Workplace Occupancy Levels and Behaviours
A basking shark feeds on plankton.
Accurately tracking and understanding workplace occupancy patterns has become increasingly important as companies look to optimise their real estate usage in the era of flexible work. Traditional methods like security swipe data and manual headcounts can provide some insights, but often have significant limitations.
We have been working in recent months with a large corporate client in Sydney and were struggling with the analysis of their occupancy data to understand how they were using their 45,000 square metre workplace. Manual counts were laborious and error-prone, while swipe data from entry raceways didn't show where the people went once they were inside the workplace.
What has this got to do with sharks???
I previously had only ever heard the term basking used in 2 ways – the basking Shark and “basking” as a description for lying in the sun. The Basking Shark grows up to 8 metres in length, second only to the Whale Shark. But it is harmless to humans so doesn’t get much attention!
Seeking a better solution to our workplace analytics challenge, we turned to Karen Primmer, Head of Workplace & Transformation, Tenant Advisory at Colliers. Karen proposed using Basking, an AI-powered occupancy analytics platform, to overcome the challenges and deliver accurate, real-time occupancy data. I spoke with Karen to learn more about how Basking works and the benefits it provides for real estate and workplace managers.
A typical Basking dashboard
BASKING Q&A WITH KAREN PRIMMER, COLLIERS:
Karen, thanks for taking the time to chat with me about Basking. As an architect and workplace strategist, I'm always on the lookout for innovative tools to help my clients better understand and optimise their space usage. Can you give me an overview of what Basking is and how it works?
Of course! Basking is an advanced occupancy analytics platform that integrates with a company's existing Wi-Fi infrastructure. It anonymously tracks the location of Wi-Fi enabled devices to provide real-time space utilisation data across an entire portfolio. The best part? It's quick to set up and requires no additional hardware.
That sounds like an interesting solution. In your experience, what makes Basking a more effective approach than traditional methods like manual occupancy counts or access card data?
Great question. While manual counts and access card data can provide some insights, they have significant limitations. Manual counts are labor-intensive and often inaccurate, especially in large spaces, while access card data only shows entries and exits. Basking, on the other hand, delivers continuous, detailed occupancy data throughout the day, tracking movement and space usage at a much more granular level. It also employs smart algorithms to avoid double-counting people with multiple devices.
I can definitely see the value in that granular, real-time data. Once Basking is implemented, what kind of actionable insights can real estate and workplace leaders expect to gain from the platform?
The Basking dashboard is a powerful tool for data-driven space optimisation. It provides a clear, comprehensive view of occupancy trends and patterns across your portfolio, allowing you to compare building performance, identify inefficiencies, and drill down to detailed metrics at the floor and neighbourhood level. The robust reporting capabilities enable you to make informed decisions and develop effective real estate strategies.
In today's era of flexible work, how can Basking help companies adapt their spaces to shifting occupancy patterns and employee needs?
That's where Basking really shines. By providing an accurate, real-time picture of actual space utilisation, it empowers companies to make confident decisions about consolidation, space reallocation, and workplace design. You can continually fine-tune your office layout, collaboration spaces, and amenities based on observed usage patterns, ensuring your workplace evolves in tandem with your workforce.
That's excellent. I can see how those insights could also contribute to a better overall workplace experience for employees. Any other ways Basking can help on that front?
Absolutely. When you have a deep understanding of how employees interact with the workplace, you can tailor the environment to better support their needs and work patterns. Basking's data can guide everything from optimising floor plans to rightsizing meeting rooms based on actual usage. In the right building Basking can integrate with smart building systems to automatically adjust factors like lighting, temperature, cleaning schedules, and even food service orders in response to real-time occupancy, creating a more dynamic and responsive workplace.
Those are compelling use cases. Now, I'd be remiss not to ask about data privacy and security, as I know that's a top concern for my clients. How does Basking address these issues?
Data privacy and security are absolutely critical, and Basking takes them very seriously. The platform leverages enterprise-grade security measures and never collects personally identifiable information. All data is fully encrypted, and MAC addresses are anonymised to protect individual privacy. Moreover, the read-only API integration ensures Basking cannot make any changes to the client's network. Clients also have full control and visibility into who can access the aggregated occupancy data through role-based permissions.
Thanks for the comprehensive overview, Karen. It's clear that Basking is leveraging cutting-edge technology to help corporate real estate professionals tackle some of the biggest challenges in workplace strategy. As I reflect on our conversation so far, what would you say is the key value proposition of Basking for someone in my role?
