How Woolcock Institute Unlocked Revenue with Utilization Data

Challenge: New HQ Brings High Demand, Low Visibility

Initially, Woolcock only managed a handful of meeting rooms through Skedda at their previous location. But as plans for their new headquarters took shape, the Institute began to rethink how they could use Skedda to manage a more complex environment. In a move toward efficiency, the new office traded fewer desks for better amenities and a prime location. With a smaller footprint and higher attendance on the horizon, space would soon be at a premium.

This rising demand underscored a key challenge for Woolcock: many of their shared resources weren’t bookable in Skedda, leaving the team without clear insight into how effectively spaces and equipment were being used. Without booking analytics, they couldn’t track the utilization of valuable research tools or make informed decisions about future investment into them. Nor could they confirm when consultation rooms sat idle — missed opportunities that directly impacted revenue.

“If rooms are sitting there not being used, then that’s an opportunity lost for us to make money.” — John Reynolds, IT Manager

As the move approached, the parking situation also became a concern. The team anticipated more people would drive to the new site than take public transport, but their new parking lot only had a limited number of spaces. Without an intuitive reservation system and transparent rules, confusion and frustration were inevitable.

“It quickly became obvious that there were going to be more cars than spots available. That’s why we looked into Skedda as a solution.” — John Reynolds, IT Manager

The Institute needed a unified, rule-based system to manage high-demand spaces and deliver clear, reliable visibility into daily utilization. 

Solution: Expanding Bookings for Better Data & ROI

To better manage space and resource access at their new headquarters, Woolcock expanded and optimized their use of Skedda. What began with meeting rooms grew to include parking spaces, consultation rooms, hot desks, and shared resources such as research computers — all governed by clear rules, permissions, and reliable data. By centralizing everything in one platform, the team eliminated booking friction and gained full visibility into how their spaces were being used.

“We added more floor plans, we added hot desks, and we added our consult rooms. We just keep finding more ways to use it.” — Frances Wilson, Information & Governance Manager

Woolcock customized space access based on roles and internal policies, ensuring the right people could book the right spaces at the right times. This was possible using user tags and booking windows in Skedda. 

Detailed utilization and occupancy reporting now provide clear insight into how key equipment and consultation rooms are used, while interactive maps make adoption easy and help staff navigate the building with confidence.

By the time Woolcock moved into their new office, Skedda had become far more than a booking tool — it evolved into a comprehensive workplace management system capable of handling the complexity of a growing research institute with ease.

Results

1. Turning idle rooms into revenue

Much of Woolcock’s clinic revenue depends on consultation rooms being used to their full capacity. With Skedda’s clear utilization data, leaders can easily identify underused rooms, quantify the cost of idle time, and model how improved scheduling translates into higher revenue.

“We can show that certain rooms are only 50% booked. If we increase the bookings, we can increase our revenue.” — Frances Wilson

Armed with reliable usage reports, Woolcock now bases booking and staffing decisions on data, not guesswork — improving cash flow and ensuring clinical spaces consistently deliver ROI.

2. Utilization insights drive smarter investments

Woolcock tracks bookings for shared research computers – revealing sustained, high utilization rates. These reports give research leaders the hard data they need to advocate for further investment into valuable assets. 

“Our supercomputers are expensive pieces of equipment – we can justify investment into more by looking at Skedda’s utilization reports.” — John Reynolds

Skedda’s insights helped Woolcock’s research team build the business case to fund two additional supercomputers. As a workplace management system, Skedda not only supports both day-to-day bookings, but also long-term investment decisions.

“A lot of Skedda’s value comes from the fact that it is actually a fantastic reporting tool for our financial decisions.” — John Reynolds

3. Transparent, role-based space access

User tags and booking windows create explicit, role-based access. Clinicians, who drive patient services and revenue, receive priority access to consultation rooms so they can reliably book what they need, when they need it. Parking space access is governed by tags, time limits, and visual identifiers on the map – bringing fairness and control to parking reservations. 

“It’s more equitable… Skedda has demystified the whole process of booking. The rules are clearer for everyone.” — Frances Wilson

Rules are documented on the intranet, and complex real-world scenarios are handled cleanly with booking time limits, hours availability, and more. 

4. Maps that make booking effortless

Skedda’s interactive maps make it simple for staff to navigate Woolcock’s new headquarters, find available spaces, and book with confidence. The visual interface shortens the learning curve, reduces booking errors, and even helps identify issues like unauthorized cars in the garage.

“The maps help build more of a community. They’re for booking, but they’re also really useful for wayfinding.” — Frances Wilson 

Beyond functionality, the maps have become a subtle but effective way to bring people together — helping everyone see how shared spaces connect and how the institute operates as one cohesive environment.

Conclusion: True Workplace Wellbeing 

At the Woolcock Institute, wellbeing sits at the center of everything they do. It’s evident not only in their groundbreaking sleep and respiratory research, but also in how they create a positive, balanced workplace experience for their team. Together, Woolcock’s new headquarters and its expanded use of Skedda have made on-site work more efficient, transparent, and enjoyable — improving the day-to-day wellbeing of everyone who comes in to work, research, or deliver patient care.

With their space management now streamlined and data-driven, Woolcock is positioned for many more years of research excellence.

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