Imagine spending months monitoring your estate, only to discover the data you’ve collected isn’t accurate or too poor quality to make informed estate decisions.
This is a challenge over 55% of NHS estate leaders face*. Monitoring space usage is only useful if you have stakeholder buy in, the insights you gather are analysed effectively, and can be used to drive meaningful action.
In my previous blog, I introduced what utilisation monitoring is and why it matters, and our NHS Open Space Business Management Partner, Rajiv Tyagi, shared his expertise on the best and worst methods of collecting utilisation data.
Building on that, in this blog, I’ll share the dos and don’ts of utilisation monitoring. So you can avoid common mistakes and get the most value from monitoring your estate.
Don't
- Don’t start without clear objectives
Not being clear on the problem you’re trying to solve could mean you collect the wrong data and are unable to achieve your goals.
From the very beginning, it’s important to be clear about the questions or challenges you’re addressing, and the outcomes you want to achieve. For example, are you looking to reduce costs or support service relocation?
This will help you to decide on the right solution (timebound vs ongoing monitoring), what type of sensors to use, and the type of property and tenant information you need to gather. - Don’t wait until the last moment to engage stakeholders
68% of estate leaders say occupier resistance is one of the biggest barriers to optimising their estate*. That’s why it’s so important to get onsite teams and stakeholders on board from the beginning.
Clearly explain to them the benefits of undertaking utilisation monitoring to get ahead of any concerns, manage expectations and gather their support.
Doing this and keeping them updated throughout the monitoring process, and on the findings, will build trust and make them more receptive towards actions you decide to take based on the study.
Do
- Choose the right utilisation monitoring method
Decide whether a one-time, timebound study will give you the insights you need, or if ongoing monitoring is more appropriate for your objectives.
A timebound study will help you answer a specific question and make decisions based on a snapshot of how spaces are used over a period. Ensure the study is long enough to mitigate for seasonal fluctuations.
Ongoing monitoring is the continuous monitoring of a space. It can help you gain regular, up-to-date insights, spot issues and opportunities early and keep sight of your estate’s performance to make informed decisions over the long term.
Learn more about when to use timebound and ongoing monitoring here. - Do combine different data points together
When setting up utilisation monitoring, agree the data you wish to collect and the benefits of doing so. The amount, quality, and accuracy of the data you gather will directly impact your analysis. And the better the analysis, the easier it will be to find genuine space optimisation solutions that drive value.
While we’ve seen studies that just collect data on whether a room is being used, you’ll get much deeper insights if you overlay this with property and user data, as mentioned in my previous blog.
Data you should collect can include space type (clinical/non-clinical), room type, tenants and tenant type. By using dashboards, you can bring different data points together and spot property and customer trends that can drive space optimisation. - Do ask for help when needed
Utilisation monitoring can be complex, but you don’t have to do it alone. Our NHS Open Space team have a proven track record of using utilisation studies to optimise the NHS estate.
Our end-to-end service means we can work with you every step of the way. Whether you need help monitoring your space, making sense of your data, or implementing changes.
Contact our team of experts for a bespoke solution tailored to your objectives.
Learn more about estate optimisation
Find out how your estate is really being used with utilisation monitoring.
*That’s what we learnt from our Space Optimisation Survey Feb-March 2025 from 21 leaders from across the NHS.
