Systems and methods for employing automated data analysis to define zones for device placement in an operating evironment

A system for determining placement of devices in an operating environment, comprising:

• a data collection device that is configured to automatically collect data via an external data communication interface on user employment of the devices in the operating environment, the collected data being affinity data that provides an indication of users' employment of one of the devices in relation to the users' employment of others of the devices;
• a processor that is programmed to:
• map the collected data specifying the devices and an indication of relative use of the devices;
• and
• analyze the mapping to determine placement of one or more of the devices in the operating environment;
• and
• a display device for displaying a result of the analysis to an operator, the display device displaying the result of the analysis in a format in which the devices are represented as individual nodes and relations between the devices are indicated by lines between related devices, at least one of a color or a thickness of the lines representing a level of the relations.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to execute a method for determining placement of devices in an operating environment, the method comprising:

• automatically collecting data on user employment of the devices in the operating environment, the collected data being affinity data that provides an indication of users' employment of one of the devices in relation to the users' employment of others of the devices;
• mapping the collected data specifying the devices and an indication of relative use of the devices;
• analyzing the mapping to determine placement of one or more of the devices in the operating environment;
• and
• outputting a result of the analysis to an operator for use in placing the devices,
• the result of the analysis being displayed in a format in which the devices are represented as individual nodes and the indication of the relative use of the devices is indicated by lines between related devices, at least one of a color and a thickness of the lines representing a level of the relative use.