Over the years, I’ve worked in an assortment of offices and led a variety of teams along my career journey. I can tell you from firsthand experience how legitimate the saying, “environment affects productivity” is. Building or optimizing an office space to facilitate better functionality can significantly enhance not only the productivity of the staff but their work satisfaction, too.
The task becomes even more pivotal when you’re designing your own workspace, conceptualizing a working area for a small team, or regulating an extensive office for a sizable firm. The solution – office space planning software! These progressive tools allow you to elaborate office floor plans, brainstorm innovative office layouts, and enhance the way your team operates progressively.
In this blog, I will guide you on what to look for when selecting an office space design and planning software, and also point out 10 of the best space planning software tools available today. 🤩
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in Space Planning Software?
As with other platforms and tools, your space planning software should be agile and make your life easier, not harder. 🛠️
Here’s what to look for when choosing space planning tools.
- Drag-and-drop functionality: Build the workspace of your dreams with interactive tools that let you move desks, chairs, and other equipment with ease
- Reporting features: Today, facility managers need data to see how well space plans perform. Look for a tool that automatically generates reports and tracks metrics to back up decisions for room usage
- Scenario planning: Put together various space designs and run them through simulations to see how well they perform under various circumstances to optimize utilization of your spaces
- Automations: Space planning isn’t just about designing office layouts, it’s also about managing their use. Set up automations for meeting room use and desk reservations for smoother work environments
- Permissions: Space planning requires different teams to work together effectively. Choose a tool that allows you to set permissions so the finance manager can run reports, HR can review seating plans, and visual project managers can run room reservations—all without getting in each other’s way
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Space Planning Software to Use in 2024
Ready to start planning and managing more effective workspaces? Here are the planning tools to try today. From design software to layout software and workplace management tools, there’s a way to visualize your space and build more productive work environments. 👀
1. ClickUp
Best for Office Project Management
ClickUp is a project management tool that keeps you organized and on top of all the little details that go into designing an office space. Offering high levels of customization, you can leverage the tool to speed up planning and improve execution. 🙌
Use ClickUp’s Whiteboards to map out your office space. The handy drawing tool lets you express your creativity while also including measurements to keep things to scale. Real-time collaboration means you can work together with your colleagues to draw out the office design digitally using the whiteboard software.
ClickUp’s Integrations with drawing tools bring your vision to life and let you work with the tools that matter most to you. Connect a communication app like Slack to get feedback from clients or team members on your office design. Document integrations to get sign-offs and buy-in from key stakeholders.
Use ClickUp’s Tasks to automatically assign work to relevant team members. Assign tasks for drafting the office space, approvals, and outreach for contractors and builders to bring your dream office to fruition. Add priority flags and dependencies to highlight work that needs attention first.
Want to visualize how long it’ll take to plan your office space? Use Gantt Charts in ClickUp to build timelines for every step in the planning process. Choose custom color coding for stages and teams, and add custom fields for tracking smaller steps.
ClickUp best features
- Collaborate in real time to work alongside interior designers, contractors, and permit agencies to assess your space plans
- Automate tasks to assign work to designers, stakeholders, and developers at every stage of the planning process
- With over 1,000 templates including Concept Map Templates, it’s easier and faster to brainstorm, design, and get approval for your office space
- Trigger notifications when tasks are falling behind or when a key planning stage is successfully completed
- Brainstorm ideas with the built-in mind-mapping software to test several designs and sketch ideas
- ClickUp’s Whiteboard and Docs collaboration feature bridges the gap between brainstorming and effective designs and workflow management
- Pre-built templates like the ClickUp Office Space Management to manage your office space planning
ClickUp limitations
- There are a ton of features that enable a high degree of customization, but that means you need to take some time to learn the tool
- ClickUp AI is only available on paid plans, but pricing is affordable for most individuals and teams
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp AI is available on all paid plans for $5 per Workspace member per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (3,900+ reviews)
2. Accruent
Best for Office Cost Management
Accruent is a space management software that makes it easy to review occupancy limits and dive into how you use your office space to improve utilization and reduce operating costs. Start by uploading your facility data, and explore different spaces and layouts to see what fits your team’s needs. Use built-in automations to view occupancy status, space allocations, and department assignments.
