If you’re looking after facilities in 2025, you’re not just managing square footage—you’re shaping the systems that power the workplace. With the move back to the office, businesses are re-evaluating how their spaces operate, not just how they look. Done right, smarter space planning can improve the in-office experience while also driving operational efficiency and savings.
I lead workplace operations at Density, a workplace analytics company. We help other companies understand how their offices are—and aren’t—used through sensors and software. As you can imagine, that means the bar for a great workplace experience is pretty high at our own offices.
I know firsthand that facility teams bring strong operational instincts to bear every day. But too often, they’re asked to invest in and iterate on a workplace without the modern tools and data they deserve.
Leaders now have a huge opportunity to move from reactive operations and space management to proactive, insight-driven operations. That starts with treating data not as a lagging indicator of performance, but as a compass for where to head next.
Use Utilization Data to Boost Sustainability and Reduce Waste
To plan with confidence, you need data that tells you how your space is truly being used—room by room, floor by floor.
Knowing when and how spaces are used enables you to make smarter decisions to reduce unnecessary energy use and resource consumption. Should you renew that lease? Reconfigure a floor? Adjust cleaning or HVAC schedules? Rethink how you stock and service amenities?
Data provides the signal so you can listen and respond accordingly. For example, our recent research found that collaboration time surged 40% in companies’ first week back in the office after implementing a new return-to-office (RTO) policy. Though that bump ultimately stabilized at 32% higher than pre-RTO levels, it shows a need for more collaboration zones, better scheduling, and more efficient use of existing resources in the workplace.
Design Workspaces Around Real Behaviors
Workplace performance hinges on designing for how people actually use space, not how we hope they will.
In our own San Francisco HQ, we noticed that 40% of our two-person meeting rooms were being used solo. That insight led us to add more phone booths and single occupancy spaces for solo work. Since we made this change, those two-person rooms are being used by duos as was intended.
Many facilities teams are taking a similar approach: pairing utilization data with employee feedback to update spaces based on real demand. When workplace designs align with actual work patterns, organizations see gains in efficiency, engagement, and employee productivity.
Optimize Operational Spending with Behavioral Insights
Knowing your traffic patterns allows you to optimize everything from staffing to supplies. Cleaning teams can be staffed around peak usage times. Amenities can be sized and serviced according to team needs.
In our research report “The Office, Unpacked,” we found that Tuesday is the most popular in-office day across the millions of square feet in the Density network, with 53% peak floor utilization. Mondays and Fridays, on the other hand, are stuck in work-from-home (WFH) mode.
But not every office is created equal. Density’s own pattern is different. Our own RTO policy has employees in-office on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. We see a strong start to the week in terms of attendance on Monday and a similar close on Friday. Even working with recent and relevant data like a research report could not have pointed that out.
It’s important to measure the trends that shape your in-office experience so you can be ready to accommodate your specific schedule.
Design Experiences, Not Just Spaces
Facilities teams are the frontline of the workplace. No one knows better or in more depth how an office is actually getting used. Are you contributing that insight to shape environments that people want to be in?
Rethinking office space isn’t just about saving money (though that’s certainly a part of it). It’s about making space a driver of culture, productivity, and connection. So, what kind of space are you building? One that keeps the lights on, or one that lights people up?
Alexis Linton is the workplace experience and operations manager at Density, where she works hand in hand with the company’s facility teams and provides insights for leaders on operations and office design.