Occupancy Management
Who is where, how often, and what that implies.
What it studies
Occupancy management studies actual versus planned use of space: occupancy rate, peak moments, booking behaviour and the gap between what a space should deliver and what it actually delivers. The field works with sensor data, booking systems and sample-based utilisation surveys.
Why Facility Management needs it
Occupancy data is both evidence for space decisions and a continuous operational stream that should inform daily service delivery (cleaning, catering, security). Without reliable occupancy knowledge, space decisions get made on assumption, and services get sized to planned rather than actual demand.
Questions it answers
- What is the actual occupancy rate, measured rather than assumed, and over what period?
- Where does the gap between planned and actual occupancy sit, and what explains it?
Evidence sources
- IFMA research and benchmarks on occupancy rates.
- Utilisation survey methodology from workplace research.
Operating and management implications
- Service delivery (cleaning, catering) should be sized to actual occupancy, not planned capacity.
- Sensor data and booking data measure different things (presence versus intent) and should not be merged without correction.
Related services
- Space and workplace management
- CAFM & Information Management
Related capabilities
- Combining and correcting occupancy data sources
Related operating models
[Content pending]
All operating modelsRelated standards
[Content pending]
The standards section arrives in Part 7.
Common misuse
- Booking rate presented as occupancy rate, when a booking does not guarantee presence.
Current research frontier
Privacy legislation increasingly restricts which presence sensor data may be collected and at what level of detail, forcing measurement methodology to adapt to what remains legally permissible.
Further reading
- IFMA Research Reports, workplace utilisation.