Accruent best features
- Intuitive reporting dashboard offers insights to reduce real estate costs, improve conference room scheduling, and boost facility safety
- Optimize space management from anywhere, thanks to desktop, mobile app, and tablet functionality
- Automations enable alerts and notifications when cubicles are booked, and you can manage transactions right in the software
- VisualMap and AutoCAD offer visualizations of your office space to improve layouts and manage team locations
Accruent limitations
- Some users found that updating permissions takes several steps and could be streamlined
- There’s a learning curve since there are many different features
Accruent pricing
- Contact for pricing
Accruent ratings and reviews
- G2: 3.9/5 (100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (10+ reviews)
3. Maptician
Best for Hybrid Work Environments
Maptician is a space software solution that aims to address the needs of hybrid work environments with a blend of in-office and remote staff. Use it to streamline space allocation, build dashboards to manage visitors, and conduct scenario planning. Custom employee engagement tools in the software take things a step further by building workspaces that are adaptive to worker demands. 👨🏽💻
Maptician best features
- Use the layout planner to design, plan, and build spaces that flow well and promote productivity
- Manage your real estate portfolio with visual dashboards that clearly depict room bookings, space utilization, and office renderings
- Automated workspace analytics give insight into operating costs and utilization metrics
- The Implementation Team and support tools offer training to get you and the entire office up to date with layout and design courses
Maptician limitations
- Some users wish the space management software had more design options and keyboard shortcuts in the floor plan tool
- Analytics and reports aren’t always intuitive, requiring some time to fully understand
Maptician pricing
- One pricing for all: $4/month per user
Maptician ratings and reviews
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (10+ reviews)
4. SmartDraw
Best for Detailed Diagramming and Brainstorming
SmartDraw is a SaaS solution that lets you diagram, brainstorm, and execute planning all in one space. Integration with AWS, Teams, and Jira boosts collaboration and takes brainstorming and planning sessions to new heights. Use SmartDraw’s whiteboard software to sketch out floor plans and instantly share the designs, thanks to built-in professional presentation tools.
SmartDraw best features
- The diagramming tool offers AI support to automatically move, add, and delete shapes without affecting connecting items—like office furniture
- Thousands of templates including floor plans save time when it comes to building models of your new office space
- Computer-aided design (CAD) drawing tools let you change scale, add dimensions, and drag-and-drop fixtures to visualize your workplace experience
- Layers let you dive deeper into logistics like HVAC, plumbing, and electrical to design spaces that are functional and cost-effective
SmartDraw limitations
- The tool doesn’t offer 3D models or renderings
- The larger variety of features and details takes time to learn
SmartDraw pricing
- Single user: $9.95/month
- Multiple users: $8.25/month for 3+ users
SmartDraw ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (100+ reviews)
5. Coworktech
Best for Comprehensive Office Planning Services
Coworktech is a planning agency that improves office spaces every step of the way. Whether you’re looking for support when it comes to your floor plans or advice on connecting telecommunications or improving security, the tool streamlines your most valuable processes.
Coworktech best features
- Seamless onboarding support gets new team members up to speed with access to company tools, customer relationship management notifications, and automated tasks for handling paperwork
- Office management tools ensure key tools like Wi-Fi, networks, and internet tools are safe, secure, and reliable
- Full-service management means the support team at Coworktech does everything from planning the design to securing vendors and monitoring systems
- The team of experts can help with designs and setup across continents and in several languages
Coworktech limitations
- There is less control over outcomes and customization since you’re handing off the management to an outside team of experts
- It’s not so much a software tool as an agency that handles many of the space-planning tasks for you
Coworktech pricing
- Contact for pricing
Coworktech ratings and reviews
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
6. Wisp by Gensler
Best for Workplace Management and CAD Updates
Wisp is a workplace management software designed to improve the way we work, whether it’s in the office or with a remote team. The space and workplace management solution lets you track movements and measure occupancy to lay the groundwork for better floor plans. Once you’re ready to design, CAD tools and features mean you bring your designs to life in minutes, not days. ✅
Wisp best features
- Unlimited CAD updates ensure you have the latest technology at your fingertips when mapping out floor plans and desk arrangements
- Data visualization tools offer insights into how the space is used, identify bottlenecks, and improve decision-making
- Real-time collaboration tools mean you can combine brainstorming techniques with design tools to create better workflows with the entire team in one space
- The cloud-based SaaS tool means you can manage reservations, plan a return to the office, and analyze movement and reporting from anywhere, even on the go
Wisp limitations
- While you can access the online software from your phone, there isn’t a dedicated mobile app
- There aren’t any prioritization features so it’s not as easy to organize tickets and requests
Wisp pricing
- One-time implementation fee: $6,250 (plus ongoing monthly fees)
- Ongoing monthly subscription fee: $600
- Tiered pricing as square footage increases above 75,000 square feet
Wisp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (40+ reviews)
- Capterra: 5/5 (16+ reviews)
7. SpaceIQ
Best for Efficient Space Maximization and Planning
SpaceIQ is a software solution that aims to help businesses maximize their square footage and build more efficient offices. It’s a tool that blends the benefits of a space planner with management features to stay on top of costs, utilization data, and scenario planning.
