Consolidate, Optimise, Save: Why Stack Planning is Essential for Smart Workplaces
- Tomas Collins
- Feb 1
- 3 min read
Stack Planning Helps Organisations Optimise the Workplace
In today’s workplace, organisations face increasing pressure to optimise space, reduce costs, and create environments that align with modern ways of working. Whether it’s right-sizing office footprints, consolidating underutilised areas, or reducing reliance on temporary structures like portacabins, businesses need a structured approach to workplace planning.
Stack Planning provides a way to visualise and reconfigure how space is used. Instead of making assumptions about workplace needs, organisations can use real occupancy data to make informed decisions.
What is Stack Planning?
Stack Planning is the process of reorganising space to improve efficiency. It allows businesses to:
Understand actual space usage – Where are people working? Which areas are consistently underutilised?
Identify consolidation opportunities – Can teams be moved to reduce the number of floors or buildings in use?
Support cost-saving decisions – Can office expansion be avoided by making better use of existing space?
By restructuring workplaces based on real-world usage patterns, businesses can create a more efficient, adaptable environment that reflects actual needs.
Why Data is Essential
In the past, workplace planning relied on estimates and assumptions. Teams were assigned areas based on headcounts, but hybrid working patterns and changing office behaviours mean these assumptions are often outdated.
With IoT occupancy data, organisations can take a measured, evidence-based approach.
Data from desk and room sensors can reveal:
Which areas are truly in demand
Which spaces are underutilised
How teams are using different areas over time
This enables decision-makers to adjust layouts, relocate teams, or even remove unnecessary space from their portfolio.
The Principles of Stacking
Stack Planning isn’t just about freeing up desks; it’s about maximising efficiency at scale.
This could involve:
Reallocating teams – Moving people into better-used spaces to avoid empty areas.
Reducing floors or buildings in use – Consolidating into fewer, better-utilised areas.
Eliminating temporary structures – Ensuring space is used effectively before adding additional real estate.
For example, if a business has three floors operating at 50% capacity, Stack Planning can help determine whether two floors are sufficient. If portacabins are being used as overflow space, but occupancy data suggests there is room elsewhere, these can be phased out.
Applying Stack Planning to Portacabin Reduction
Temporary office spaces like portacabins often start as a short-term fix but become a long-term cost. Stack Planning can highlight when and how they can be removed without impacting operations.
By using occupancy data to track real usage patterns, organisations can:
Determine if portacabins are necessary or if teams could be moved into the main building.
Redistribute teams effectively to ensure every available space is used efficiently.
Reduce costs associated with temporary structures, such as rental fees, maintenance, and utilities.
This is particularly relevant in manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and industrial sites, where portacabins are frequently used to accommodate fluctuating office demands.
Strategic Workplace Planning for the Future
Stack Planning is not about cutting space for the sake of it. It is about ensuring workplaces are:
Fit for purpose – designed around how people actually work.
Efficient – making the best use of available space before investing in expansion.
Cost-effective – eliminating unnecessary spending on underused areas.
By combining occupancy data with strategic planning, organisations can take control of their workplace footprint, ensuring space is used effectively and efficiently.
Would Stack Planning help your organisation? Get in touch to explore how occupancy data can support smarter workplace decisions.
At REDZone, we leverage occupancy data and IoT sensor insights to help organizations reconfigure their workspaces for maximum efficiency, cost avoidance, and strategic consolidation.
If you're interested in unlocking hidden capacity, consolidating workspaces, and saving costs, get in touch with REDZone today.
📩 Contact us for a free assessment of how Stack Planning could benefit your organization.
📧 info@redzone.ie | 📞 +353 1 963 0963 | 🌐 www.redzone.ie
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