Workplace leaders are under growing pressure to get more from their space. Rising costs, evolving hybrid policies, and shifting team dynamics have made space planning more complex, and more business-critical, than ever.
Key takeaways
- Effective space planning requires understanding utilization: Optimizing space utilization is crucial as businesses plan to increase in-office days. Traditional metrics like space density have dropped significantly, while employee satisfaction has become more important.
- Data-driven decision making is essential: Eptura’s space planning software turns floor plans into actionable data sources, enabling organizations to make informed decisions. By incorporating real-time data, workspace planning tools help benchmark current layouts and forecast the impact of changes.
- Space planning software streamlines stakeholder buy-in and implementation: The platform facilitates stakeholder input and comparison of scenarios, speeding up decision cycles. The software also enables space planners to manage and execute changes, including assigning seating and tracking progress, all from the same environment.
With 34% of businesses planning to increase in-office days this year, optimizing space utilization while improving the employee experience has become a top priority. Yet, many facility teams still rely on static floor plans, legacy tools, or siloed spreadsheets. Others may not have any planning tools at all. Without a centralized view of space usage and the flexibility to model changes before making them, it becomes nearly impossible to answer questions like:
- Are we using our space efficiently, and how much space do we need?
- What’s the right seating ratio to support our hybrid work policy?
- What happens if we reconfigure a department or add more hoteling desks?
- How do we plan for growth or contraction without disrupting the day-to-day?
These aren’t theoretical concerns. According to CBRE’s 2024–2025 Global Workplace & Occupancy Insights, traditional metrics like space density have dropped by 67% in the past four years, while employee satisfaction has surged by 75% in importance.
How Eptura helps organizations design smarter workspaces
Leaders aren’t just being asked to save square footage — they’re expected to create environments that are flexible, engaging, and effective, often with the same or fewer resources.
The hybrid model adds even more complexity. With 92% of companies now operating in a hybrid model, space planners must account for fluctuating occupancy, collaborative hubs, and dynamic seating assignments. And although some organizations plan to reduce office square footage in 2025, 77% are investing in technologies like digital maps, wayfinding tools, and occupancy sensors to get more value from the space they keep.
In short: space isn’t necessarily expanding, but expectations are.
Visualize new layouts before making any changes
Instead of relying on printed plans or disconnected tools, you can use space planning software to explore layout changes virtually. Shift workstations, redesign team zones, or test out a new meeting room strategy, all within a live planning environment. Space planning tools are typically visual and interactive, so you can test multiple floor plan scenarios to get a clearer sense of how a layout will function before you implement changes.
In a recent discussion about modern workplace needs, a leader from Cushman and Wakefield — one of Eptura’s 2024 Partners of the Year — put it simply, “The floor plan within a lot of the tools that Eptura provides is the core data set. Without that floor plan, the data is kind of floating. It doesn’t have a home.”
Eptura helps ground your planning efforts by turning floor plans into actionable data sources.
Ground layout decisions in real data
The floor plan isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about how people use the space. By incorporating real-time data on occupancy, utilization rates, and work point ratios, workspace planning tools help you understand what’s working, what isn’t, and where you can improve.
You can benchmark current layouts, test different configurations, and forecast how a change will impact operations before you commit to it, which is especially valuable for teams managing space across regions or shifting to more flexible seating models.
“Data is the core by which all real estate decisions are made, and it allows for the big ideas to become real,” said Cushman & Wakefield.
Workplace strategists, facility managers, and portfolio planners can gain a deeper understanding of utilization over time to inform long-term decisions about real estate needs.
Gain stakeholder buy-in for portfolio changes
Space changes impact a wide range of stakeholders. With space planning software like Eptura, it’s easier to get everyone on the same page. Stakeholders can review mockups, provide input directly on the platform, and compare scenarios and context. This cuts down on miscommunication and speeds up decision cycles.
With interactive floor plans and visual block and stack capabilities, you can inform scenario planning with historical usage data, determine if you can consolidate space, and identify the return period on implementing layout changes to gain buy-in from C-suite decision makers.
“Our clients are looking for technology that’s modern, scalable, and allows for interaction for super-users and end-users alike,” Cushman & Wakefield noted.
That flexibility of supporting everyone from space planners to department heads to individual employees helps support the business case for floor plan or portfolio changes and smooths the way for related change management.
Plan and implement floor plan changes in one place
Strategic space planning is only the first step. Enterprise space management software like Eptura also helps space planners manage and execute changes. Whether you’re consolidating space, onboarding a new team, or planning a full move, the platform gives you the tools to map transitions, coordinate tasks, and keep everyone informed.
You can assign seating, manage move tickets, communicate changes with impacted staff, and track progress all from the same environment you use to plan. That continuity helps reduce errors and ensure smoother transitions, especially in larger or distributed organizations.
Optimize space by understanding utilization
Manual space planning in spreadsheets or static floor plans can cause delays, inaccurate usage assumptions, and missed opportunities. For example, one global biotech manufacturer shared, “One of the biggest things right now is for the first time we’re recording accurate information about our workspaces and sites since introducing the Eptura platform to our organization. We’ve been able to see data that goes against what our original assumptions were about various sites; it’s helped tremendously with helping us make plans and decisions.”
When you combine a clear visual foundation with actionable data and flexible tools, space planning becomes a strategic advantage.
To learn more about workspace planning tools, explore Eptura Workplace.
Frequently asked questions
By Erin Sevitz
Erin has 15 years of experience, including 10 years in thought leadership on workplace management and the built environment. In her current role she oversees teams responsible for worktech insights and engaging Eptura’s 16,000 customers worldwide. Previously she led communications for the International Facility Management Association, a global industry nonprofit dedicated to professional development for workplace strategists, building managers, and corporate real estate.
