Space Use Analysis - What's the Catch?
If the benefits of accurate data to reveal space utilisation are so tangible, what’s the catch?
Cost is often flagged as a concern in discussions about analysing space use. There's a commonplace perception that measuring occupancy with sensors is an expensive and challenging process.
Whilst the potential outcomes and benefits get plenty of airtime, there's a range of considerations that raise red flags for many:
- Initial purchase & installation costs of sensor technology
- When can a return on investment be expected
- Accuracy & stability of sensor hardware
- IT/security constraints on how & where infrastructure can be installed
Further issues with traditional sensor-based systems can also range from privacy concerns to scalability and coverage limitations for example.
How Space DNA Can Resolve These Barriers
Investment Options
Budgeting for sensor deployments to cover key workspace areas can be tricky. We offer both permanent and temporary sensor and visualisation solutions to support our clients' needs.
The initial cost of purchasing and installing sensors can also be a barrier for some organisations, particularly for older buildings without certain infrastructure in place.
Space DNA by Nu Xform offers sensor-as-a-service to reduce the up-front investment required. This can span 3 months to 1 year and longer, and includes key supporting services drawn from our experience in the design and implementation of SMaRT building technologies.
These include, but aren't limited to:
- Space improvement opportunity assessment
- Key Stakeholder interviews & distribution of a digital employees' survey on what currently works well & where improvements could be made
- Workspace technology assessment to ensure viability & value for any envisaged changes
- Employee & Guest journey assessment & observation of the cultural use of space
Calculating & Demonstrating ROI
We help calculate returns to support your business case as part of your strategy.
Whilst we can provide a sensor-as-a-service model, clients invariably see significant value in the resulting data and take on the services permanently. In this scenario it can be fitting to consider a permanent investment into this technology.
For example, let’s assume there are 500 desks within the scope of monitoring:
- Sensor cost: £75 per desk = £37,500
- Utilisation Software subscription: £2 per desk per month = £12,000 per year
- Annual cost per desk (rent, utilities, etc.): £4,000
- Potential to reduce 15% of desks based on utilisation: 75 desks
- Estimated energy savings: 20% of current lighting & HVAC costs for desk areas (assume this is £50 per desk per year)
- Estimated cleaning cost savings: 10% of the current cleaning budget for desk areas (assume this is £20 per desk per year)
- Potential Annual Savings:
- Real estate savings (75 desks * £4,000/desk): £300,000
- Energy savings (500 desks * £50/desk * 0.20): £5,000
- Cleaning savings (500 desks * £20/desk * 0.10): £1,000
- Total Potential Annual Savings: £306,000
Your return on investment:
- Initial investment (sensors + first year of software): £37,500 + £12,000 = £49,500
- ROI period: Approximately 2 months (£49,500 / £306,000 annual savings)
Accuracy & Stability of Sensor Hardware
Alongside demonstrating value, another important consideration is data accuracy.
We constantly review the market and only select best-in-class hardware and software visualisation services. Underdesk sensors for example, have high accuracy metrics and offer 94%+ accuracy rating.
IT/Security constraints on how & where infrastructure can be installed.
This is another fundamental area of concern which we address by providing sensors that don't need to be connected to your network infrastructure. Negating the need to engage IT security reviews.
We do this by enabling the digital sensors to communicate the captured information via secured 4G Routers to share the data with our utilisation platform.