Overview.
One of our key clients, a global insurance and risk management firm with 85+ offices worldwide, faced several workplace challenges:
- Excess office space: Many areas were underutilized due to changing work patterns, resulting in high real estate costs.
- Data-driven design needs: There was a lack of quantifiable insights to justify office redesign and consolidation.
- Change management complexity: Embedding new workplace practices required seamless tools and communication to ensure adoption across global sites.
They needed a solution that could provide granular occupancy data, employee behavior insights, and flexible desk and room management tools to support a smarter hybrid workplace.
The company aimed to:
- Improve space utilization and reduce underused areas.
- Support hybrid working while ensuring employees had access to the spaces they needed.
- Drive operational efficiencies and validate workplace changes with quantifiable data.
- Reduce environmental impact and improve overall employee experience.
The Solution
Occupancy-led Optimization, Powered by Freespace Sensors.
The client partnered with Freespace to gain granular insights of how their spaces were being utilised across their portfolio, using sensors technology on over 150 desks. Desk and room booking systems + digital signage screens were integrated to provide a holistic understanding.
The data collected revealed unused and underutilized spaces across various spaces and floors allowing the client to make informed decisions about office redesign and consolidation in their portfolio. Key steps included:
- Global consolidation: Over $100 million cost-savings were generated from the optimization of over 65 offices, increasing desk-to-person ratios from 0.87 to 1.08 across 2.4 million sqft of space.
- Workspace redesign: Space allocation was refined to meet real employee demand, with a further 33% reduction in office space targeted (around 2 million sqft).
- Environmental monitoring: Sensors measured air quality and other environmental factors to support employee well-being while improving energy efficiency.
- Hybrid work support: The Freespace App allowed employees to locate and reserve desks and meeting rooms easily, ensuring a seamless transition to hybrid working.
Key Takeaways
Unlocking deeper insights.
The deployment expanded globally, covering additional sites in multiple regions, with standardized configuration, administrator training, and pre-configured back-office settings to streamline adoption.
✅ >100M+ in real estate cost savings.
✅ Optimized office space across 65+ global sites (2.4M sqft).
✅ Enhanced employee experience and space utilization.
This case demonstrates how data-driven workplace intelligence can transform global operations – delivering substantial cost savings, operational efficiency, and an enhanced employee experience through smart, scalable hybrid solutions.
Free Whitepaper
Right Size and Right Design your Workplace With Occupancy Metrics.
Gain a clear understanding of your current workplace portfolio and identify real-estate risks and opportunities.
