The Challenge: A Growing Team, Limited Space, and High Stakes

Eli Lilly’s global flagship office in Cork was built to house 1,000 desks. But by the end of the pandemic, their headcount had jumped more than 35% and was continuing to grow. By 2025, Lilly’s Cork workforce was already over 2000 people.

The return-to-office challenge? The office was designed for a 1:1 desk ratio and was already at full capacity.

Real estate expansion was on the table. But with the yearly cost of desk space in Cork at €8,000/year per desk, so was a €3+ million annual price tag.

And for HR teams, the stakes were just as high: How do you make sure everyone — new joiners and long-time employees alike — has what they need to be productive and collaborative without the stress of fighting for space?

That’s where Ronspot came in.

Tackling the Problems to Be Solved

Ronspot partnered closely with Eli Lilly to dig deep into their hybrid work challenges — not just the ones in front of them, but the ones coming next. Ronspot’s workplace platform including desk booking and parking space management were rolled out and quickly adopted across the Cork site. 

Here’s what Lilly was facing — and how Ronspot solved it:

Problem 1: 35% workforce growth without enough desks to match

Lilly had 2,300+ employees — and only 1,200 desks. Without a better system, they’d need to construct a new office building.

Ronspot’s solution: Ronspot enabled employees to easily view desk availability before coming in, book confidently, and avoid unnecessary trips or overcrowding. With booking data and flexible credits, Ronspot helped Lilly improve their employee-to-desk ratio from 1:1 to 2:1 — saving millions by avoiding the need for additional real estate.

Problem 2: Uncertainty for employees coming into the office

Employees didn’t know if there would be a desk available when they arrived — creating stress, frustration, and wasted time.

Ronspot’s solution: A user-friendly booking app that let employees check availability before leaving home and reserve a spot with confidence.

Problem 3: Difficulty aligning in-office days for better collaboration

Without visibility into when teammates were in, coordinating meaningful collaboration was hit-or-miss.

Ronspot’s solution: Visibility into colleagues’ bookings, so teams could align their in-office schedules and make the most of face-to-face time.

Problem 4: Wasted space due to fixed department zones

Some team areas sat half-empty while demand was high elsewhere.

Ronspot’s solution: A flexible, fully bookable layout where all desks were made available to everyone — maximizing use of every seat.

Bonus Win : Reduce Food Waste and Catering Spend

Inaccurate attendance forecasts led to regular food waste and inefficiencies at the Lilly canteens.

Ronspot attendance insights were shared with catering partner Sodexo, helping them accurately forecast,  cutting surplus food down to just 5 meals per day!

The Results: Time and Money Saved, Thanks to Space Planning Tools and Data 

By shifting from a 1:1 to a 2:1 employee-to-desk ratio, Eli Lilly avoided opening a third building — and saved million of euros in the process.

With Ronspot, they also:

• Cut food waste to just 5 surplus meals per day
• Improved space efficiency across both buildings
• Delivered a seamless experience for both new and returning employees
• Gained actionable insights to plan smarter and adapt fast
• Rolled out Ronspot globally to support hybrid work across more locations
• Saved 400+ hours per year in manual data analysis

Why Ronspot

• One simple platform to manage desks, rooms, and parking
• Powerful data dashboard  to inform smarter workplace strategies
• Easy onboarding for employees — quick adoption and roll out 
• Scalable and secure for global teams