While badge systems have traditionally served as the go-to technology for building access and basic occupancy tracking, they were not designed for the intricate task of measuring space utilization in real-time.
Many companies are questioning whether badge swipes can still meet their evolving needs or if it's time to turn to more specialized technologies like Density. Below we offer a comprehensive comparison of Density and badge systems, helping you decide whether to stick with the conventional method or make the shift to a more advanced, fit-for-purpose solution.
Key features overview
Density: Density sensors utilize advanced 3D sensing and machine learning algorithms to count people entering and exiting spaces. Not only does it give you an accurate count, but it also provides peak occupancy data, all while ensuring complete anonymity.
Badge Systems: These have been around for a while and are simple in concept. Employees swipe a badge or security pass at entry/access points, giving you a general idea of how many people have entered the building.
Comparison metrics
Pros and cons
Density:
- Pros: High accuracy, provides peak occupancy data as well as other key metrics including time used and space saturation, completely anonymous.
- Cons: Powered device (not battery-operated), deployed mainly at entryways, doesn't track identities.
Badge Systems:
- Pros: Cost-effective, simple to implement if an existing badge system is in place.
- Cons: Incomplete and possibly outdated data, not anonymous, no insights into space utilization beyond entry points.
Use case
One of our customers wondered, what is the more reliable method to measure occupancy and utilization: Badge data or Density?
So we conducted a comparison test. These were the results →
Takeaway
When it comes to delivering comprehensive, accurate, and real-time data on space utilization, Density clearly stands out. While Badge systems may have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, they fall short in providing the depth of data that a modern workspace requires for optimal efficiency.
FAQ: Density vs. badge swipes
1. How do Density and badge swipes collect data?
- Density: Utilizes 3D sensing and machine learning algorithms to count people entering and exiting spaces anonymously.
- Badge Swipes: Employees swipe a badge or key card at entry/access points to log their entry and, in some cases, exit.
2: What are the cost implications?
- Density: There is a hardware fee and an annual data fee, variable by volume.
- Badge Swipes: Less expensive but this comes at a cost — bare minimum feature and data set that is not a true depiction of how your spaces are used.
3: Is the data from Density and badge swipes accurate?
- Density: Provides highly accurate, real-time data.
- Badge Swipes: Accuracy can be compromised, especially if the system doesn't capture exits or if badges are shared or lost.
4: Are these methods scalable?
- Density: Highly scalable, can be deployed across multiple entry points, floors, or buildings.
- Badge Swipes: Scalable but may require additional hardware and administrative oversight for larger implementations.
5: What about employee anonymity?
- Density: Ensures 100% anonymity as no personally identifiable information is captured.
- Badge Swipes: Not anonymous, as the data is tied to individual employee badges.
6: How easy is it to analyze the data?
- Density: Offers a comprehensive software platform (Atlas) for easy data analysis.
- Badge Swipes: Basic systems provide rudimentary entry/exit logs that may require additional software and hours of manual analysis.
7: Can these methods adapt to real-time changes?
- Density: Yes, real-time data ensures the system is adaptable and agile.
- Badge Swipes: Typically lacks real-time adaptability.
