Top 10 Interactive Office Floor Plan Software Features

By Aleks Sheynkman

Director of Engineering

SpaceIQ

The more dynamic workplaces become, the more employees need interactive resources. How does John know if Conference A is open or occupied at 2 p.m.? How can Jane locate Bob’s desk in a free address workplace? Dynamic workplaces need the best interactive office floor plan software to keep employees productive and grounded amidst ever-changing variables.

Thinking about investing in interactive office floor plan software? Make sure it has the features employees need to capitalize on their environment, as well as the tools necessary to govern them. Here are 10 of the best features to consider:

1. Pop-up space information: An interactive floor plan’s chief purpose is to provide information. Make sure your software delivers pop-up room information when someone taps a space—information like location, occupancy status, IT amenities, and even photos of the room. Someone seeking the right space should get all the information they need from a single tap or click.
2. Employee directory integration: A floor plan isn’t only about the space; it’s also about the people in it. Where does Jake usually sit? Who is Amy in Accounting? Showing employees in relation to the facilities is a top feature of interactive floor plans and a useful feature for keeping people connected—even across business units.
3. Color-coded cues: Interactive office floor plan mapping is great for agile workplaces where spaces change hands throughout the day. Seeing booked vs. unallocated meeting spaces at a glance keeps the workflow moving along smoothly. Green means unoccupied; red means occupied; yellow means 15 minutes until vacant. Color cues are the quickest way for employees to plan their next move.
4. Sensor integration: Sensor integration enables more robust floor plan interaction. Sensors can unlock things like real-time occupancy monitoring to enhance map features. The floor plan might show a room that’s booked; however workplace occupancy sensors may indicate there’s no one in it. Or, sensors may show facility managers what spaces are unoccupied so they can quickly flex a group into that area.
5. Access control integration: Access control on a digital floor plan is useful when visualizing facilities from an accessibility standpoint. Tim and Tom can’t meet Kayla on the fourth floor because their badges restrict them to floors one and two. This prevents wasted time and helps facilities remain easily navigable, regardless of employee permissions.
6. Wayfinding: Like access control, wayfinding integrations make an interactive map more of an asset for those on-the-go. Typing in destinations and getting directions is one thing; being routed by person, place, or amenity is another. Building robust wayfinding into an interactive map lets employees chart the best course to wherever it is they need to go.
7. Searchability: Again, interactive floorplan software isn’t only about seeing the outlay of the workplace. It’s power lies in helping you find what you need within it. Interactive maps should allow searches by space types, assets, and people. Tie searchability, wayfinding, and access control features together and it’s impossible not to find exactly what you need.
8. Desk booking integration: Employees may use an interactive map to find open seating and spaces, but do they have a way to book those areas? Desk booking integration adds the “interactive” element to a floor plan. Offering desk and space booking directly through a floor plan makes it an all-in-one useful tool to connect employees with the workplace.
9. Macro-to-micro scaling: Floor plans are usually static representations of a floor. An interactive office map expands the usefulness of a floor plan through scaling. See the whole floor or expand outward to see a stack plan or complete building profile. Or, scale down to see a specific department or desking arrangement. The ability to zoom in and out adds versatility to a floor plan and meets the needs of the people using it at-scale.
10. Real-time metrics: Metrics are important to both employees and facility managers using an interactive floor plan. For employees, it’s about having information to interact with the workplace. For facility managers, this same data plays a different role in helping to shape the workplace. What do people need and is the workplace delivering?

Whether it’s information, action, or education, each of these features plays a critical role in organizing the workplace. Combining them in an interactive office floor plan connects the physical space to the people using it. That way, they can capitalize on all it has to offer.

Keep reading: Five Problems Solved by Office Floor Plan Software