Resources
Utilization data
Utilization data describes how intensively workplaces, rooms and areas are actually used – measured through bookings, check-ins, badge data or sensors.
In short
Utilization data describes how intensively workplaces, meeting rooms and areas are actually used, as opposed to how they are planned or booked. It is collected from bookings, check-ins, badge records or occupancy sensors, and is typically reported as occupancy per area, peak simultaneous presence, no-show rate and weekday pattern. Its value depends entirely on a stated measurement method.
Sources and what each one really measures
Bookings record intention, not presence. Check-ins record confirmed arrival and are the most common basis in booking-driven systems. Badge or access data records entry into the building but not which desk was used. Occupancy sensors measure presence at a specific place directly and are the most precise and the most expensive, both in money and in works council discussion.
No source is complete. A utilization figure without a stated source is not interpretable.
Common metrics
Occupancy rate, peak simultaneous occupancy, no-show rate, cancellation rate, utilization by weekday and time of day, and utilization per area or floor. Peak matters more than average: capacity has to cover the busiest day, not the mean.
Why it is used
Utilization data underpins decisions with real consequences – renewing or reducing leases, closing floors on low days, setting cleaning intervals, defining desk sharing ratios and validating hybrid work rules. Because those decisions are hard to reverse, the measurement method should be documented alongside the figures.
From the definition to your own offices
Terminology is where an evaluation starts, not where it ends. Thirty minutes with the product open turns the concept into your floor plan.