SpaceIQ best features
- The office planner lets you manage custom layouts across floors while built-in scenarios run your designs through tests to see how they perform
- Manage the workplace with tools that track data for people, furniture, and assets in simple dashboards
- Built-in reporting tools let you share exact costs with the finance department based on personnel or square footage
- Real estate portfolio solutions keep you informed whether you have one property or several offices dispersed across the globe
SpaceIQ limitations
- Some users wish there were more color-coding options to highlight data
- Training and onboarding services could be improved to reduce the learning curve
SpaceIQ pricing
- Contact sales for pricing
SpaceIQ ratings and reviews
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (30+ reviews)
8. OfficeSpace
Best for Room Bookings and Day-To-Day Operations
OfficeSpace is a hybrid space plan and organization tool that makes work better, whether you’re building a home office or getting design ideas for optimizing an office building housing dozens of teams. Use the tool to manage room bookings, create floor plans, and connect with employees.
OfficeSpace best features
- Use real-time features for booking so employees can reserve meeting rooms, conference spaces, and desks
- The Distance Planner instantly generates seating arrangements and lets you make changes with just one click
- Scenario Planning visualizes layout options and provides in-tool stakeholder feedback to streamline approvals
- Manage day-to-day operations with instant bookings, service requests, and visitor management tools
OfficeSpace limitations
- Some users wish there was more data around desk usage to better scale services
- Customer support and training services could be more robust
OfficeSpace pricing
- Contact sales for pricing
OfficeSpace ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (90+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.9/5 (30+ reviews)
9. BlueYonder
Best for Retailers
BlueYonder is a space organization and design tool to help retailers build more effective layouts for customers. Increase revenue, make it easier for consumers to find the products they need, and maximize selling space with this tool. 💪
BlueYonder best features
- Micro and macro floor plan features design broad overviews or drill down into details for optimized spaces
- Management features offer consistent floor designs across stores and reduce the risk of stock roadblocks
- Use data reporting to assess profitability, sales movement, and space bottlenecks
- Easily switch between dashboards to view stores in different locations
BlueYonder limitations
- Some users found that the interface feels a bit cluttered
- Customization could improve to offer greater flexibility and control
BlueYonder pricing
- Contact for pricing
BlueYonder ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (2+ reviews)
- Capterra: N/A
10. Robin
Best for Remote Teams
Robin is a software tool designed to optimize the experience of hybrid work environments. Use the tool to increase collaboration between remote and in-office teams and streamline workflows.
Robin best features
- Use automations to assign resources or book spaces for remote workers to collaborate with people who are located in specific offices
- Design floor plans with whiteboard management tools that maximize space based on analytics and hard data
- The mobile app enables desk booking and eliminates confusion
- Real-time views let you see what spaces are occupied and when areas are reserved
Robin limitations
- The app can glitch, affecting reservations and confirmations of booked spaces
- It’s a management tool and more limited when it comes to space planning, compared to the alternatives
Robin pricing
- Desk and room booking: Starting at $419/month
- Optional add-ons: Contact for pricing and extra fees
Robin ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (50+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseLay the Groundwork for Productive Teams With ClickUp
With these space and square foot management tools, dream, design, and manage workspaces that are more productive, cost-effective, and engaging. Choose from CAD tools that build floor plans and furniture layouts or opt for tools that manage the day-to-day analytics, movements, and expenses associated with hybrid or in-office work environments.
Sign up for ClickUp today, and start brainstorming new office layouts and instantly transition into better management of those spaces. With a high degree of customization, an intuitive interface, and hundreds of features, leverage the project planning tool to design a more productive office. ✨
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