In April 2026, the Common Providers Administration (GSA) and the Workplace of Personnel Administration (OPM) introduced plans to consolidate right into a single renovated headquarters whereas disposing of properties that had develop into too pricey to keep up. Years of deferred upkeep had left roughly 40% of GSA’s headquarters uninhabitable, pushed by backlogs and constrained entry to the Federal Buildings Fund.
That call illustrates rising pressures throughout the federal portfolio. Below the USE IT Act, the primary authorities‑large reporting interval recognized almost 9,766 federally owned or leased areas that failed to satisfy the 60% occupancy benchmark. The USE IT Act and its reporting necessities don’t merely present that federal house is underutilized — they set up a requirement for companies to clarify, justify, and remediate underperformance by means of a public, knowledge‑pushed course of.
For a lot of federal facility leaders, the actual barrier to assembly mandates is an absence of visibility into how house is configured, occupied, and performing, and the flexibility to behave on that info with confidence.
Key takeaways
- Federal house underutilization is now a USE IT Act compliance and oversight subject: Public reporting necessities have shifted underperforming house from an inner amenities concern to a visual accountability obligation.
- Correct, defensible house stock knowledge is the muse for federal actual property choices: With out a present, trusted stock, house methods are tough to defend beneath management and congressional scrutiny
- Room‑degree utilization knowledge is crucial for efficient house consolidation and reconfiguration: Steady, house‑degree utilization knowledge allows proof‑primarily based choices, helps USE IT Act reporting, and permits companies to maneuver ahead with confidence moderately than assumptions
Why you may’t optimize what you may’t map
Earlier than companies can reconfigure house, consolidate buildings, or justify disposals, they want a transparent, present view of their portfolio.
In observe, that view is usually fragmented. House knowledge lives throughout a number of techniques, updates are uneven, and classifications range by location. Ground plans don’t align with occupancy information. Utilization definitions differ from website to website. Over time, official inventories drift farther from actuality.
That hole slows choices. Leaders can not reliably assess capability, plan reconfigurations, or exit leases with out trusting the information behind these selections.
Constructing an area stock leaders can belief
Trendy house administration platforms ship a repeatedly up to date view of the portfolio by aligning flooring plans, occupancy knowledge, and house classifications in a single system. As a substitute of reconciling outdated information, groups work from a present, defensible stock that displays how the company really makes use of house.
That consistency allows motion. With standardized definitions throughout amenities, leaders can benchmark utilization, establish true underperformance, and transfer ahead on consolidation, reconfiguration, and disposal choices with confidence. It additionally strengthens alignment with oversight expectations by grounding suggestions in knowledge that holds up beneath evaluation.
The identical knowledge helps compliance. Federal Actual Property Profile (FRPP) reporting and USE IT Act utilization necessities might be generated immediately from operational techniques, eliminating parallel reporting efforts and decreasing discrepancies between inner choices and what’s submitted to Congress or oversight our bodies.
Simply as importantly, companies achieve pace. As occupancy patterns change, groups replace a reside system as a substitute of launching new knowledge assortment efforts. Leaders can consider situations, validate subsequent steps, and act rapidly, assured the information is correct, present, and defensible.
Why entry knowledge can’t reply at the moment’s house questions
Constructing entry knowledge was by no means designed for the selections companies are actually anticipated to make. It exhibits who entered a constructing — not how house is used.
That limitation has develop into a legal responsibility. A number of federal evaluations have discovered that almost all company headquarters function far beneath capability, with one evaluation exhibiting 17 of 24 headquarters buildings at 25% utilization or much less, at the same time as companies proceed to fund their operation and upkeep, in accordance with the U.S. Authorities Accountability Workplace.
Companies will not be being requested whether or not buildings are “occupied.” They’re being requested which areas can soak up workers, which flooring must be reconfigured, and which property might be eradicated. Entry knowledge can not reply these questions, and with out that visibility, choices stall — or transfer ahead with out proof to help them.
Transferring from constructing‑degree estimates to room‑degree proof
Built-in house utilization and optimization instruments assist groups observe occupancy on the room and zone degree, making a steady file of how house is used over time. As a substitute of counting on periodic research or snapshots, companies see week‑over‑week patterns that mirror actual conduct.
