March 7, 2016 by Jodi Williams

Walk a Mile in Their Shoes: The Art and Science of Observation Studies

As workplace strategy continues to rise in popularity in the real estate world, clients and designers are placing increased importance on the type of data collected and the value it can unlock for an organization. When developing a workplace strategy, companies recognize the value of visioning, surveys, focus groups and other forms of data collection, but often struggle to determine what kind of utilization study best addresses their unique needs.

Not all utilization studies are created equal; there is a wide range of costs and benefits attached to each type, and it’s important to understand the difference between studies in order to decide when, why or what type of study to undertake. We have helped a number of our clients unlock these mysteries, and presented our best advice to attendees of IFMA World Workplace and NeoCon East.

During this presentation, we debuted the Utilization Study Pain vs. Gain Matrix. The “Pain” axis addresses the level of difficulty in implementation in terms of time, cost, disruption to employees, and whether or not a consultant must be hired. The “Gain” axis addresses how much information is gathered in relation to occupancy, utilization, activity/work patterns, and collaboration.

The Pain vs. Gain Matrix was developed to compare various types of utilization studies in the following categories:

Human Observation: time-utilization, walk-throughs/bed checks, ethnographic/anthropological studies, and job shadowing
Remote Data Collection: IT logon studies and badge/key swipe analysis
Electronic Data Collection: sensor systems, video/photographic studies, and wearable studies

Of course, the pain and the gain vary tremendously based on the individual project; time and budget constraints, staff and consultant capability and availability, and various decisions made around the study parameters make each case unique.

For more details and for help determining your organization’s potential pain and gain, click here to download a copy of the presentation.

CallisonRTKL provides strategic consulting services to help clients translate an intangible corporate mission, culture and brand into a tangible, built environment. At our foundation, CallisonRTKL’s culture fosters collaboration across markets, services and geographies. We bring dynamic and accomplished in-house professionals to the table including workplace strategists, social scientists, change managers, branding specialists, communication experts, planners, architects and graphic designers. Our process ensures that clients benefit from this shared thinking.

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Jodi Williams

Jodi Williams brings nearly 15 years of experience in workplace strategy, facility planning, and change management. She leads strategic planning efforts for public and private sector clients, and has been a featured speaker at industry events such as IFMA World Workplace, Greenbuild, and NeoConEast.