Kadence · Champion Pack

BDO USA · Defend the Kadence decision

Built for Michael Diaz to take upstairs. Occupancy to portfolio loop (Sense → SpaceOps → Insights Plus), grounded in BDO’s RFP language and FY27 sales proof. Not another booking bake-off.

Shareable · Sep 2026

Chicago already peaks at 180 people on 163 seats while 510 are assigned. Local leadership says “full,” yet we still pay rent Mon/Fri. Kadence closes the loop BDO asked for: real occupancy (Sense) into stack/scenario planning (SpaceOps) and Power BI-ready Insights Plus, before the Feb–Apr busy-season blackout. Softchoice unlocked $10M+ annual efficiencies with the same people-to-space layer. Nationwide baseline is 9,102 seats / 14,239 employees.

What they need fixed

Verbatim from BDO calls · occupancy & portfolio, not booking theater

Six tensions Brian and Cathy already named on the record. Each card pairs a simple visual with the customer quote that makes the case upstairs.

Peak vs seats

Full Tue/Thu. Still paying rent Mon/Fri.

Local leadership says the office is full. Peak is a weekday-mix problem, not a lease reflex.

Well, you're full Tuesdays and Thursdays, but, you know, we pay rent Mondays and Fridays, too.
Brian McNeela Trial Sync · 2026-06-02 57:34 ↗
Capacity math

163 seats. 510 assigned. Peak 180.

Chicago already exceeds seats at peak while headcount assignments dwarf physical capacity.

we can't make everyone go into the office. We're full.
Local leadership (via Brian McNeela) Trial Sync · 2026-06-02 57:34 ↗
Broken util pipeline

Infoblox → Splunk is broken. Power BI needs a redundant feed.

Three signals they want: who came in, badge check-in, and who reserved a desk. Asked if Cadence data can fill the gap.

We have had a request to get redundant data for utilization into our Power BI.
Brian McNeela POC Set Up · 2026-06-09 57:30 ↗ 58:02 ↗
Seat ratios

Different rule sets per city. One policy will not fit.

Neighborhood and level access must follow seat-to-employee reality, office by office.

we are going to have different rule sets for different offices depending on what their seat count to employee count is… I have 50 people in Memphis but 25 seats
Brian McNeela Trial Sync · 2026-06-02 22:34 ↗
Hoteling / squatters

People skip the tool and take whatever seat they want.

No awesome hoteling app means inventory truth and fairness both erode on the floor.

There's never an awesome hoteling application, right? It's just people don't love to use it. So they would rather just go in and just take their seats and just sit wherever they want, unfortunately.
Brian McNeela Intro · 2025-08-26 14:23 ↗
Admin trust gap

Local admins may reserve. They must not check people in.

Without presence gates, favorites get booked out far ahead of real demand.

Because I, I don't trust my local admins… they would book out for their favorite people 18 months in a day
Brian McNeela Intro · 2025-08-26 39:11 ↗
Fairness · who gets space

Cathy on why entitlement to space is so hard to police.

Corporate Planning Principal · national portfolio. Fairness is the cultural half of the occupancy problem.

It's like, why would you think you need… why do you get this stuff? I don't mean to be frustrated, but it is pretty challenging.
Cathy McNamara Corporate Planning Principal · Intro · 2025-08-26 16:05 ↗
Chicago peak
180
on 163 seats · 510 assigned
Real · Brian Trial Sync
POC floors
5
NYC ×2 · Houston ×2 · Chicago ×1
Real · POC set-up
Nationwide RFP
9,102
seats · 14,239 employees
Real · Nov 2025 note
Peer outcome
$10M+
annual efficiencies · Softchoice
Peer outcome

CFO champion pack

Lease dollars · CapEx risk · finance-readable occupancy
Employees benefit

Fair access when they actually come in

  • Priority and neighborhood rules that match level and business line, so booking feels fair across NYC, Houston, and Chicago.
  • A clearer path to a desk or private office on the days they are asked to be on site.
  • Less friction from squatters and dead reservations that waste the seats people need.
Company benefits

Lease dollars and CapEx decided on peak occupancy

  • Separate true capacity shortfall from Tue/Thu crowding so you do not buy more floor for a weekday mix problem.
  • One finance-readable occupancy number into Power BI instead of Infoblox → Splunk guesswork.
  • Defend or cut rent decisions with Chicago peak 180 on 163 seats as the live proof point.
1 · What I want

Defend or cut lease dollars with peak occupancy, not badge anecdotes

  • One finance pack that separates true capacity shortfall from weekday mix problems.
  • Go / no-go on expansion vs restack before Feb–Apr tax-season blackout.
  • A Power BI-ready number shared by CRE and finance, replacing Infoblox → Splunk guesswork.
2 · Why we need this

BDO already pays for “full” that is only a Tue/Thu problem

  • Chicago: 163 seats, 510 assigned, peak 180. Leadership says full; Brian’s read is full Tue/Thu while rent still runs Mon/Fri.1
  • Peak already exceeds seats: CapEx risk if “full” becomes a lease add instead of a mix fix.
  • Utilization feed into Power BI is broken (Infoblox → Splunk). Brian asked whether Kadence can be the redundant source of truth.2
  • Nationwide Hoteling RFP baseline: 9,102 seats / 14,239 employees.7
From BDO conversations
3 · ROI expected

