Canonical URL: https://density.io/resources/open-area-office-utilization

# Which sensor system should you use to understand open office areas?

[Density Open Area](https://density.io/open-area) measures occupancy within larger office areas. Measuring desk neighborhoods and collaboration spaces separately helps a workplace team see where people spend time and which areas warrant a layout change.

Start with the decision inside the floor, rather than the number of people who entered the building. A busy office can contain both crowded collaboration areas and desks that rarely serve their intended purpose.

## Match the measurement to the workplace question

Density's [workplace sensor guidance](https://support.density.io/hc/en-us/articles/37761559048987-Waffle-in-the-Workplace) distinguishes three useful measurement choices.

### Open Area for people counts within a space

Choose Open Area when you need the headcount within an area. It helps frame questions about how demand is distributed across the places people work, rather than treating the entire floor as one number.

### Entry for entrances, exits and building demand

[Density Entry](https://density.io/entry) measures doorway crossings that contribute to occupancy. Use it when arrivals, departures and building or floor-level demand are the relevant questions. An entrance count alone does not explain which desk neighborhood people use afterward.

### Waffle for small spaces and individual versus group use

[Density Waffle](https://density.io/waffle) reports zero, one, two, or three-plus people. Those categories support decisions about phone booths, small meeting rooms and whether a space serves an individual or a group.

A workplace can need more than one of these signals. Choose the output for each decision, then design the measurement plan with Density.

## Begin with a decision you can test

Consider this hypothetical planning example. A workplace team is deciding whether to convert part of a desk neighborhood into collaboration space. Employees report difficulty finding somewhere to meet, while the floor's overall attendance appears modest.

Measure the desk neighborhood and existing collaboration areas as separate spaces. Compare their patterns during the same working hours, including busy periods. Ask whether the proposed change would address a recurring mismatch between the available space and the way teams actually work.

If you test a layout change, keep the before-and-after boundaries, capacity assumptions and reporting periods clear. Review the observed use alongside employee feedback before extending the change to another floor.

Density's [published workplace examples](https://density.io/resources/space-utilization) describe a customer reallocating existing space after examining how rooms were used. The lesson is practical: inspect the pattern inside the office before assuming the answer is more square footage.

## Prepare a coverage review with Density

Bring a current floor plan and the decisions you want it to support. Prepare these details for the deployment discussion:

- Mark the areas you want to compare and state each area's purpose.
- Record the capacity assumptions you will use when interpreting counts.
- Identify ceiling conditions, furniture and other features relevant to placement.
- Confirm the applicable Open Area model, mounting, coverage, power and network requirements with Density.
- Agree how layout changes will be reflected in the measured spaces.

A sensor count should follow the reviewed coverage design. An advertised maximum area is not a substitute for that plan.

## Compare periods with valid measurement

Confirm when each area is ready for reporting. Density's [Atlas heatmap guidance](https://support.density.io/hc/en-us/articles/17230241385115-Atlas-Why-does-my-heatmap-not-show-up) notes that Open Area heatmaps begin after commissioning. Keep that start point in mind when comparing spaces or time periods.

Document the coverage and reporting window beside the result. Your team can then connect the observed pattern to a specific workplace investment.

[Book a demo](https://demo.density.io) or email [sales@density.io](mailto:sales@density.io) to plan Open Area measurement around your office decisions.