Businesses, their employees and other office occupants are seeking out a return-to-work playbook they can trust — one that will keep them safe and healthy now and well into the future. However, every office environment – and every group of employees – is unique. FMs play a critical role in the future of returning to work as they must adapt quickly to create a tailored solution that meets their evolving workspace needs and mitigates specific safety concerns in their facility.

Sensor technology is a much-needed extra set of eyes guiding the FM as they implements new policies to reassure occupants and their workforces that it is safe to return to work. These devices offer the best way to understand how the workforce will use the space in the months and years to come — and how the workplace will evolve, even post-pandemic. 

Data gathered from sensor technologies provides unbiased information about space utilization in real-time, enabling managers to define the new normal at their facility. From the moment office doors reopen, sensors provide FMs with actionable insights on how employees are interacting with their workspaces, removing the guesswork and creating a safer, more productive environment.

Sensor technology & the initial reopening  

In its "Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to COVID-19," the CDC recommends conducting "…a thorough hazard assessment to determine if workplace hazards are present, or are likely to be present." The guidance also recommends using the hierarchy of controls to limit the spread of the virus. However, to truly maintain a safe workspace, FMs must conduct regular assessments, especially as more employees and visitors enter the building over time.  

FMs must know if the people inside their workspaces are following density guidelines and physically distancing themselves. For example, are they sitting next to each other or leaving every other chair open in collaborative spaces? Are they keeping socially distanced when walking around the office, and is there sufficient traffic space to do so? Managers should also keep abreast of the temporary local laws and guidelines regarding building occupancy.

While FMs should certainly take on this additional responsibility during this time, it is important to remember that it is only one small part of their growing to-do list. Because they do not have time to physically monitor their occupants on a daily basis, sensor technologies provide a welcome and viable solution. By placing sensors on desks, in doorways and in specific rooms, they can review daily, comprehensive reports to identify which areas may need further modifications to ensure physical distancing requirements are being met. These reports also enable managers to address problems in real-time instead of waiting until a consistent problem arises, such as a consistently overcrowded conference room.

Equipped with accurate, relevant data, FMs can gain clarity to inform almost every decision around workplace design. Beyond physical distancing, sensors can inform the placement of items like sanitizing stations and informational health signs or help determine the best options for one-way traffic flows through hallways and staircases to minimize person-to-person contact.

How sensor technology data is helping the workplace evolve  

In addition to helping FMs navigate the initial phases of reopening, sensor technology also plays a role in establishing the future of the industry.

Adding to the pressure, occupants know more than they ever did about the way that germs spread. In addition to COVID-19, they are now more concerned about the flu, colds and other communicable diseases. Keeping buildings clean and disinfected will remain a top priority for maintaining safety and employee peace of mind, even in a post-COVID-19 world.

Sensor data also provides a better understanding of how occupants use the workspace each day. A manager may find that a particular meeting room is not used for weeks at a time, while another is occupied four or five times per week. From a health or financial standpoint, it does not make sense to waste time and resources deep cleaning both of those spaces at the end of each workday. Using this data FMs can direct their janitorial staff to focus on the areas that require the most attention. If shift-work is part of the return-to-work plan, they can also use the data to ensure that each workspace is sanitized between shifts.

Beyond workstations, high-touch areas such as light switches, doorknobs and faucets are a concern. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, COVID-19 can live on certain surfaces for up to 72 hours. Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine recommends following the CDC's guidelines, including regularly disinfecting these high-touch surfaces. In time, sensor data may indicate that these surfaces are touched so frequently that it makes sense to invest in smart technology like no-touch lights that turn on when a person enters a room.

Adapting to shifting employee schedules

For many businesses, a plan to return to the office as it existed before March 2020 is not a reality right now — and some changes will become permanent. In place of a full work week, employees may work in shifts or on a hybrid schedule that combines working from home and working from the office on certain days of the week. FMs must accommodate these schedules by being flexible and transparent about how they are managing risk for returning employees. Using sensor data reports, employees can book their preferred cubicles, desks, offices and meeting spaces while maintaining physical distance from other employees and minimizing person-to-person contact.

No one can predict the future. A year or two ago, this unprecedented level of disruption at work was unimaginable. But one thing is certain: many of these changes are here to stay. Office occupiers are already using sensor data to understand how the workforce interacts with their workspaces. Companies may forego collaborative room meetings in favor of virtual rooms or private offices. There may also be fewer people in the office at any given time, as many remote employees are more productive at home.

By using sensor data, FMs no longer need to rely on instinct when making big decisions about space utilization. Over time, reports will show managers the types of spaces a business still needs in order to operate successfully and which spaces are underutilized. This is beneficial for all parties involved, and it plays a key role to inform decisions about space optimization, lease renewal and maximizing the bottom line in the days to come. 

What data can do for FMs

When it comes to protecting the health and safety of occupants, data is king. Sensor data can provide a clear roadmap for FMs, whether deciding where to place a hand sanitizing station or determining how to incorporate more private offices into a defined workspace.

What if an occupant tests positive for COVID-19? What if they come down with symptoms while they are at work? Without sensors, FMs would have to shut down and disinfect the entire building, disrupting business operations for everyone involved. With sensors, the manager would know which desk the impacted individual sat on that day and focus disinfecting those areas that were impacted. Sensors provide visibility into who may have been exposed based on proximity. The data can be made available for other employees to use for contact tracing purposes.

Before sensor technology existed, FMs could only rely on their senses. This not only left room for error and inconsistency, but it took up valuable time. Sensor technology enables FMs to effortlessly monitor almost every inch of a building, flagging potential problems in a user-friendly format so they can devise solutions as quickly as possible and focus on the countless other tasks at hand.

Even when the pandemic eventually slows down, with sensors installed FMs will have the tools they need to evolve with the rest of the business world and effectively adapt to the future of the workplace.