Peer efficiencies + BDO math you can bring upstairs

  • Softchoice: “critical layer between people and space” unlocking $10M+ in annual efficiencies (Jeff Gwinnett, VP Workplace).Peer outcome
  • Ashurst: headcount growth without significant premises-related Opex or CapEx increases.Peer outcome
  • SCU: unified systems and went from 4 buildings down to 2.Peer outcome
  • BDO Chicago: 180 peak on 163 seats with 510 assigned is the local CapEx trigger to defend or redesign before buying more floor.Real
FY27 sales slide: Jeff Gwinnett Softchoice quote on $10M+ annual efficiencies and customer logos
Softchoice · $10M+ annual efficiencies
FY27 sales slide: Grow headcount not office with Ashurst, GWI, and SCU outcomes
Grow headcount without growing real estate
FY27 sales slide: Why workplace leaders choose Kadence including BDO IT quote
Why workplace leaders choose Kadence
4 · Why Kadence

Sense → SpaceOps → Insights Plus is the CapEx loop, not a desk calendar

  • Sense: occupancy intelligence without sensors; presence becomes a reliable planning signal.
  • SpaceOps: scenario, stack, and move planning so peak vs seats becomes a restack decision.
  • Insights Plus: workplace data scientist / exec dashboards adjacent to BDO’s Power BI ask.
  • Combine WorkOps + SpaceOps or buy separately; enterprise bundle when strategy and experience need one vendor.
Kadence Sense product slide: occupancy without sensors
Kadence Sense · occupancy without sensors
FY27 sales slide: Combine WorkOps and SpaceOps or buy separately
WorkOps + SpaceOps · combined or separate

COO champion pack

Who is here · who is where · what next before busy season
Employees benefit

Know who is in and get a fair shot at space

  • Reliable presence and check-in so reserved seats are actually available when people show up.
  • Business-line priority days (e.g. tax Mon/Wed, assurance Tue/Thu) without opaque EMS exceptions.
  • City-specific rules that still make sense when someone travels between offices.
Company benefits

An operating rhythm that survives busy season

  • Who is here / who is where / what next before the Feb–Apr blackout.
  • Fewer no-shows and squatters so inventory turns and ops stop guessing from IP logins.
  • A go / no-go pack for NYC, Houston, and Chicago that leadership can run without an AE in the room.
1 · What I want

An operating rhythm that survives tax season and multi-city rules

  • Weekday mix and neighborhood priority so 2-day office targets do not blow capacity.
  • Accurate presence so no-shows free inventory and ops stop guessing from IP logins.
  • A clear go / no-go pack for NYC / Houston / Chicago before competitor narrative wins upstairs.
2 · Why we need this

Ops already named the failure modes during the trial

  • Limited occupancy visibility (IP logins), “squatter” desks, and EMS gaps on who’s actually here.4
  • City-specific neighborhood rules: NYC L9/10; Chicago/Houston L7–10 priority, L6 same-day from 9am.3
  • Local admin may reserve but must not check in (“crucial”).
  • Hard blackout Feb–Apr; deploy late Oct/Nov or May 2027. Leadership was pushing sooner.6
  • Meeting rooms: booked 8 vs actual ~5 in-person; ops needs booked vs actual heads.5
From BDO conversations
3 · ROI expected

Fewer tickets, faster adoption, hours back on reporting

  • BDO IT (global): within 10 days of deployment, near 100% utilization and zero IT support requests on how to use Kadence.Peer outcome
  • Insights Plus: office managers cite 50+ hours/month saved vs pulling badge data and building reports.Peer outcome
  • GWI: from low attendance to ~70% regularly in office once the tool became daily habit.Peer outcome
FY27 sales slide: One place for everything workplace operations
Workplace command center · occupancy + portfolio
Insights Plus workplace data scientist product slide
Insights Plus · workplace data scientist
4 · Why Kadence

Who’s here / who’s where / what next is the SpaceOps loop

  • Facilities “command center”: occupancy + portfolio intelligence, AI scenario planning, automated move management, neighborhood controls, automated check-ins.
  • Per-city neighborhood rules already proven in the POC instance.
  • Sense feeds presence without a sensor rollout; Insights Plus answers compliance and utilization without manual badge pulls.
  • Lead with ops/portfolio, not desk booking or EX theater. Booking is plumbing.
SpaceOps strategic AI-powered architect product slide with stack planning
SpaceOps · stack, scenario, and move planning

VP Corporate Real Estate champion pack

Stack planning · room sizing · portfolio truth into Power BI
Employees benefit

Rules that match how people actually use space

  • Neighborhood and level access that works at home office and when visiting another city.
  • Transparent priority for private offices and scarce seats instead of favorite-admin booking.
  • Meeting spaces sized to how teams really meet, not to booked capacity myths.
Company benefits

