What it is used for
Documentation. The first role of a floor map is documentation: it shows what equipment is in the gym and where. This makes maintenance, insurance work and onboarding easier.
Planning. When usage data is layered on top, for instance as a heatmap, you see how members actually use the space, and changes can be planned from data instead of intuition.
Communication. A floor map is a natural way to present the space to a new member, partner or investor.
Sessions per square meter
One of the best metrics to layer on a floor map is sessions per square meter, that is, how many training minutes or sessions each square of floor space produces. The metric reveals which areas generate value and which take space away from other uses.
Another useful metric is training minutes per square meter: equipment that gathers short but intense sessions can produce more total value than equipment with long but rare sessions.
Combining the floor map with usage
Use can be layered on a floor map at three levels.
- Equipment level, how many minutes each machine is in use.
- Zone level, how many members are in a zone at the same time.
- Flow level, how members move from one zone to another within their session.
All three together give a complete picture of space use, working from one floor map and one data source instead of ten separate metrics.
Typical use cases
A floor map is essential when answering questions like: which equipment should be added or removed? Should the free-weights area be expanded? Do group fitness areas and individual training operate well at the same time? Is locker and shower capacity proportional to gym utilization?
Without a floor map, these decisions are based on instinct and one-off observations. With a floor map and data, they are based on visible evidence.