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Glossary categories: Space Operations

What is Stack Planning?

Stack planning provides a high-level view of how space is allocated and used across floors, buildings, or campuses. It helps leaders understand where teams sit, how occupancy compares with capacity, and which parts of the portfolio may need to change.

Definition

Stack planning is the process of visualizing how floors, buildings, and campuses within a real estate portfolio are allocated across departments, teams, and functions. A stack plan gives leaders a portfolio-level view of occupancy, capacity, lease exposure, and space distribution.

What a Stack Plan Reveals
Layer What It Shows Decision It Informs
Building overview
All floors in a vertical stack, color-coded by department
Executive-level view of portfolio allocation
Occupancy vs. capacity
Headcount and utilization per floor
Identifies underused space for consolidation or subletting
Department mapping
Which teams and functions sit on which floors
Supports adjacency and collaboration planning
Lease overlay
Lease expiration dates and break clauses per floor
Supports renewal, exit, or renegotiation decisions
Growth projections
Forecast headcount layered onto current allocation
Connects workforce planning to real estate strategy

Why Stack Planning Matters

A stack plan is most useful when it reflects how space is actually being used, not just how it is assigned on paper. In hybrid workplaces, that means combining headcount with utilization data such as booking activity, badge data, or occupancy signals. This gives leaders a stronger basis for decisions about consolidation, reconfiguration, and lease strategy.

Getting Started

For teams creating a stack plan for the first time, a simple starting point is often enough: map buildings, floors, and department allocations, then add headcount and any available utilization data. The goal is to create a reliable planning baseline that can be refined over time.

Questions People Ask About Stack Planning
Q: What is stack planning in facility management?
A: Stack planning maps how floors and buildings are allocated across departments and functions, helping leaders understand capacity, utilization, and portfolio fit.
Q: What is the difference between a stack plan and a floor plan?
A: A floor plan shows the layout of a single floor. A stack plan shows how multiple floors or buildings are allocated across a wider portfolio.
Q: How often should a stack plan be updated?
A: The right cadence depends on how quickly the workplace changes. In hybrid environments, more frequent updates are often useful, while more stable office settings may only need periodic review.
Related Glossary Pages

What Is Scenario Planning?

Scenario planning helps workplace and real estate teams evaluate different future space options before making a decision. It models the likely impact of choices such as lease renewal, consolidation, or policy changes so leaders can compare cost, capacity, and employee experience before committing.

Definition

In facility management, scenario planning is the practice of modeling different future workplace options to understand how each one may affect cost, capacity, and space use. It helps leaders compare outcomes using data rather than assumptions.

What Scenario Planning Helps Answer

Scenario planning is most useful when it helps leaders answer a small number of high-value planning questions.

1. Should we consolidate?
Compare current usage, projected headcount, and peak-day demand to assess whether space can be reduced without creating future capacity issues.

2. Can we absorb growth without new leases?
Test whether existing buildings have enough usable capacity to support hiring, reorganizations, or acquisitions.

3. What happens if we change hybrid policy?
Model how changes in office attendance may affect demand, layouts, scheduling, and capacity.

4. When should we act on expiring leases?
Review lease timing alongside utilization and future demand to decide whether space should be renewed, reduced, or exited.

What Data It Uses

Scenario planning is only as useful as the inputs behind it. Stronger models usually combine workforce data with real space-use data, such as:

  • desk-booking data
  • occupancy or badge data
  • HRIS headcount and hiring plans
  • lease terms and renewal windows

Questions People Ask About Scenario Planning
Q: What is scenario planning in facility management?
A: Scenario planning models multiple future workplace options so leaders can compare likely outcomes before making a decision.
Q: What data does scenario planning need?
A: At a minimum, it usually requires workforce data, space-use data, and lease information. The more accurately those inputs reflect real workplace behavior, the more useful the model becomes.
Q: How is scenario planning different from space planning?
A: Scenario planning helps decide which spaces should be kept, reduced, or exited at the portfolio level. Space planning focuses on how a specific floor or building should be laid out.
Related Glossary Pages