Understanding how space is used is critical for organisations managing workplaces, universities, or public facilities. An occupancy survey provides valuable insights into how often spaces are used, when peak usage occurs, and whether the current allocation of desks, meeting rooms, lecture halls, or communal areas aligns with real-world demand.
For facilities managers, workplace strategists, and estate planners, a well-structured occupancy study removes guesswork and ensures that space planning decisions are based on real data rather than assumptions. This guide will take you through the step-by-step process of designing and conducting an accurate, structured occupancy survey.
Step 1: Define the Purpose of the Survey
Before launching an occupancy survey, it’s essential to determine exactly what you are measuring and why. Different organisations have different drivers for conducting occupancy studies.
Common Objectives:
Optimising space allocation – Identifying underutilised areas and repurposing them efficiently.
Reducing real estate costs – Ensuring that office space, classrooms, or meeting rooms are being fully utilised before expanding or downsizing.
Justifying future investments – Providing evidence for additional office space, facilities, or campus expansions.
Measuring the impact of hybrid working – Understanding how many desks or meeting rooms are truly needed.
Meeting compliance requirements – In higher education, for example, universities may need to conduct space utilisation surveys as part of HEA reporting obligations.
Once the objectives are clear, the scope of the survey can be defined.
Step 2: Select the Spaces to be Surveyed
The next step is to determine which areas will be included in the study. The scope can vary depending on whether the focus is on a specific department, building, or an entire campus or office network.
Commonly Surveyed Spaces:
Workplaces: Desks, meeting rooms, break-out areas, shared workspaces.
Universities: Lecture theatres, seminar rooms, libraries, study spaces.
Public Sector Buildings: Offices, public seating areas, waiting rooms.
To ensure reliable data, the survey should cover a representative period—including peak and off-peak times—rather than just a snapshot of a single day.
Step 3: Choose a Data Collection Method
Historically, occupancy surveys relied on paper-based forms and manual spreadsheets, which were time-consuming and prone to human error. Today, digital survey platforms streamline the process, ensuring faster, more accurate data collection.
Options for Collecting Occupancy Data:
Pen-and-paper surveys – Low-tech, inefficient and difficult to analyse.
Spreadsheets & Google Forms – Slightly improved but still requires extensive manual processing.
Digital Survey Platforms (Recommended) – Mobile-friendly tools like SkematIQ allow surveyors to log occupancy data directly into an interactive digital floor plan, eliminating the need for later data entry.
Using a structured, digital-first approach significantly improves the accuracy, speed, and reliability of the occupancy study.
Step 4: Plan the Survey Schedule
To gather meaningful, representative data, the survey should be conducted over multiple days and at different times.
Key Considerations for Scheduling:
Time Intervals – Will data be collected every 30 minutes, hourly, or at different times of the day?
Survey Duration – A single day is not enough. Ideally, surveys should run for at least one full week to capture trends.
Peak vs. Off-Peak – Ensure surveys cover both busy and quiet periods.
In environments such as corporate workplaces, Mondays and Fridays may have lower occupancy due to hybrid work patterns, while universities may experience fluctuating attendance depending on lecture timetables. A well-planned schedule captures these variations, ensuring a more accurate assessment of space utilisation.
Step 5: Train Surveyors and Define Data Collection Standards
For an occupancy survey to be effective, all surveyors must record data in a consistent way. This ensures that different people do not interpret occupancy differently, which can lead to unreliable results.
Standardisation Guidelines:
Define what counts as “occupied” – If a laptop is on a desk but no one is there, is the desk counted as in use?
Use clear categories for recording data – Fully occupied, partially occupied, empty, etc.
Ensure all surveyors record occupancy the same way – Using a structured digital survey tool avoids misinterpretation and inconsistencies.
Surveyors should also be familiar with the spaces they are monitoring, especially in complex environments like university campuses or multi-floor office buildings.
Step 6: Conduct the Survey and Collect Data
Once everything is in place, surveyors begin walking through the designated spaces and logging occupancy data at the predefined time intervals.
Best Practices for Data Collection:
Use mobile-friendly survey tools to record data in real-time.
Follow a set route to ensure no spaces are missed.
Capture key details such as number of people present, seat usage, and whether meeting rooms or desks are occupied.
Digital tools allow instant data capture, removing the need for manual transcription and minimising human error.
Step 7: Analyse the Data and Extract Insights
Once the survey is complete, the collected data must be analysed to identify patterns, trends, and areas for improvement.
Key Occupancy Metrics to Analyse:
Average occupancy rates – What percentage of available space is in use?
Peak usage times – When are spaces most or least occupied?
Underutilised areas – Which rooms or desks remain consistently empty?
Rather than manually processing spreadsheets of raw data, digital platforms like SkematIQ generate live dashboards, heatmaps, and automated reports, making it easier to interpret and share results with key stakeholders.
Step 8: Use the Data to Improve Space Planning
An occupancy study is only valuable if the data is used to drive positive change.
Key Actions Based on Survey Findings:
If desks are underutilised, organisations may reduce assigned seating and introduce hot-desking.
If meeting rooms are consistently overbooked, it may signal a need for more collaboration space.
If lecture halls remain empty at certain times, universities can optimise timetabling to improve space efficiency.
By implementing data-driven space planning decisions, organisations can save costs, improve efficiency, and enhance user experience.
Final Thoughts: The Power of a Well-Designed Occupancy Survey
A properly designed and executed occupancy study provides organisations with clear, actionable insights into how their space is used. By following a structured approach and using digital tools, facilities managers can eliminate inefficiencies, reduce costs, and optimise space based on real data rather than assumptions.
Key Takeaways:
Clearly define the purpose of the occupancy study before starting.
Use a structured, repeatable methodology to ensure data consistency.
Leverage digital tools to improve accuracy and eliminate manual data processing.
Analyse data effectively to drive real-world space planning decisions.
Whether in a corporate office, university, or public facility, organisations that invest in structured, data-driven occupancy surveys can make smarter, more efficient use of their space.
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