Portfolio truth for right-size, keep, or consolidate

  • Measured occupancy for stack planning, construction, and office sizing across the POC then nationwide.
  • Replace EMS gaps and Infoblox → Splunk breakage with Sense → SpaceOps → Insights Plus into Power BI.
  • Chicago 180 / 163 / 510 as the restack case before CapEx or lease adds.
1 · What I want

Right-size vs consolidate vs keep, with data leadership will trust

  • Measured occupancy for office sizing, construction, and stack planning across NYC, Houston, Chicago, then nationwide.
  • Neighborhood / level rules that match Director–Partner reality without manual EMS exceptions.
  • Replace EMS gaps without leaving Power BI on Infoblox guesswork.
2 · Why we need this

Cathy and Brian already named the CRE workstream

  • Need reliable data for office sizing, construction, and stack planning; IP logins are not enough.4
  • Infoblox → Splunk utilization feed broken; explicit ask for Kadence into Power BI as redundant source of truth.2
  • Meeting-room sizing: are we building 8-person rooms when peak is ~5?5
  • Chicago peak 180 on 163 seats with 510 assigned is a live restack / lease-defend case.1
  • Incumbent EMS; early Avuity look; Pepsi Challenge vs assumed OfficeSpace ended neck-and-neck upstairs.7
From BDO conversations
3 · ROI expected

Portfolio outcomes peers already published

  • SCU / Facilities: 4 buildings → 2 with Kadence as the linchpin.Peer outcome
  • Ashurst: grow headcount without significant premises Opex/CapEx lift.Peer outcome
  • Softchoice: $10M+ annual efficiencies from people-to-space layer.Peer outcome
  • BDO USA: nationwide 9,102 seats / 14,239 employees is the scale of the decision; Chicago is the measured proof point.Real
FY27 sales outcomes: grow headcount, improve culture, downsize real estate
FY27 Sales · slide 16 · premises Opex/CapEx + consolidation proof
4 · Why Kadence

Occupancy measured → stack and room decisions → exec dashboards

  • Sense captures real usage without a sensor CapEx project.
  • SpaceOps is the strategic architect: move management, scenario planning, stack planning, move sheets, Sense in-loop.
  • Insights Plus is the workplace data scientist: optimize wasted space, prove policy ROI, exec-ready dashboards, forecast demand; adjacent to Power BI.
  • City-specific neighborhood access already configured in the POC. API path to Power BI was an explicit Jun 9 ask.
SpaceOps stack and scenario planning product proof
SpaceOps · portfolio loop
Insights Plus dashboards for space utilization and policy ROI
Insights Plus · exec dashboards
FY27 sales workplace integrations slide
Enterprise integrations

Product proof · Sense → SpaceOps → Insights Plus

Lead with occupancy / portfolio · booking is plumbing
Kadence Sense
Sense

Occupancy without sensors

Presence becomes a reliable signal for planning. Answers Brian’s “who is actually here” gap without a hardware project.

SpaceOps
SpaceOps

Strategic AI-powered architect

Stack, scenario, and move planning. Turns Chicago peak-vs-seats into a restack decision, not a lease reflex.

Insights Plus
Insights Plus

Workplace data scientist

Exec-ready dashboards and custom insights. Adjacent to BDO’s Power BI ask; zero manual badge pulls.

What Michael can take upstairs: copy the one-liner, pick the persona that matches who is in the room, and walk the four beats.

Back to one-liner
Footnotes · BDO sources.
  1. Brian McNeela, Fathom “BDO x Kadence - Trial Sync” 2026-06-02 · fathom.video/calls/687317418 (~57:34).
  2. Brian McNeela, Fathom “BDO x Kadence - POC Sync/Set Up” 2026-06-09 · fathom.video/calls/702628331 (~57:30).
  3. Neighborhood rules: same call + Slack #bdo-usa POC recap 2026-05-18 · permalink.
  4. Cathy McNamara / Brian McNeela intro 2025-08-26 · HubSpot note on deal 42920517177 · Fathom 392290416.
  5. Daeton → Brian, Gmail “Re: Kadence Questions” ~2026-08-24 (meeting-room occupancy scenario).
  6. POC Sync May 18 Slack + HubSpot Jul 22 SSO/Project Sync note (busy-season / deploy window).
  7. HubSpot note 2025-11-20 (Mackenzie RFP: 9,102 seats / 14,239 employees); loss update Slack 2026-09-03 · permalink.
  8. Brian on hoteling / squatters · Intro 2025-08-26 · 14:23.
  9. Brian on admin trust / 18-month booking abuse · Intro · 39:11.
  10. Cathy McNamara fairness / who gets space · Intro · 16:05.
  11. Brian city-specific seat ratios (Memphis 50 / 25) · Trial Sync · 22:34.
  12. Optional: Brian Power BI ask Intro · 48:22 “Can we pull this data into like Power BI?”

Competitor context: Incumbent EMS; early Avuity; Pepsi Challenge assumed OfficeSpace. Loss: leadership “slightly better fit,” neck-and-neck (Michael Diaz via Daeton).