiple smaller spaces.

Limitations

Of course, a snapshot may not capture fluctuations year-round. A university campus sees different usage in exam weeks vs. regular class days. A corporate office might be busier at quarter-end. You can handle this by running additional short studies at different times, rather than installing continuous hardware.

Q&A: planning your occupancy study

Q: How do we handle multiple floors or teams?
A: Start with the floors or teams that create the biggest pain points, like chronic room shortages. Expand to additional areas if you see major differences between departments.

Q: Will occasional studies miss unexpected surges?
A: They might. If your office experiences dramatic seasonal spikes, plan multiple snapshot intervals. You can also conduct targeted “mini-studies” if you suspect a particular week or month is atypical.

Q: Do we need specialized staff to observe each area?
A: Not necessarily. Many organizations enlist volunteers or part-time observers with a clear checklist. The key is consistency: same definitions of occupancy, same method of logging data.

How Vantage Space fits

Vantage Space is perfect for organizations that want meaningful occupancy insights without long-term sensor installations. It empowers you to:

• Run short-term studies quickly and easily, with no hardware beyond mobile devices.
• Collect both quantitative and qualitative data, like whether a space is used for collaboration, quiet focus, or mixed tasks.
• Pay only for the periods you’re studying, avoiding ongoing fees.

Sensor-based solutions can be powerful in certain scenarios, especially if you need real-time building management or run a 24/7 operation. But if your core objective is to rightsize the office, identify underused space, and support your employees’ actual work styles, you may only need smart data - not a full-time smart building.

Periodic snapshots can be more than enough to guide critical real estate decisions. By focusing on the real questions - which spaces are crowded, which are empty, and why - you can unlock major efficiency gains and create a workplace that truly meets your team’s needs.

Looking to get started? A single Vantage Space study can reveal how employees are using each area and where you can optimize your layout. It’s a low-overhead, high-value approach that keeps your attention on what matters: making informed decisions for better workplaces.