Efficient Office Design starts with understanding Foot Traffic
Between work from home policies, temporary desks, down-sizing, and new demands, office design and environments have never been this dynamic. For those organizations still committed to office space, it can be difficult to determine exact needs and how to create an environment that works for their employees.
Like anything, data can help you make these decisions. And when it comes to creating a better office design and environment, foot traffic data is a great place to start. Here are just a few areas to start tracking, analyzing, and adjusting to create a better office environment for your employees and bottom-line.
Entries into the office - Track the traffic coming through your front doors or into your space to form a baseline of when, how often, and in what numbers people are coming into your office.
Occupancy - Separate from just entries and exits, understanding occupancy will show you who is staying in your space and how busy it truly is.
Paths and directionality - How are people moving throughout your space, and where are they consistently moving or avoiding in your office’s design?
Movement into certain areas - When people are in your office space, it can be beneficial to understand where they are going or spending their time separate from their desks or workspaces.
Usage and Engagements - When people are moving, develop an idea of where they go and how long they spend there, ex. at printers or supply closets or in conference rooms and break areas.
Learn more about capturing and analyzing these metrics and more to design your perfect office.
By understanding traffic trends and patterns into and through your office space, you can begin to make changes to better align with new workforce trends and to improve efficiency of your operations. Here are a few areas where traffic data can improve your bottom-line and the environment for your employees and visitors.
Space - With many organizations taking a second look at their space needs, the first place they need to look is traffic into their current spaces, and to determine if their current needs are being met or if an up-size or down-size is necessary.
Design - Bottlenecks, unused or overused spaces, overcrowding, and more are all inefficiencies in the design and use of your space that can cause issues with the comfort and productivity of your staff and visitors, and can be solved with a better understanding of traffic throughout your space.
Resources - The ordering and replacement of every day resources and items like supplies and equipment can also be better aligned with space usage to avoid over-ordering, waste, and unused items.
Energy - HVAC, lightning, and other electrical equipment can be adjusted according to usage in your spaces, helping you cut massive costs when spaces are less busy while keeping employees and visitors comfortable and productive when your spaces are busy.
The office is a second home for many. Understanding how and when it is being used is essential to creating an efficient office design for the employees and visitors who come through your doors. With the help of technology, you can begin to see where your space works and where it needs improvement, and can make operational adjustments to ensure your environment is both productive for your employees and healthier on your bottom-line.