For decades, the Facilities Manager (FM) was largely invisible to the C-suite...until something broke. Today, with corporate real estate among the largest expenses on the balance sheet, the C-suite is no longer satisfied with "gut-feel" observations about office attendance. They demand hard data, predictive strategy, and measurable ROI.
To survive, traditional operators are evolving into a new, highly strategic role: the Facilities Management Analyst. For leaders evaluating their workplace management strategy, mastering workplace utilization data is critical to defending budgets and optimizing the employee experience.
This shift is the focus of a new 2026 report from Skedda, "The Era of the FM Analyst." The space management vendor compiled this guide to help facilities leaders transition from reactive maintenance to proactive strategists. As Matt Tucker, Director of Research at IFMA, notes in the report:
"We have an abundance of data – the challenge is sifting through it and telling the right story."
Read More
- How to Connect Workplace Data Sources That Were Never Designed to Work Together
- Are You Cutting Office Costs While Quietly Increasing Productivity Loss?
- The Pendulum Swings Back: Companies Are Correcting Their Office Downsizing "Overshoot"
Defining the Facilities Management Analyst
A Facilities Management Analyst bridges physical space operations and data science. Rather than just managing vendor contracts, they synthesize data streams to understand exactly how, when, and why employees use the office.
This shifts a workplace management strategy from reactive maintenance to predictive planning. They don't just report 40% capacity; they determine if that 40% was in collaborative spaces or isolated desks, translating physical utilization into financial ROI. As Larry Charlip, Director of Real Estate at Roku, advises in the report:
"Tie your insights back to what executives understand - the bottom line, the P&L, price per share."
Beyond the Badge Swipe: The 6 Essential Data Streams
Historically, organizations relied on badge swipes to measure attendance. But a badge swipe only tells you if someone entered, not their behavior. To build a comprehensive narrative, the analyst must integrate six streams of workplace utilization data:
| Data Stream | Strategic Purpose |
|---|---|
| Badge & Access Control | The baseline metric for daily headcount and building entry, though it lacks granular detail on space utilization. |
| Workspace Booking Software | Intent-based data showing exactly what types of spaces (desks, meeting rooms) employees plan to use. |
| Occupancy Sensors | Real-time data on actual utilization, crucial for identifying "ghost bookings" where spaces are reserved but empty. |
| Building Systems (HVAC/Lighting) | Correlates occupancy with environmental systems to power down unused zones and reduce energy costs. |
| Wi-Fi & Network Logs | Tracks how employees flow through the office, identifying high-traffic areas and dwell times. |
| Employee Surveys | The qualitative context that explains the why behind the quantitative data, revealing friction points. |
Follow UC Today on LinkedIn for the latest insights on workplace management, hybrid work strategy, and enterprise real estate.
Proving ROI: How Analysts Redefine the Workspace
The true value of a Facilities Management Analyst emerges when data solves real-world bottlenecks. The Skedda report highlighted a number of use cases where this form of FM data analysis had a measurable impact.
When Lighthouse Credit Union consolidated headquarters, legacy 1:1 desk assignments led to empty seats and wasted IT equipment. By analyzing workforce patterns and implementing booking software, they shifted to flexible hoteling. Sean LaBrie, VP of IT Infrastructure at Lighthouse, noted:
"We saved $10K+ worth of equipment by not having to provision all these extra desks"
Similarly, at the Woolcock Institute, leaders needed to know if their high-value clinical spaces were being maximized. By analyzing booking and occupancy data, they discovered that consultation rooms were sitting empty half the time. As Frances Wilson, Information & Governance Manager, explained in the report:
"We can show that certain rooms are only 50% booked and increase our revenue by optimizing our bookings"
In both cases, the solution wasn't expanding the real estate footprint; it was making the existing space visible, reliable, and data-driven. From there, organizations could maximize their business operations while alleviating employee frustrations.
