Actual versus planned space utilisation: Does the gap between perception and reality matter?

Abstract

This paper analyses how the growing pressure on real estate professionals to understand how the workspace of the organisation is utilised, is driving more diverse data gathering and analysis programmes. As the application of the ratio of one person to one workstation is no longer an appropriate measurement of efficient space utilisation, the author explores how managers can quantify how the workspace is used. The potential to analyse the data by function, by location and by time highlights the opportunities to streamline the utilisation of the space as well as the amount of space used by the organisation overall. The paper outlines some of the latest data collection solutions and suggests some alternatives for managing the space surplus to the current requirements. Using the Boston, USA based Bentley University as a case study, the paper shows how workspace data analysis can lead to a deeper understanding of how spaces are used to increase organisational efficiency and reduce operating costs.