How many people move in and out of your building each and every day, month and year? Your business will make important decisions with great financial and future impact based on these calculations. Do you have precise data to take into account when you make these decisions?
Occupant detection and control layers that have been integrated into your overall system design can provide you with this valuable information and help you control who’s within your premises.
With occupant detection and control systems, building management has an enhanced ability to monitor movement and population in real-time, virtually. Understanding occupancy levels allows management to more appropriately allocate resources and give occupants a better experience, whether for work, education, healing, entertainment or other vertical-specific reason for entering.
As you’ll see, several “hidden benefits” start to emerge when these valuable insights are gathered and analyzed, providing you with an ROI that pays for itself.
For many years, the retail industry was a primary vertical that placed a great deal of emphasis on the benefits of measuring “footfall” to monitor and exploit buyer behavior. But with the changing use of workspace due to COVID, the increase of remote work and social distancing guidelines, more aspects of occupancy measurement and control are spreading into other applications with the same type of benefits getting realized.
With an enriched sense of responsibility, corporations have a renewed interest in reducing their carbon footprint. Measuring and controlling building populations is one way to work towards achieving this goal of achieving sustainable building resource management.
Across the midwest, particularly in Wisconsin, ATS Security has developed an intimate familiarity with vertical-specific occupant load requirements and we’re ready to help you understand and implement these practices into a well-designed, comprehensive system.
How Occupant Measurement & Control Will Benefit Your Business
Real Estate Costs Can Be Decreased
Whether your organization is owning or leasing its space, historic occupancy data can be used to fully understand space utilization, to optimize and improve for highest and best use, including the number of employees in each space and also to review physical workflow and layout to accommodate new roles and other productivity adjustments.
Security is Increased
Occupancy measurement integrates with your other security layers such as video surveillance and access control. This layering provides additional protection against unauthorized access via anti-tailgating protocols, further ensuring authorized-only occupancy, or that occupants have paid an entrance fee, or haven’t unlawfully entered through an exit or in the wrong direction.
Safety is Increased
Occupancy limits for fire and safety regulations are easier to comply with, giving an accurate headcount of how many people are in or out of buildings, by room, and advise when it’s safe to enter or not, without the need for additional labor costs. In the unfortunate event of an emergency, when spaces need to be emptied fast, first responders can better understand potential evacuation scenarios prior to execution.
Reduced Labor Costs
Business models that operate on a staff number per occupant level, such as security guard companies, can adjust these ratios more precisely. Other applications may be ushers in high occupancy entertainment venues, housekeeping personnel and numerous positions in retail.
Flexibility
Specific use areas such as concert halls, auditoriums and entertainment venues can quickly customize available space, making adjustments accordingly to rapidly fluctuating needs.
Optimize Scheduling
Cleaning, sanitation and housekeeping schedules for laboratory space, commercial kitchens, hotels, high occupant building restrooms, gyms or other athletic spaces can plan schedules that result in a higher level of efficiency and reduced cost.
Improved Experience
With reduced wait times, cleaner, safer, more secure indoor spaces that aren’t crowded, staff and guest occupants will have a better experience.
Consider a Change
When your organization begins considering a change, either to renovate, expand, improve or enhance workflow and workspaces that are fact-based, consider integrating occupant measuring and control devices as a layer of your security and life safety system. You’ll understand exactly how occupants use your building including environmental strategies to save energy consumption on HVAC and lighting.
ATS, The Security Professionals
ATS has been serving nationwide clients from Milwaukee, Wisconsin since 1984. A UL-listed central monitoring station and Honeywell Platinum certified, ATS remains one of the largest, most experienced security integrators designing, installing and maintaining whole systems. In addition to Fire and Life safety system, ATS also offers PA and Medical Alert Systems (PERS), Environmental Monitoring, Nurse Call, Real-Time Location and Wander Management and more!
