Occupancy restrictions have been a critical component of government mandates meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in commercial establishments. Depending on the country and city, some venues restrict occupancy to either 10%, 30%, or 50% of maximum capacity; others specify only a certain number of people allowed to be in a facility at one time.
While there are several solutions for estimating occupancy, video-based occupancy analytics solutions are significantly growing in demand. Estimating a person-count is ideal for meeting mandates during a health crisis, and it can be accomplished in a number of different ways.
Manual Counting involves a person at the door using a simple app or counter clicker. However, smart occupancy solutions that use people counting sensors have broader capabilities that reach well beyond the pandemic.
How do occupancy sensors work?
The V-Count Ultima AI capacity counter sensor provides the in and out visitor counts in real-time. The specific occupancy limit can be set for each area. If the threshold is breached for occupancy control according to Covid-19 regulations, the system provides real-time alerts to the person in charge.
The advantage of using an automated real-time occupancy solution like VCare is that it provides a business with multiple uses. Besides counting people, it can simultaneously send notifications and transmit the count to a public display monitor at the entrances.
These monitors could show people that the facility is at full capacity and they should wait to enter. When no longer at maximum capacity, customized messages on the monitors indicate that it is safe to enter.
It is also possible for this same data to be shared on a business website or app through an API. Potential customers could learn the store’s occupancy status before they even head to their desired location.
How to Identify Maximum Occupancy Load
Figuring out how many people per square foot your facility should have is the first step. The occupancy rate formula is calculated by dividing the area of a location by its prescribed unit of area per person. Units of area per person can vary depending on the type of facility and country.
Advantages of Occupancy Management in Retail
The advantage of using an automated real-time occupancy solution like VCare is that it provides a business with multiple uses. People counting and occupancy solutions tell managers how many people enter and exit their stores in real-time, their dwell time in certain areas, and approximately how many people are present at any given time. Managers can compare the data to their point-of-sale system to determine conversion rates.
In addition to features focusing on monitoring occupancy to meet mandates, other benefits include the following:
Identify peak hours & optimize employee schedules
Identify peak hours at a facility when more staff may be needed. Based on real-time people counting in a location, managers will know if they should immediately reallocate resources or redirect an employee to help on the sales floor. They can use the data for staff scheduling and allocating future shifts.
Plan Facility Management in Idle Times
Prioritizing facility management during slow times allows for efficient cleaning and sanitizing to meet COVID-19 requirements. By monitoring footfall and occupancy trends over time, managers can see that Tuesdays at 3 pm, for example, have the least foot traffic, thus establishing that to be the best time to restock store shelves or sanitize the facility.
Maximize efficiency
Some businesses implement manual solutions by having a staff member stand at the door making tally marks as people enter and exit. With a large margin of human error, this quickly led to inaccurate counting. Additionally, only one entrance could be open at a time, and customers had no idea how long the waiting time would be.
Implementing an automated occupancy solution like VCare allows businesses to accurately count people in real-time as they enter and exit a building. Solutions like VCare eliminate the need for staff members to manually count customers, allowing them to use their time for more important tasks like assisting customers, and as a result, maximize work efficiency.
Keep Customers Safe & Peaceful
VCare can accurately measure the number of people entering and exiting a building, making it easy to manage and monitor your occupancy capacities in real-time to ensure that your customers and staff remain safe.
You can also display safety messages and recommendations on screens at the entrances to alert visitors about the occupancy numbers and safety status of your space, facilitating social distancing and preventing overcrowding or risky contact.
Why Choose V-Count for Occupancy Tracking?
V-Count is the world’s leading provider of visitor analytics solutions. We offer global organizations the latest in people counting, queue management, demographic analysis, zone analytics, and real-time occupancy solutions for locations such as retail, shopping malls, supermarkets, restaurants, libraries, banks, museums, and other public venues.
Our Ultima AI people counting sensor and business intelligence platform leverage the best AI and machine learning technology to anonymously collect and analyze the data.
We provide over 500 global brands with actionable reports and offer them insights to optimize their business operations, boost conversion rates, and increase profits.
