An occupancy tracking system provides an overview of workspace usage and offers valuable insight into how the office environment is being used.
AT A GLANCE
- status information on workspace occupancy
- real-time and historical analytics
PROBLEM DEFINITION
Under- or over-utilized workspaces – office space is typically not used effectively. With office facilities being one of the biggest cost factors for organizations, making efficient use of the available space is crucial. Without reliably measuring workplace occupancy, however, organizations struggle with achieving a flexible, agile and space-efficient office portfolio.
SOLUTION
An occupancy sensing system provides employees with a trouble-free way to find an available workspace. An app and/or a terminal solution can allow users to view occupied and unoccupied workspaces, having the possibility to reserve a workspace. What’s more, the solution enables corporate management and facilities management to clearly understand how the workplace is actually being used. This actual use can then be taken into account, for example, for cleaning the office space.
In this approach, occupancy is captured passively, without employees having to carry an additional tag like a beacon. By identifying both increases and decreases in workspace utilization, the system delivers useful data to help determine if a workplace is meeting demand and making adjustments for optimal use of office space.
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons with built-in motion sensor capability are attached to the office chairs. A small number of infsoft Locator Nodes are installed in the areas to be monitored. Optionally, the range can be enhanced by using infsoft 360° Antennas. The highly sensitive motion sensor of the beacon registers whether an office chair is currently occupied. To prevent releasing a desk too quickly (e.g. during coffee breaks), it is possible to define a time period in which the workspace remains reserved in the system even without movement. The Locator Nodes detect the incoming Bluetooth signals of the beacons and forward the data to the infsoft LocAware platform®, where it is intelligently processed. Via infsoft Sensors, the real-time occupancy status information can be displayed on a floorplan view.
infsoft Analytics enables administrators to access the data in order to obtain insights into space utilization via visual heatmaps and other customizable reporting functions.