For architects and workplace strategists like yourself, I believe the true value of Basking lies in the ability to make data-driven decisions with confidence. By providing an accurate, holistic view of space utilisation in real-time, Basking empowers you to create workplace strategies that are grounded in reality and can flex with the changing needs of the organisation and its people. It's a powerful tool for optimizing real estate portfolios, enhancing the employee experience, and ultimately delivering spaces that work smarter, not just harder.
Karen, I'm curious about Colliers' own experience with Basking. I understand you've implemented the platform in some of your offices in Australia. Could you share more about the challenges you were facing, the solution Basking provided, and the outcomes you've seen?
Absolutely. We introduced Basking into our Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne offices in 2023 to gain a better understanding of our workplace dynamics and optimise our space utilisation. The main challenge we were facing was fluctuating daily occupancy rates in the post-COVID environment. With more remote work and changing office patterns, we needed a reliable tool to track employee behaviour and provide accurate, real-time data.
By integrating Basking with our existing Wi-Fi infrastructure, we were able to accurately measure occupancy rates and gain valuable insights into how our spaces were being used. The platform provides us with weekly reports and a real-time dashboard, empowering us to make data-driven decisions about our workplace.
One of the key outcomes has been the ability to develop a strategic portfolio optimisation plan. With the analytical insights from Basking, such as peak occupancy times and daily/weekly usage patterns, our executive team has been able to identify opportunities to improve space utilisation and potentially realise cost savings across our portfolio.
It's been a transformative solution for us, providing a single source of truth in a dynamic work environment. The accurate, real-time data has enabled us to align our spaces with the evolving needs of our people and business.
Example of Basking insight into occupancy rate across an office floor-plan
That's a fantastic case study and really showcases the tangible impact Basking can have. To wrap up, I have a few quick-fire questions that I think our readers would find valuable. First, what if a company still uses LAN connections? Can Basking capture data on those teams?
Yes, definitely. Basking offers a specialised module that can be deployed to capture data points from LAN-based connections. This ensures comprehensive coverage regardless of the network setup.
Is Basking able to scale to large portfolios, or are there limitations on the number of properties or square metres it can handle?
Basking is fully scalable and can accommodate portfolios of any size and complexity. There are no limitations on the number of properties or volume of space the platform can handle.
Cost is often a key consideration for companies. How does Basking compare to other occupancy tracking solutions in terms of pricing?
Basking is actually quite cost-effective compared to traditional sensor-based solutions. The cost to implement and operate Basking is around 25% of what you'd typically pay for sensor installations. It delivers significant value at a much more affordable price point.
How quickly can companies expect to start seeing meaningful trends and insights from the Basking platform?
One of the great advantages of Basking is that the dashboards are live as soon as the installation is complete. You'll start seeing data and trends from day one, and the insights will become richer and more robust as more information is collected over time.
Finally, if a company needs support or has questions during their Basking subscription, who should they contact?
Basking provides dedicated support services throughout the subscription term to ensure the platform remains in good working order. They have a responsive help desk team available to address any questions or issues that may arise, giving clients continuous access to expert assistance.
Excellent! Karen, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and Colliers' own experience with Basking. Do you have any final thoughts you'd like to leave our readers with?
It's been a pleasure, Stephen. I truly believe that platforms like Basking represent the future of workplace strategy and optimisation. The ability to harness real-time occupancy data is a game-changer for organisations looking to create agile, efficient, and people-centric workplaces that drive better business outcomes.
For architects and workplace strategists, Basking is an incredibly powerful tool to enhance your practice and deliver added value to your clients. By incorporating this technology into your process, you can make data-driven recommendations, design adaptable spaces that respond to changing usage patterns, and continuously refine your strategies based on actual behaviour.
My advice would be to embrace this technology and explore its potential. The insights and capabilities it provide are transformative, and I'm confident it will become an essential tool in shaping the workplaces of tomorrow.
Thank you again for the opportunity to share our journey with Basking. I'm excited to see how you and your readers will leverage this powerful platform to create workplaces that truly work for people.
Thank you, Karen. It's been an enlightening conversation, and I appreciate you sharing your expertise with us today.
It's been my pleasure, Stephen. I'm always happy to discuss innovations in workplace strategy and share our experiences. If you or your readers have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. I look forward to continuing the conversation and seeing the creative ways in which Basking is used to shape the future of work.
For more information on Basking follow the link below