The Occupancy Intelligence Playbook: The Definitive Guide to Choosing the Right Solution

In this guide, we break down everything you need to know about choosing and implementing an effective occupancy intelligence system — from understanding sensor accuracy and privacy considerations to selecting the right technology for every space. You’ll learn how to turn raw occupancy data into actionable insights that cut costs, boost efficiency, and give you full control over your buildings.

Fit the Environment to People,  Not the Other Way Around 

If you’re managing a building without knowing who’s in it, you’re not in control, the building is. A real occupancy management system isn’t a gadget; it’s leverage. It shows you what’s really happening ,who’s there, where they go, how long they stay. With AI occupancy monitoring and space utilisation sensors, you stop wasting heat, power, and rent on empty rooms and ghost desks. You start seeing patterns,  dwell times, visitor flow, the heartbeat of your space. Whether it’s an HQ, a mall, or a transit hub, once you see how people move, you stop guessing. And that’s when you start managing. 

“Is There Any Sensor That’s Actually Accurate?” 

That question gets thrown around a lot, usually by people who just bought the wrong one.
The truth: accuracy isn’t one number; it’s two. 

1. Flow accuracy (entrance monitoring): measures how well a sensor counts people crossing a line. Miss 1 % out of 1,000 daily entries and you’re 10 off. In a 50-seat space, that’s 20 % error by day-end.
2. Counting accuracy (in-scene monitoring): how precisely a sensor sees people inside a zone at any given time. It depends on the field of view, range, and placement.
   

Even a LiDAR rated 99.9 % can drop to 80–90 % if mounted wrong or never calibrated. Accuracy lives or dies by installation. 

How to Plan Your Implementation (The Quick Voss Playbook) 

1. Map your building. Mark entrances, shared areas, meeting rooms, toilets, and cubicles.
2. Check your ceilings. Do you have PoE or power lines? That decides your sensor class.
3. Gauge privacy tolerance. Cameras near desks? Risky. In toilets or cubicles? Absolutely not.
4. Decide coverage. Sometimes monitoring entrances alone covers 90 % of the problem at 10 % of the cost.
5. Match sensor → zone → function using the guide below.
   
   

Sensor Quick Guide (No Nonsense) 

Rule of thumb: pay for 99 % accuracy where it earns you money (hot-desking, billing, safety); stick with 95 % where “presence” is enough (lighting, HVAC). 

Costs, Complexity & Common Sense 

Add-on costs:
• £0.40 – £0.70 per sq ft if new electrical or data wiring is required.
• £3 – £8 per device per month for cloud analytics and support. 

Most deployments hit payback in under 12 months, driven by sensor-enabled savings on energy, cleaning, and space optimisation. The math’s simple: waste less, wire smart, win fast. 

Don’t Fall for These Traps 

• “99 % accurate” means nothing until you know what it’s measuring. Ask if it’s flow or counting accuracy.
• No drift management? Then your numbers are lying before lunch.

• Privacy blind spot: any vendor who suggests a camera in a toilet, you walk. No debate.

• No integration plan = dead data. If it doesn’t talk to your smart BMS, CAFM, and show everything on a single pane of glass, you’re not buying a solution ,you’re buying chaos.

• No reporting, no AI, no future. If the system can’t deliver automated analytics and AI-driven insights, it’s already obsolete. You don’t have time to analyse raw data , that’s the software’s job.

• No SLA = no accountability. Without uptime, calibration, and support guarantees, you’re flying solo the moment it breaks.

The DIREK Edge 

At DIREK Ltd, we match sensors to strategy: 

• LiDAR for large-scale flow (airports, malls).
• mmWave for privacy-sensitive offices and restrooms.
  

• Stereo PIR for fast, battery-powered pilots.
  All streaming into D-XPERT, our AI occupancy management software that automates data analysis and generates expert-level insights. Think of it as a 24/7 digital space manager who never sleeps, never guesses, and always has your back.

Learn more → direk.io/dxpert 

Closing the Loop 

Occupancy monitoring isn’t about sensors; it’s about decisions. The right data cuts costs, improves wellbeing, and tells you what your buildings won’t say out loud.
You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and with AI for environmental monitoring, you’ll finally manage the occupancy with clarity, accuracy, and confidence. 

 Amir Taba, PhD (Positioning Systems)
Chief Executive Officer, DIREK Ltd
16 years of experience in AI for positioning systems, occupancy monitoring, and intelligent building management