Beyond headcounts: Real use cases from Waffle’s first fans

In the corridors of corporate America, a revolution is brewing—and it's about the size of a hockey puck. Waffle, our newest occupancy sensor, is quietly turning workplace analytics from a months-long infrastructure build into a three-minute stick-and-click affair. 

While many space measurement systems require professional installers, cable runs and the kind of budget meetings that make CFOs weep, Waffle simply adheres to any surface and starts delivering insights faster than you can say “return to office.”

But here’s where it gets interesting: Early adopters aren’t just using Waffle to count heads in conference rooms. They’re wielding it like a Swiss Army knife for workplace optimization, uncovering new use cases.

We recently checked in with some Waffle customers on how they’re putting our small but mighty radar-based sensor to work. Here are four use cases they shared with us:

‍Testing the viability of novel spaces for employees

One global tech giant is using Waffle to prototype new spaces. Companies are always hunting for the next great workspace configuration that will inspire employees, but won’t break the budget. Think hotel desks pre-loaded with sleek screens, or cozy, configurable couch areas ideal for quick brainstorms or laid-back team chats. 

The old approach to measure usage required camping out with a clipboard, counting people over a brief period. That’s not the most scalable when you’re managing offices across multiple continents. And these short snapshots raise questions about whether they captured a representative time sample. 

With Waffle, the beauty lies in the sensor’s mobility. Rather than committing to permanent installations for temporary insights, this company is using Waffles like test equipment: gathering intelligence, making decisions, then boxing them up and shipping them on to the next space that needs scrutiny. 

It’s workplace analytics meets agile methodology.

Solving the phone both availability mystery 

A company in the social networking space is poised to use Waffle to end their employees’ perennial search for available space. Waffle is particularly helpful with spaces like phone booths, which can’t be reserved through regular calendar systems. These spaces exist in the scheduling grey zone, making real-time occupancy data the only way to solve the availability puzzle.

We’ve all been there, rushing between meetings, desperately hunting for an available phone booth for that crucial call, only to discover they all seem “occupied.”

By installing Waffle in phone booths, this company will be able to pipe availability data into its internal app. Employees can pull up their phones to see a real-time map of available quiet spaces. No more panicking over finding space at the last minute.

Powering data-backed decisions over real estate

A financial services leader is about to use Waffle to validate their biggest space design bets. That underutilized lounge? Maybe it should become additional desk space. 

Before Waffle, the company has been relying on anecdotes from employees. Speculation isn’t exactly bulletproof in budget meetings. By placing Waffles in spaces that are due over an overhaul, workplace pros will be able to collect irrefutable evidence before proposing expensive reconfigurations.

Once the decision is made and the space is reconfigured (or not), the company will be able to easily move their Waffles on to the next analytical challenge. No permanent infrastructure left behind, no sunk costs to justify.

Helping employees find their way around office spaces

Meanwhile, a large conglomerate is using Waffle to power live wayfinding, helping bread-crumb the way to open meeting rooms, lounges and other spaces on large floors. Before Waffle, it wasn’t possible to get smaller spaces like phone booths on the map. 

But now, employees can stroll up to touchscreen displays and find out not only what’s free but also how to get there. No more frustration from navigating to occupied meeting rooms or guessing if a phone booth is available.

Sharing some pro tips from the trenches

After watching early adopters navigate their first Waffle deployments, we’ve seen several best practices emerge:

• Think in quarters, not months. For temporary studies, three months of data provides a representative sample that accounts for seasonal variations in office behavior. Single-month studies are too susceptible to holidays, company events or unusual business cycles.

• Communicate early and often. The biggest operational challenge isn't technical, it's human. Employees encountering devices with glowing lights may have questions. A simple company-wide email explaining the sensors' purpose prevents the inevitable “Is this a camera?” paranoia that leads to unplugged devices. (In case you’re wondering, Waffle is radar-based and 100% anonymous.)

• Define clear use cases: Understand exactly what insights you're looking for. Waffle shines brightest when tracking presence or availability, not precise headcounts. Our Open Area sensor is the way to go for precise people counting.

• Experiment away. You can always begin with a handful of sensors moved strategically rather than attempting to instrument entire floors immediately. This approach helps build internal expertise while proving value before larger investments.

Imagining the future of workplace intelligence

When space measurement shifts from a major IT project to something any facilities manager can deploy over lunch, it fundamentally changes how organizations think about their physical environments.

We think Waffle’s early adopters profiled represent just the beginning. As more companies realize they can gather sophisticated occupancy data without major infrastructure investments, we’ll likely see an explosion of creative applications with Waffle. 

In a world where commercial real estate costs remain high while space utilization remains low, we don’t see Waffle as just a nice-to-have. 

We see it as a tool that’ll help you optimize your current spaces and improve the everyday experience of employees through features like live room availability and wayfinding.  

But, thanks to its mobility, it will also help you measure whatever the future of work throws at you next.

Interested in learning more about Waffle or other Density solutions?