Occupancy monitoring: The future of the productive and sustainable workspace
By Bengt Lundberg, the CEO of Disruptive Technologies.
The last couple of years have witnessed a significant change in the business landscape, we’ve moved from almost complete in-house working to a total home-based workforce, and back to a blend of both. This transition has presented new challenges for facilities managers as employers and their employees try to create a new balance. With many businesses now encouraging a return to the office, there’s a question of space optimisation. How to make the best use of facilities and resources without overspending or creating an environment unconducive to working, calling in a new era of occupancy monitoring.
What is occupancy monitoring?
Occupancy monitoring is the process of using smart sensors to track how and when a space is used. The sensors can be installed anywhere, from individual desks to meeting rooms, staff rooms, corridors, bathrooms, and other communal areas providing valuable data that can be used to manage space, create a more comfortable and healthy working environment and reduce both waste and cost.
These sensors track a range of metrics, including desk occupancy, occupant feedback, proximity, and motion. Together, this provides a comprehensive insight into how any particular space might function and – crucially – what adjustments might be made to improve comfort and productivity while reducing cost and waste.
Benefits of space occupancy for businesses.
Occupancy monitoring offers businesses a range of benefits beyond the apparent waste and cost reduction. Occupancy monitoring can help optimise the working environment by ensuring that frequently used rooms maintain a comfortable temperature and keep CO2 levels from becoming excessively high when occupancy increases, contributing to a healthier and more comfortable workspace.
Accurately tracking space utilisation can also help businesses schedule cleaning activities based on actual usage patterns. This ensures that spaces are never left dirty while minimising unnecessary cleaning and freeing up resources for areas that require greater attention. While with the help of feedback sensors, any unexpected issues, such as spillage or broken equipment, can be quickly detected, enabling a digital call for help. This approach provides an opportunity to fully optimise any space while working towards sustainability goals.
How can occupancy monitoring help businesses to meet sustainability goals?
The answer is simple, when businesses better manage resources, it cuts their energy use. By looping proximity and motion sensors into heat and lighting systems, they can immediately take control of energy consumption and waste. When you add in automatic data collection, businesses are provided with the means to forecast energy use – and take further steps to mitigate it both now and in the future, providing an understanding of when these systems can be reduced or simply turned off.
Is occupancy monitoring a long-term business solution?
Occupancy sensors come in various forms, some are large and integrated, making them more difficult to deploy and maintain. However, Disruptive Technoloigies’ sensors are tiny and independent, working wirelessly with long-life batteries. These can be set up effortlessly and anywhere requiring no infrastructural changes. DT’s solutions are well-suited for the future of business management, as they are not only easy to install but they work straight out of the box with no complex set-up or wiring required.
These robust and long-lasting sensors have the capability to collect data for a whole range of purposes contributing to the creation of a safe, innovative, and sustainable workspace and their scalability makes them highly adaptable to different business needs and environments.
Occupancy sensors play a vital role in enhancing resiliency, they’re about helping businesses to manage their assets proactively, giving them the data and control they need to not only manage the current situation but take steps to avoid future failures, enhance processes, and improve efficiencies without enormous cost or disruption.
Uma Rajagopal has been managing the posting of content for multiple platforms since 2021, including Global Banking & Finance Review, Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune. Her role ensures that content is published accurately and efficiently across these diverse publications.