Data drives decision-making at every level of business like never before, and thoughtful office design is no exception. Whether your team uses all available office space, data-driven insights can pinpoint strategies that help them use space more effectively. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the office design metrics that can help you better curate an office space for your team’s needs and workflows.

Traffic Maps

One of the most insightful data reporting abilities is traffic mapping. Traffic mapping allows you to see the areas of the building your team uses most. For example, on average, organizations only use 60 percent of their office space. Understanding traffic patterns and how your team moves throughout your space can help you figure out how to use areas more efficiently.

When it comes to collecting traffic data, there are a couple of options worth exploring. Your organization can place fixed sensors to track movement throughout your office space, or you can use individualized sensors attached to ID badges or lanyards that record each employee’s movements throughout your building. Using individualized sensors offers the bonus of being able to track more specific data. For example, you can clarify which spaces a particular team uses most, who they’re interacting with on a day-to-day basis, and even what areas of the building they like to go to when taking a break from work.

With these insights, you can make optimal decisions to ensure you’re maximizing the potential of every square foot of your office space. At the same time, your team will have quantitative data to decide if your organization needs to upgrade to a larger facility—or even possibly get away with downsizing to a smaller but more cost-effective space.

Office Mapping

Office mapping can track significantly more than employee traffic patterns. Sensors can be installed to track and record quality-of-life factors like daylight, visibility, and network connectivity throughout your building. These factors are critical to maximizing productivity, making employees’ jobs easier, and promoting overall well-being. With advanced mapping metrics, you no longer have to make educated guesses; you’ll have concrete data to ground all your decisions while tracking how different strategies and design principles impact these metrics.

Building Automation Systems

A building automation system (BAS) works by centralizing all facility management systems for a single point of control. ABAS can be deployed at your facility to control systems like:

• HVAC

• Lighting

• Blinds

• Plumbing

• Alarms and security

But what does a BAS have to do with data and office design? You can streamline building management while tying a BAS into your overall office design while minimizing overhead expenses.

A BAS uses artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to monitor employee traffic patterns, room usage, and daylight to cultivate a more comfortable work environment for your team. Because your BAS is grounded in real-world data, your organization can enjoy more energy-efficient operations and straightforward building management.

Your Office Design Experts

If you’re interested in exploring how your organization can use data to create a more efficient and productive workplace, get in contact with the experts at DESIGN+BUILD today. We’ll work with you to clarify the priorities for your office space so that we can design and deploy the ideal office space for your team’s day-to-day workflows.