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Using occupancy sensor + PC to alert whether boss is in his office?
Daniel Klotz | Feb 29 2008
I’m exploring a geeky office hack. Here’s the deal. I’m assistant to my organization’s vice president and president. We’re in a pretty big building, and my office plus their two offices are hidden off in a far corner. There are days when people will walk back here six or seven times hoping to catch one of them, to ask a quick question or get their feedback on something small. And every time the bosses aren’t in their offices—they’re off at a meeting or in someone else’s office. My idea is that it seems possible to put an occupancy sensor in each of their offices, share that simple bit of information (“occupied” or “unoccupied”) with a computer/server, and then share that information with co-workers who want to know. Any idea how to do that? It wouldn’t be foolproof—the sensors would probably still indicate “occupied” for several minutes after each time they leave, and there would certainly be times when it would indicate “occupied” but they would be meeting with someone else or have their door closed. Thoughts on the feasibility of this and any suggestions on how it could work? 1 Comment
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 A couple of thoughts: ISubmitted by mdl on February 29, 2008 - 9:00pm.
A couple of thoughts: I would avoid the words “occupied” and “unoccupied.” They’re likely to remind people of toilets on airplanes. If I were a president or vice-president of a company, I’m not sure I’d want the whole company to be able to monitor my movements. The potential creep factor is pretty high. But if they’re o.k. with it, would there be any way to connect a sensor to their office lights? Every time they turn on the lights, the server announces “In office.” Then, whenever they leave the office, they turn off the lights and have the added advantage of being green. »
About unpeufou2 Bio Daniel Klotz is the executive assistant at The Lancaster (PA) Chamber of Commerce & Industry. In that role he is responsible for keeping himself, the president, vice president, and the board of directors organized and optimized for productivity. He frequently contributes expert advice to Administrative Professional Update. |
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