Space Productivity Metrics Toolkit
Three tools for improving the productivity of offices, research labs, and classrooms
Poor space usage is a persistent challenge for higher education institutions, with leaders reporting office utilization rates of less than 20%, for example. Unused space is costly, as utilities, maintenance, and operations represent 35-40% of a building’s lifetime expenses, and institutions must cover these costs even as space remains underused.
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Inefficient space utilization can lead to unnecessary new construction costs. One university estimated that redeploying just 2% of its 7.5 million square feet would avoid $45 million in construction costs.
To realize cost savings and better steward physical assets, colleges and universities must set clear, actionable goals to improve space productivity. Prioritizing metric management improves chances of meeting space productivity goals, as research shows that organizations with mature metric management are four times more likely to achieve their objectives. This toolkit supports leaders in optimizing campus space utilization with guidance on:
- Selecting relevant metrics
- Gathering necessary data
- Displaying data in an impactful way
Follow these three steps to master space productivity management at your institution. Explore the steps below, or download the full toolkit.
Step one: Identify key stakeholder roles
Effective space productivity tracking requires buy-in from senior leaders across the institution. Each stakeholder plays a vital role in essential tasks: building and maintaining metric tracking infrastructure, communicating initiatives to staff and faculty, and making strategic decisions based on space productivity trends. This section clearly defines how key stakeholders contribute to metric tracking and implementation.
Step two: Identify high-impact metrics tailored to institutional priorities
EAB’s three-filter process offers a tailored approach to selecting the most impactful metrics for each institution. The first filter serves as a reality check, rigorously evaluating metrics based on their accessibility, reliability, and communicability. Next, the process ensures that selected metrics align with strategic priorities and support overarching goals. Finally, the third filter encourages tracking diverse types of metrics to provide a comprehensive view of productivity.
Use the links below to download fillable versions of the tools in the filtering process:
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Initiate tracking with metric lists and quick-start guides
Consult EAB’s comprehensive list of over 60 productivity metrics to guide productivity tracking across offices, labs, and classrooms. Institutions can either use the full metric list with the filtering process or use EAB’s curated list of bolded metrics for an immediate starting point.
Step three: Use best practices to display data
Presenting space productivity data in an accessible and meaningful format provides clarity for multiple stakeholders, and a well-designed space dashboard offers an effective way to track this data. This section outlines strategies for maximizing the dashboard’s value, ensuring it delivers essential insights.
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