Capacity Management Strategies for Industrial Workplaces

Every cog is integral in the turning of a gear. That’s as true in the big machines that are enterprise companies as in the speedy wheels of SMBs. Capacity management software helps to account and plan for every cog. 

There are many moving parts in workplace management, from personnel to technical needs. Through well-thought-out capacity management strategies, facility managers improve throughput, reduce idle time, and identify bottlenecks in your company processes with a bit of time and effort. 

This guide helps you employ innovative capacity planning tools and policies. Reduce performance issues and ensure your facility can handle its visitor flow. Some of the benefits you will take away include: 

• Ensure your operations can handle peak loads 
• Plan for additional resources, such as servers or visitor badge printers 
• Anticipate demand spikes, like holiday seasons or special events 
• Arrange the space and layout of your building to accommodate more or fewer people as needed 
  

What is Capacity Planning? 

Capacity planning is the process of evaluating and balancing the resources required for optimal performance within an organization. It can apply to anything from hard materials in manufacturing products to team and HR capacity. In visitor management, capacity planning revolves around the number of people in your workplace. It spans from visitors and staff to couriers and contractors. 

Each industry has its own unique regulations and capacity restrictions. You need to know which apply to your workplace and how to adhere to them. 

Smart facility capacity planning tools go beyond tracking capacity to comply with fire codes and other restrictions. Automated capacity tracking assesses and controls your space's optimal number of visitors. Discover how many people can be in a room or a conference center without negatively impacting their experience to determine your ideal capacity limits.   

There are two main types of controls for managing facility capacity: 

1. Hard Controls

Hard controls calculate the maximum number of people who can be in a space without negatively impacting their experience. These controls use hard data like square footage, average person height and width, and room temperature for capacity planning. 

2. Soft Controls

Soft controls are more flexible, relying on estimates rather than exact measurements. There's no right or wrong way to use soft controls; they just require more estimation and judgment on your part. 

Capacity Challenges to Consider 

The true challenge with capacity management is understanding where and how bottlenecks happen. Consider: 

• Maximum capacity 
• Physical space 
• Visitor volume 
• Supporting infrastructure (e.g., staff) 
• Equipment availability and reliability 
• Material resources (e.g., supplies) 

Each of these can dramatically impact capacity levels. In many cases, your facility's "on paper" capacity level is greater than the actual capacity that is feasible over time. That's because your primary concern is not quantity but quality — user experience matters. 

Strategies for the Best Capacity Management Policy 

Capacity management maximizes the value of your existing assets while minimizing costs and risks. Achieve this goal by deploying new technologies that improve processes and streamline operations. To do so, you need to understand your capacity, as well as how to track and control it. 

Start by understanding what your maximum capacity is. This creates a hard upper ceiling. Next, employ a workplace capacity tracker to assess your maximum effective capacity. Of course, no workplace is static. Used space, visitor frequency, and the number of deliveries and employees can change dynamically. Use scalable planning tools that identify current capacity use and forecast future needs. 

Determine the max number of people you can have without compromising security, compliance, or visitor experience. Just because you have some extra space doesn't mean you need to use it. For instance, packing in too many people at once makes monitoring visitors difficult for security. Letting in too many couriers at once can lead to confusion and lost packages. Delivery management tools are a great solution. But the best implementations start with capacity planning.  

Include employees in your capacity management discussions. Their feedback provides a better understanding of gaps and bridges. Implement surveys and focus groups for actionable insights. 

Using Capacity Management Tools 

Capacity management tools gather data to identify areas needing improvement. Learn cycle times, throughput rates, and other indicators. You can also track performance metrics like productivity levels, quality control results, and material utilization with visitor management software. 

Capacity Planning Software 

Capacity planning software simplifies office capacity management. Implementing visitor management software provides a clear look at what's happening with your space and identifies problems before they happen. 

Visitor management dashboards provide a simplified view. So it's easy to understand and anticipate capacity shifts throughout the business day. At a glance, you can see where visitors congregate at certain times of day and how much space they're using. Use this information for predictive scheduling and making adjustments to economize your daily processes. 

Visitor Management Solutions 

Visitor management solutions help facility managers and EHS officers handle issues, especially with surging or inconsistent visitor traffic. These solutions automate your visitor self-registration process, track and control access to premises and spaces, manage risk, and provide accurate statistics on visitor traffic. 

A successful software solution should have the following features: 

	Self-Registration: Visitors can register themselves with a simple touch of a button or by scanning their ID card with a barcode scanner. This process helps organizations track visitors even when they are not physically present in the office.
	Access Control: Employees can be restricted from entering certain areas, while visitors may be allowed only access to certain areas during specific times of the day or week.
	Risk Management: Visitor management solutions track all entries and activity on a single dashboard. This also provides an audit log for security personnel if an incident occurs.

Keep Your Office Capacity Requirements Updated 

Your capacity needs will inevitably evolve as your business grows and changes. As such, it's vital to exercise continuous planning and keep an eye on how much space you're using at all times. 

How Many Are Allowed in Physical Spaces in Your Office at Once? 

The maximum number of people allowed in a physical space is often called the "occupant load factor." Building codes determine this number, and they must be adhered to for workplace safety. 

What is the Maximum Number of Visitors Allowed to Maintain Operational Efficiency? 

Visitors don't usually count toward a facility's maximum occupancy load factor because they don't spend the entire day at work. But they do still impact workplace efficiency. 

You need to determine if your employees can handle having visitors during peak hours. If not, you may need to restrict them from coming into the office during those times. Or use a facility management platform to handle visitors more effectively and securely. 

How a Visitor Management Solution Enhances Capacity Issues and Office Experiences 

Visitor capacity management software creates a safe and productive workplace. Whether it's a work site, lobby, or waiting area, the right visitor management system can make your office more inviting and improve the overall quality of visitors' time at your organization. 

Discover why iLobby is the Global leader in enterprise visitor management; book your demo today.