For many leaders, the question isn’t just how to get employees back into the office, it’s why they would want to come back in the first place. The reality is that desks alone don’t earn the commute. Employees crave collaboration, connection and purpose.

But too often, organisations rely on assumption rather than evidence. They redesign workspaces based on trends or gut feel, only to discover that the expensive new lounge is empty, while the small huddle spaces are overcrowded. What’s missing is data, the kind that reveals how people actually use the workplace, not how leaders imagine they use it.

According to Ricoh’s research, 44% of organisations are reassessing their physical workspaces to ensure they support new ways of working. Yet many lack visibility into how those spaces truly perform. That’s where workplace analytics and technology come in, turning real-time data into insights leaders can act on.

The result? Smarter, secure, people-centric workplaces that energise teams, build culture and make the office worth the trip. 

How can workplaces earn the commute?

The in-office five-day work week is over. Hybrid work is the new standard and employees expect workplaces designed around their wellbeing and meaningful connection with colleagues.

Those reasons are rooted in:

• Collaboration: The chance to brainstorm, problem-solve and innovate in person
• Connection: Informal conversations that spark ideas and strengthen culture
• Purpose: A sense that the workplace exists to support, not hinder, their best and most productive work

If the workplace doesn’t deliver on these expectations, employees prefer to work from the comfort of home.

How can workplace analytics turn assumptions into insight?

Without data, leaders are left guessing: Are teams using meeting rooms as intended? Do employees have enough spaces to focus, or are they fighting for quiet corners?

Workplace technology paired with workplace analytics uncovers the hidden patterns that really make spaces work. Key areas of insight include:

• Space and occupancy: Identify which areas foster collaboration, are underused or at risk of overcrowding 
• Collaboration and behaviour: Understand how teams interact with different spaces and design more effective meeting rooms and workplaces 
• Employee sentiment and wellbeing: Gain insights about comfort, productivity and well-being from environmental sensor data 
• Energy and sustainability: Discover opportunities to optimise resources and track power consumption across spaces and devices
• Technology and assets: See how tools and equipment are used, improving accessibility and efficiency
• Safety and security: Ensure spaces meet compliance standards while building trust that workplaces are safe and secure 

These insights empower organisations to make smarter workplace design decisions, support hybrid work and create safe environments employees want to return to. 

When paired with tools like a workplace experience platform, those insights don’t sit in a report, they translate directly into action. For example, in a workplace experience platform, leaders can automatically adjust desk availability, adapt cleaning schedules or temperature, or redesign underused zones based on real usage patterns.

Can workplace analytics help maximise workplace ROI?

Workplace ROI is usually understood as the value organisations get from their office space, technology and other workplace investments. But the full return also comes from the impact on people: employee wellbeing, productivity, engagement and culture.

Maximising ROI is about cost savings and real estate optimisation, but it’s also about balancing efficiency with creating spaces that help people do their best work.

Even though workplace data cannot directly measure productivity or wellbeing, it paints a clear picture of how people interact with the workplace, revealing opportunities to improve experiences, strengthen culture and maximise the broader ROI of your investments.