That degree of element adjustments determination‑making. Facility leaders can establish overbooked convention rooms adjoining to underused areas, check coverage adjustments, mannequin reconfigurations, and confirm outcomes after implementation.
Room‑degree knowledge additionally separates notion from actuality. An area that feels empty should carry out its meant perform at particular instances. Conversely, an area that seems absolutely booked could also be doing so inefficiently. Proof replaces anecdotes, and conversations with management shift accordingly.
In an setting the place USE IT Act knowledge is public, the companies finest positioned to reply will not be reacting after the actual fact. They have already got documented utilization information and remediation plans underway.
NOAA: one system, three areas, 20% decrease spend
The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration manages a geographically distributed portfolio throughout three areas. For years, that portfolio relied on two incompatible legacy CMMS platforms with completely different requirements. House information, asset circumstances, and upkeep histories couldn’t be reconciled constantly.
In consequence, portfolio‑degree reporting was gradual, labor‑intensive, and infrequently certified. Evaluating utilization or situation throughout amenities required guide reconciliation, limiting leaders’ capacity to establish systemic enchancment alternatives.
By consolidating onto a single platform, NOAA migrated knowledge from each techniques, linked greater than 3,000 property to preventive upkeep schedules, and standardized reporting throughout areas.
The influence was each operational and monetary:
- 20% discount in operational spending pushed by improved visibility into house and property
- Constant house and asset requirements throughout all three areas
- Centralized reporting to help portfolio administration and compliance
- Improved alignment with Government Order 13327 by means of correct FRPP reporting
“We achieved our purpose of getting system‑large, centralized reporting to higher handle our massive, geographically distributed amenities.” — Gina Ziegenbein, Property Administration Officer, NOAA
When house not displays how folks work
Federal workplaces had been designed for full‑time, in‑workplace groups. That mannequin not displays how house is used at the moment. Flooring sit beneath capability whereas excessive‑demand areas bottleneck each day operations. Convention rooms refill whereas close by areas stay empty. Assigned desks go unused whereas groups wrestle to collaborate on website.
With out dependable utilization knowledge, reconfiguration choices depend on assumptions. Progress slows, and the chance of getting adjustments incorrect will increase.
Aligning house with how companies function now
With an built-in office administration resolution, companies can assess utilization on the house degree, mannequin reconfigurations earlier than committing to them, and observe outcomes after adjustments are made. As a substitute of committing capital primarily based on assumptions, leaders can check situations, perceive tradeoffs, and transfer ahead with confidence.
That suggestions loop issues. Companies are not anticipated merely to make adjustments — they’re anticipated to show these adjustments improved efficiency. Dependable utilization knowledge permits groups to doc choices, validate outcomes, and strengthen their place with management and oversight our bodies.
Integration issues as effectively. House choices have an effect on upkeep, reserving, and compliance reporting. When techniques are linked, updates circulate robotically. Once they aren’t, each change provides threat — and administrative burden — to maintain information aligned.
Getting extra from the house companies already occupy
At the moment’s federal house challenges don’t fail for lack of capital. They fail for lack of correct stock, credible utilization knowledge, and the flexibility to behave on each.
Companies that construct this basis can reconfigure house, justify consolidation, and reply to oversight with proof moderately than clarification. They aren’t ready for brand new buildings or expanded budgets. They’re making present portfolios work tougher by aligning house with how work is finished at the moment.
When you’re able to see what your present house can help, request a demo of Archibus for Authorities.
Steadily Requested Questions
By Jonathan Davis
As a content material creator at Eptura, Jonathan Davis covers asset administration, upkeep software program, and SaaS options, delivering thought management with actionable insights throughout industries akin to fleet, manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality. Jonathan’s writing focuses on subjects to assist enterprises optimize their operations, together with constructing lifecycle administration, digital twins, BIM for facility administration, and preventive and predictive upkeep methods. With a grasp’s diploma in journalism and a various background that features writing textbooks, modifying online game dialogue, and educating English as a international language, Jonathan brings a flexible perspective to his content material creation.
