Over the last five years, we’ve experienced a rollercoaster ride when it comes to where we work, with many employees jumping between the office, remote work, and hybrid arrangements. Changes in where and how we work remain persistent, meaning your office needs to be more dynamic to maximize utilization and optimize real estate spend.
In this article, we dive into recent data showing shifts in return-to-office (RTO) and explore the new ways that businesses are approaching physical office space. Keep reading for more on the role of space utilization sensors, AI-powered analytics and integrated workplace management systems (IWMS).
Looking at the Numbers: Return-to-Office and Space Utilization
Return-to-office (RTO) mandates seem to be popping up left and right. Major players like Amazon and Meta are sticking to stricter RTO policies that require anywhere from three to five days a week in the office. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the percentage of working Americans who teleworked (i.e., worked remotely or from home) for all their work hours decreased from 54% in Q1 2023 to less than 48% in Q1 2024.
Even with the push around RTO, 75% of businesses looked to reduce office square footage in 2024, with 69% of that group planning to reduce current spaces by 50% or more. Despite growing demand to return to office, average office utilization has remained under 40% according to data from CBRE. The imbalance between office supply and demand remains.
There are three ways to move forward:
- Increase the demand for office space, meaning more people in the office more days a week.
- Decrease your supply by eliminating unused or poorly configured office space.
- Optimize your portfolio to remain agile and respond effectively to both of the above scenarios.
No matter which strategic path you choose for your business, efficient space utilization is key – and the right technology is crucial to meet the rising demand.
Related Read: Recognizing the Shift in Workplace Dynamics
Understanding the Role of Space Utilization Sensors
Today’s agile approach to work requires dynamic, demand-driven environments. Space utilization sensors are increasingly leveraged to drive this flexibility, tracking how spaces are used in real time. You can embed these devices in ceilings, desks, doorways or lighting systems, where it’s out of the way while collecting invaluable data on occupancy, movement, dwell time and environmental conditions.
Sensors to reveal several helpful insights, such as which meeting rooms are consistently overbooked, which workstations remain unused for weeks at a time or which collaboration zones are hotspots for spontaneous team huddles. This eliminates the need for quarterly walk-throughs or manual processes, providing your facilities team with day-by-day and even hour-by-hour visibility into space usage and performance.
Continuous monitoring from space utilization sensors lets you right-size the workplace and deploy effective space management strategies. For example, desks that aren’t used regularly can be made into breakout areas to foster more face-to-face collaboration or can be removed entirely to help reduce the costs of a lease. Alternatively, insight into traffic flow can help you refine physical office layouts based on the natural flow of foot traffic and areas you intentionally want employees to spend more time using. You can also leverage data from space utilization sensors to make informed decisions about energy use, cleaning schedules, and even long-term real estate planning.
Sensors act as a critical front line for your workplace intelligence. It captures raw behavioral data that can then be paired with AI and integrated platforms to power data-driven design, investment and operational decisions. They also serve to create a living ecosystem that is constantly adapting to how your people work and what their needs are within the office space – and this is becoming a must-have in 2025.
Going From Data to Action with AI-Powered Analytics
Once you have the raw data from your sensors, analytics powered by artificial intelligence (AI) can synthesize that information into actionable next steps. Yet truly effective AI-driven insights cannot be informed by sensors alone. Instead, they require accurate data from a variety of inputs, including occupancy rates, movement trends, desk and room booking insights and usage frequency.
With the right data, AI can drive huge improvements in efficiency and employee experience, helping your teams predict the best time to clean a room based on foot traffic, or automatically reallocate unused space based on forecasted demand for the week.
AI’s ability to continuously learn makes it even more valuable to decision making. Over time, it can learn to detect a wider range of new and existing activities, like variations in how often a certain conference room gets used month to month. These insights support your micro-level decisions – such as adjusting policies for booking meeting rooms – and macro-level strategy, like long-term real estate investment decisions, that ultimately lead to marked returns on investment.
Related Read: How to Build Employee Trust and Collaboration in a Hybrid Work Model
Using a Centralized Brain: Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS)
An IWMS is the unifying system that puts insights together, consolidating data streams from space optimization platforms, maintenance operations, financial systems, maintenance management systems and reporting tools to break down silos and provide a holistic view of performance. This single source of truth paves the way for sharper, faster and more cost-effective decision-making, with a report from WhatFix showing that investment in these types of platforms can drive revenue increases of up to 43%.
But IWMS implementation and integration can be complicated. Industry providers like Accruent simplify the process, bringing innovative technologies to the forefront to ensure businesses like yours can implement effective solutions and continue to thrive.
Our suite of IWMS tools include:
- Accruent EMS: Streamline the process of coordinating in-office days, booking meeting space and managing hybrid schedules to reduce friction and enhance collaboration.
- Accruent Space Intelligence: Get real-time insights into space utilization so you can redesign workspaces, get the most out of your budgets, meet employee needs and cut down on wasted space.
- Accruent FAMIS 360: Automate your maintenance operations, improve asset management and boost operational efficiency across all facilities with this powerful CMMS.
- Accruent Lucernex: Manage real estate portfolios more efficiently and help maintain compliance and optimize your expenses with this dedicated lease administration and accounting solution.
The goal? Strategic impact. When you embrace technology solutions that help you build the kind of workplace your company needs, especially in hybrid environments, you set your business and its people up for success.
Related Read: 2025 and Beyond - What Is the Future of IWMS
Looking Ahead: Workplace Intelligence and Fueling Data-Driven Decisions
Real estate is a strong lever for company culture, workforce productivity and business resilience. The right AI, sensor, and IWMS technology can help your organization pull that lever and make impactful space optimization decisions.
Going forward, we’ll see these technologies have a deeper impact through integrations with ESG goals, employee experience platforms and digital twin environments. Workplaces won’t just be smart; they’ll be self-optimizing.
Want to know more? Stay tuned for our upcoming article on data-driven best practices to help future proof your business’ real estate portfolio.
In the meantime, learn more about our space management solutions here.
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