How it works
Occupancy monitoring turns everyday signals into a live and historical picture of space use. Each source sees part of the picture: badge systems record building entry, network presence shows who is on the office network and on which floor, check-ins confirm a specific desk or room, and sensors count people in a zone.
The data is rolled up to the level each decision needs: live counts for today's operations, and daily and weekly patterns by floor, space type and team for planning. Strong programs combine two or more signals, because each has gaps: badges miss tailgating and floors, sensors cannot say who was there, and check-ins depend on people or automation.
Monitoring space is different from monitoring people. A good program measures how spaces are used, reports in aggregate, limits who can see individual records and sets a retention period. That keeps the data useful for planning and acceptable to employees.
Occupancy signals compared
No single signal sees everything. Most programs combine two or more, for example network presence for people and sensors for unbooked zones.
| Signal | What it measures | Accuracy | Cost | Privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Whether a desk, room or zone is in use, or how many people are in it | High for the space covered; cannot say who was there | Highest: hardware, installation, network and upkeep | Low if anonymous; higher with cameras |
| Badge data | Who entered the building or floor, and when | Good for arrivals; misses tailgating, floors and departures | Low: access control already collects it | Identifies people; needs a clear purpose and access limits |
| Office network presence (agent) | Who is in the office, and on which floor, from their device on the network | High for people with the agent; floor-level where supported | Low: software only, no hardware | Identifies people; report in aggregate and limit access |
| Desk and room check-ins | Confirmed use of a specific desk or room | Good when automated; manual check-in depends on habit | Low: part of the booking system | Identifies people; tied to a booking |
| Bookings | Who planned to use which desk or room | Overstates use: counts no-shows and misses walk-ins | Low: comes with the booking system | Identifies people; shows plans, not presence |
| Manual counts | Head counts taken by observers at set times | A snapshot; misses everything between walk-throughs | High in staff time for each study | Low: counts people, not names |
How to measure it
- Write down the questions first (Which floors are underused? What is our real peak?) and choose signals that answer them.
- Combine at least two signals, for example check-ins plus network presence or badge data.
- Measure continuously; a one-week study misses seasons and policy changes.
- Set privacy rules at the start: aggregation level, access and retention.
Examples
- A multi-site company compares weekly occupancy by building and finds two offices that never pass half their capacity; they become consolidation candidates.
- Live occupancy by floor lets facilities open a second floor only on busy days and reduce cleaning and heating on quiet ones.
Benchmarks
Denbighshire County Council replaced days of manual reporting with live occupancy dashboards and used them to right-size its estate and hybrid policy.
Kadence customer story: Denbighshire County Council
Common mistakes
- Relying on one signal and reading its gaps as real behavior.
- Running a short study and treating it as the permanent answer.
- Monitoring individuals when the question is about space.
- Collecting data that never turns into a decision.
How Kadence helps
Kadence records occupancy from desk and room check-ins, kiosks, Kadence Room Displays (WorkOps Pro), badge data or the API. The Kadence Agent checks people in automatically when it detects them on the office network, and Enhanced Network Detection adds floor-level, VPN-aware presence. Workplace Insights turns this into occupancy, attendance, no-show and heatmap reporting without installing sensors.
Workplace occupancy · Workplace analytics · Denbighshire story
Frequently asked questions
What is occupancy tracking software?
It is software that collects presence signals, such as check-ins, network presence, badge swipes or sensor counts, and turns them into live and historical occupancy by building, floor, space and team. Workplace platforms often combine it with desk and room booking, so bookings and actual use sit in one view.
Do you need sensors to monitor office occupancy?
Not necessarily. Check-ins, office network presence and badge data can show who is in and where, without new hardware. Sensors add anonymous counts for areas nobody books, such as lounges, and can be worth it where those areas drive decisions.
Is occupancy monitoring the same as employee monitoring?
Not when it is set up well. Occupancy monitoring measures how spaces are used and reports in aggregate. Employee monitoring tracks what individuals do. Keep reports aggregated, limit access to individual records and set retention periods.
How is occupancy monitoring different from a utilization study?
A utilization study is a one-off project, often a few weeks of counts. Occupancy monitoring runs continuously, so it captures seasonal patterns, policy changes and the effect of each decision you make.
What is the best way to get real-time office occupancy data?
Start with signals you already have: office Wi-Fi or network presence, badge swipes, and desk and room check-ins. Combined, they show who is in and where through the day without new hardware. Add sensors only for spaces people do not book or connect in, such as huddle areas, and only where the extra detail would change a decision.
Related terms
- Presence data (sensorless occupancy) The record of who was actually in the building and when, from signals you already have: network, badges and check-ins.
- Occupancy sensor A device that detects whether a desk, room or zone is in use, or counts the people in it, usually anonymously.
- Badge data Access-control swipe records showing who entered a building or floor and when, often used to measure attendance.
- Workplace analytics Analysis of bookings, check-ins, attendance and occupancy data to guide decisions about office space, policy and services.
- Occupancy rate The share of available desks, rooms or floor area in use, at a point in time or on average over a period.
- Employee monitoring vs occupancy data Employee monitoring tracks what individuals do; occupancy data measures how spaces are used. Workplace planning needs only the second.
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