The ability to quickly adapt to the needs of different employees and groups is what defines agile offices. Michelle can work at a hot desk, then meet with Jordan and Ira in a conference room, then switch to a breakout space with Mia without missing a beat. This type of flexible workplace is only possible with controls in place. In the background, there is usually work reservation and management software running.
Think about the chaos of multiple employees and groups trying to use the same conference room or hot desk at the same time. If there were no system of order and prioritization, employees would spend more time searching for a suitable workspace than using it. The following three examples illustrate the importance of workplace reservation and management software.
1. Better space utilization
Room reservation software extends the scope of room utilization beyond what is immediately available. Jason might use the nearby third-floor conference room exclusively since it’s nearby and convenient. Jason knows the room well. It might not be worth his while to look for another space if someone is already there. At the same time, if he uses room scheduling software, he might discover there’s another conference room just two minutes away one department over.
Booking rooms not only optimizes space utilization, but can also improve accommodation. It is possible that Jasmine tends to book the same group workspace for all of her meetings. This space can only accommodate four people comfortably, and Jasmine often meets with groups of five and six. Jasmine may be able to book higher quality accommodations if she uses Workspace room booking software to choose rooms based on her group size that day.
Both of these factors contribute to a better use of space in terms of location and occupancy. With this software, employees can explore what’s most applicable beyond what is convenient or familiar.
2. Reduced commute time to work
Time savings are one of the most important aspects of a meeting room booking system. An employee’s time spent wandering from space to space is effectively wasted. Rooms can be booked for a specific period of time, eliminating wasted time upfront. Leslie and company can reserve the Blue Conference Room from 1-2pm, which could save them a couple of minutes searching for a space otherwise. Similarly, Donna and her team can see the Blue Conference Room is already booked and will not waste time walking there later.
The minutes add up to hours or even days, depending on the number of workspaces available in the facility. Consider, for example, how much time can be saved by saving one minute per hour. Saving one minute per hour equates to 10 minutes per day, or 43 hours per year, roughly one week of work.
Through a room booking, you can gain more time for meaningful work elsewhere, whether it’s collaboration with a group or a seamless transition between workspaces. There is less wasted time, less time spent in transition, and less time wasted searching for the perfect workspace.
3. Easy employee planning and locating
Understanding where an employee is at any given moment is an underrated feature of a desk booking solution. This is especially useful in agile workspaces where employees change workspaces throughout the day. Checking active room reservations can make it easy to find an employee or even an entire team.
Nancy needs to speak with Talib, so she looks him up in the employee directory and sees that he is in a meeting for the next 40 minutes.
Instead of calling, she decides to email him. Laurentta wants to meet with her design team to discuss revisions. Instead of finding each individual, she invites them all to a conference room and lets the software determine the closest available space between them.
When you use room booking software, you can collaborate with colleagues, no matter how big your workplace is or how hectic it is. Room bookings update calendars, which updates availability, making collaboration easier and more efficient. Everybody knows where everyone else is, when they’re free, and what open spaces are nearby.
