Utilization Data: How to Measure and Use it

Tracking utilization

The study of utilization differs from more traditional methodologies, which track space in a more static manner using floor plans, department locations and assigned headcounts. The utilization of space is dynamic and constantly changing, with 83% of respondents planning to incorporate—or have already incorporated—utilization methodologies in their space planning (Figure 5).

For those seeking macro utilization insights—mainly by using technologies like badges and threshold sensors—51% do so for their entire portfolios, while 40% do so on an as-needed, project basis (Figure 34). Sixty-five percent of utilization studies are ongoing, as it is easy to implement and becomes an essential data point to inform portfolio decisions such as lease expirations, consolidations or optimization efforts. The data generated also enhances the value of CAFM and IWMS systems.

Figure 34: If your client conducts macro utilization studies (badging, wi-fi, or door sensors), what is the size of the study?

Note: Based on 35 respondents that conduct macro utilization studies.
Source: CBRE Global Occupancy Insights Report, 2021.

65% of utilization studies are ongoing, as it is easy to implement and becomes an essential data point to inform portfolio decisions such as lease expirations, consolidations or optimization efforts.

What tracking tools are corporate occupiers implementing to better understand utilization? Not surprisingly, those with the lowest cost and the easiest access lead the list. Seventy-nine percent use security badge data, while 56% employ the traditional method of visual observation. Moving up the tech spectrum, 46% leverage Wi-Fi or network logins, 26% use desk/chair sensors and 18% use threshold and door sensors (Figure 35).

Figure 35: What tracking methods are in use today?

Source: CBRE Global Occupancy Insights Report, 2021.

With the pandemic as a prime driver of the trend toward space utilization methodologies, tools once considered cost-prohibitive, such as sensors and hardware, have become essential–and they are becoming more advanced. For example, sensors now can track usage more accurately and cover a whole area rather than one sensor per desk.

The study of utilization differs from more traditional methodologies, which track space in a more static manner using floor plans, department locations and assigned headcounts. The utilization of space is dynamic and constantly changing.

Using utilization data

Greater access to more data points allows for a finer analysis, and can help determine which departments collaborate together the most. New ways of measuring utilization (e.g., Wi-Fi triangulation) can track who is doing what and where, and who is collaborating with whom—previously the sole purview of manual observation.

Utilization rates are also helping organizations become more strategic. More than a third (38%) have already defined a target utilization rate (Figure 36). In fact, 73% of respondents have average utilization targets between 80% and 90% (Figure 37). Nearly one-quarter (23%) also employ utilization rates for non-office spaces, such as laboratories, manufacturing, warehousing and data centers (Figure 38). Twenty-six percent track utilization of collaborative spaces (Figure 39). Occupancy planners can analyze utilization data in a wide variety of methods—by site, region, floor, line of business, neighborhood or job function (Figure 40).

Figure 36: Does your client have a defined target utilization date for office/admin space?

Note: Based on 39 respondents who gather utilization data.
Source: CBRE Global Occupancy Insights Report, 2021.

Lastly, tracking utilization has become critically important during the pandemic to control the number of people in a building. Corporations are experimenting with ways to manage demand for space in the office among individuals and teams so that supply is optimized (Figure 41). This includes setting core hours, establishing on- and off-office days, and employing desk reservation systems to regulate office attendance.

Managing utilization

Almost 80% of respondents currently tracking utilization data report they already have more than one use for the intel collected. Twenty-three of 39 also report that they rely on more than one source of utilization data. Respondents prioritized micro-level use investments for specific projects and high-cost locations.

In addition to helping redefine chargeback costs (explained in Section 10) and optimizing opportunities based on actual usage, utilization management can redefine the way users measure success in space efficiency and drive the movement toward creating utilization-based targets (Figure 43).

Figure 43: Sensor-driven utilization management with outcomes

Source: CBRE Global Occupancy Insights Report, 2021.

Real-time space availability, when integrated into a user facing app, can improve the workplace experience by providing occupiers with locational insights by space, function or even by person. It also has major implications for deploying maintenance resources and managing energy usage by identifying when building services can be switched off.

Case study

How utilization data helped a financial services firm save $3.5 million annually

During the pandemic, a leading financial services firm turned to CBRE’s Occupancy Management team to devise a strategy to help with two of their buildings in Malaysia with historically high vacancy rates. Past efforts to convince the firm to downsize were unsuccessful amid concerns of space needs during peak periods, so the team turned to badge and desk utilization data to provide a clearer picture on how space was really being used in the two buildings.

The team leveraged badge data from the two buildings, analyzing more than six months of badge data to show the low utilization rates at the busiest time of the day. The extensive study eliminated pushback about any unusual peaks. Working with the client, CBRE proposed consolidating two buildings into one, resulting in $500,000 annual savings.

The client saw the value in utilization data and pushed for more insights. The overall speed of badge data analysis needed to be accelerated and scaled as data from corporate security did not provide the full picture of building capacity. CBRE created an integrated fit-for-purpose dashboard in two weeks, pulling badge attendance data and CAFM data. The web-based dashboard visualizations helped inform the deployment of facilities management resources during the pandemic.

Presented with a high-cost building housing multiple business units, CBRE was tasked to understand micro-level desk sensor data and develop recommendations. Because many business lines were allocated both assigned and unassigned spaces, there was an ongoing challenge to persuade business unit leaders to allow additional users into their assigned spaces. To provide clear answers, CBRE used desk sensor data to populate a heat map (blue/green less used and orange/red highly used) to make a case to adopt an unassigned activity-based model. Business unit leaders agreed to return vacant and underutilized capacity, which resulted in the reduction of one floor in a prime central business district location, resulting in an estimated $3 million in annual savings.