Workplace Planning: Expert Tips & Tools for Modern Offices

Workspace planning is becoming increasingly important and challenging as work becomes more flexible and hybrid. Hybrid offices can be more difficult to understand and optimize than traditional counterparts. However, with the right metrics and resources, the transition to hybrid can be an opportunity to test new ideas and improve the workplace for all stakeholders.

This article explores tangible ways to improve your workspace planning process to overcome the biggest challenges of hybrid working, drawing on insights from a recent webinar with industry experts Susan Wasmund (CBRE) and Maya Ketter (OfficeSpace).

Improve Your Hybrid Workspace: 5 Office Planning Best Practices

Amid rapid change in today’s work environment, workplaces need to stay nimble to test and experiment with new models and configurations. Old ways of understanding workplace planning—such as relying on traditional metrics like vacancy, occupancy rates, density, and square foot per seat—are no longer sufficient. Modern data methods and technologies are necessary to keep up.

Key best practices for workspace planning include:

1. Use New Demand Planning Strategies

The challenge: Traditional occupancy planning relied on headcount. With shared and flexible seating, planners must adapt to more complex usage patterns.

The fix: Use macro and micro utilization data to plan sharing ratios that ensure employees have what they need when they come into the office. Apply ratios and sharing efficiencies rather than simple headcount math.

2. Embrace Actionable Metrics

The challenge: Density metrics like vacancy and occupancy rates are too limited for hybrid workplaces.

The fix: Adopt actionable metrics, such as utilization data, to measure real-time space usage and inform planning decisions.

3. Create New and Better Benchmarks

The challenge: There is no universal rulebook for hybrid workspace planning. Each organization, department, and team has unique requirements.

The fix: Design benchmarks tailored to your organization’s goals. This should be an iterative process, using trial and error to determine what works best internally.

4. Data-Driven Strategies for Cost-Effective Workspaces

The challenge: Leadership may believe hybrid work requires costly renovations, which can hinder progress.

The solution: Collect the right data and focus on internal benchmarks to make cost-conscious decisions. Repurpose existing spaces for collaboration or flexible use with minimal investment.

5. Leverage Existing Data, Tools, and Technology

The challenge: Decision-makers may think hybrid work requires complex or quickly outdated technology.

The reality: Many organizations already have tools in place, such as room and desk booking systems, that provide valuable workplace analytics. Integrate data from HR, badge systems, and WiFi to build a comprehensive picture of office use. Investments in IoT sensors may be appropriate for some, but maximizing existing space management software is often a simple and cost-effective solution.

Why Is Workplace Planning Important?

Workspace planning affects every department and individual in an organization, supporting both employee and business needs. Improving office functionality ultimately improves company functionality. While typically led by facility managers or space planning teams, workspace planning impacts HR, IT, and all stakeholders.

Utilization Data Helps Everyone

Utilization data is valuable for the entire enterprise, enabling more informed and strategic real estate decisions and ensuring high employee experience and engagement. Benefits of better space optimization include increased productivity, improved workflows, a more collaborative culture, workplace wellbeing, and employee empowerment.

Making Workplace Planning an Ongoing Process

Change management is key. The future of work is dynamic, and workspace management should be a continuous process—whether designing new offices, reworking floor plans, or improving specific areas. Workplace agility, supported by the right metrics and benchmarks, enables organizations to adapt and drive forward.

Workplace Planning FAQs

What is the meaning of workspace management?

Workspace management is the process of organizing, optimizing, and maintaining physical and digital workspaces to improve productivity, efficiency, business performance, and employee engagement, while controlling real estate costs. It is typically handled by facility managers and space/occupancy planners, often in collaboration with IT and other departments. Hybrid workplaces require new tools, software, and cross-departmental involvement.

How do I create a perfect workspace?

There is no single perfect workspace. Each office requires a unique mix of conference rooms, collaborative workspaces, private offices, open spaces, cubicles, and possibly coworking areas. Facility managers and planners should develop a change management system to continually redesign spaces around employee needs, goals, budgets, and activities.

What are some of the factors that affect how people work in a workspace?

Two major factors are:

• ​Having the right types of workstations, private spaces, and meeting rooms for the required work. Flexible working software helps assess real-time office use.
• ​The presence and accessibility of colleagues for collaboration. Flexible seating and working neighborhoods support this, as do visual directories and hybrid schedule alignment. Companies may also provide stipends for remote and hybrid workers to optimize home offices.

What does a good workspace look like?

A good workspace meets the needs of its users and is custom designed and optimized using real-time data. Well-optimized workplaces offer a mix of heads-down and collaborative spaces, reliable wayfinding, good meeting room design, helpful room names, reliable WiFi, badge systems, and a variety of space types and collaboration tools. Intuitive desk and room booking software, available via mobile app and integrations with Slack and Teams, can greatly improve employee interaction with available spaces.