One-third (33%) of estate leaders admit to having ‘limited or little understanding of how our space is being used; we can’t measure it and seldom make changes to space allocation’*
This gap in knowledge means empty rooms and unused clinics could easily go unnoticed – quietly adding to your costs.
But what if you could know exactly how your space is being used – which rooms are stretched to the limit, and which are sitting idle? That’s what utilisation monitoring makes possible. It gives you the data and intelligence to minimise costs, create value and optimise your estate.
So, what exactly is utilisation monitoring?
In simple terms, utilisation monitoring can help you track how your estate is actually used. Day-by-day, hour-by-hour, so you have the facts you need to make informed decisions.
You can monitor a desk, room, building, or an entire estate to identify opportunities for improving estate usage, operational efficiencies, and reducing costs.
Successful monitoring and optimisation of your space relies on both the quality and type of data you collect, and the analysis you conduct. Combining utilisation, property and tenant information provides you with a rich variety of data to inform you of trends and optimisation opportunities.
But knowing what type of monitoring to use - and when- is important for getting the full picture of your estate.
Timebound monitoring
Timebound monitoring enables you to collect utilisation data over a set period of time to identify any patterns in how a space is being used.
It can help you answer specific tactical or strategic questions. For example, you might track how three local buildings are used to see if their services can be delivered more efficiently from a smaller footprint.
I recommend tracking for at least 3 months to spot meaningful patterns. But if time allows, go longer. 6-12 months will give you a richer, more authentic picture, capturing any seasonal changes and fluctuations in how spaces are used.
We’ve found timebound monitoring to be great for unlocking value. For example, we helped a GP relocate to a medical centre with available capacity. Having this data and conducting a thorough analysis, helped save on a £1.5 million extension. In another study, we relocated multiple services into a single property, saving annual costs of c£400k and enabling the disposal of unwanted premises.
Ongoing monitoring
Ongoing monitoring means continuously tracking how your core estate spaces are used to improve performance over time. By having up-to-date insights on space usage, you can spot issues and opportunities early and make data-driven decisions day after day.
Since 2019, we’ve applied ongoing monitoring to over 1,300 bookable rooms, collecting and analysing room motion sensor data and overlaying it with customer, booking, property, and financial data.
By combining flexible space and detailed data insights, you can increase space usage, expand local services and also shape strategic plans based on current trends. So far, using this approach, we’ve improved utilisation rates by over 100% and delivered a benefit of £38.5 million to ICBs.
I think ongoing monitoring is crucial to keep sight of your estate’s performance and influence decisions that will shape the future of your estate.
Next steps
It's also important to pick the right data collection method for your utilisation data. From using movement sensors to doing physical walkarounds, there’s many ways to monitor utilisation of your spaces. Keep an eye out for Part 2 in this blog series, where Rajiv Tyagi, Open Space Business Management Partner, will dive into the pros and cons of different monitoring techniques to help you make the best choice.
In Part 3 – the final blog in this series about utilisation monitoring - I will explain how to analyse your results and engage key stakeholders, among other insights and tips on how to succeed.
Looking for more tips?
For a deeper dive, download our NHS Estate Optimisation Guide – your toolkit for making the most of your estate.
Written by our estate experts, this guide is packed with actionable tips, practical tools and real-world examples to help you better understand and optimise your estate.
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*That’s what we learnt from our Space Optimisation Survey Feb-March 2025 from 21 leaders from across the NHS.
