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Desk Booking Software: Everything You Need to Know

Get the lowdown on what desk booking software is, how an online system works, and what features and integrations you should look for when choosing a solution.

August 9, 2021
4 min read

What is desk booking software?

Desk booking software is a space scheduling tool that can help employees and students easily book spaces that are most appropriate for their needs, thereby helping to:

  • Eliminate wasted space
  • Provide self-service capabilities
  • Gain insight into which spaces are booked, length of booking and other key metrics
  • Create a flexible workplace
  • Easily manage office hoteling and seat allocation

There are many different online desk booking systems available today.

 

Why use an online desk booking system?

The right desk booking system will not only facilitate space booking but also:

  • Reduce friction in the workplace
  • Maximize employee productivity
  • Ensure that clean, open spaces are always easily available
  • Eliminate time spent wasted searching for a proper space
  • Improve space utilization
  • Provide the real-time data needed to see trends and plan for future needs

 

Who uses a desk booking software?

Within an organization or campus, many individuals can effectively utilize a desk booking software, including:

  • Employees
  • Workplace leaders
  • IT teams
  • Students
  • Facilities managers

 

What features should you look for in an office desk booking system?

There are many features that you should look out for in a modern office desk booking software. These include:

Mobile Capabilities

A robust and user-friendly desk booking app will allow your users to self-service book from any device, including their smartphone, desktop and tablet.

Calendaring Options

Multiple calendar viewing options sync with attendees existing calendars to facilitate booking, prevent information siloes and streamline the space management process.

Interactive Maps and Floorplans

features_an-enterprise-level-scheduling-solution-min

Using customizable, interactive, real-time floorplans and maps, you can easily visualize your space and understand, at a glance, which location will best suit your needs.

Comprehensive Customer Support

24/7 customer support can help you easily resolve problems, answer questions and more.

Security and Safety

Your data security is extremely important. You will want a tool that offers authentication and auto-provisioning with single sign-on (SAML 2.0 SSO).

Useful Automations

With the right software, you’ll also be able to automate key functions based on your specific policies, rules, data collection requirements and more.

User Management

Manage permissions and create restrictions based on office policies, roles and more.

Online Payment Options

For events and large meetings, the right tool will allow you to securely accept online payment from vendors, catering and more.

Comprehensive Space Utilization Analytics

Key metrics like desk usage, contact tracing data, space utilization and more can help you keep real estate costs down, keep employees safe and manage spaces as your utilization changes over time.

 

What are the benefits of desk booking solutions?

The right desk booking solution can provide a slew of benefits, including:

Improved Collaboration

With the right desk booking software, coworkers can easily sync their schedules, facilitate collaboration, engage in teamwork and work more flexibly and productively.

Better Time Management

An effective desk booking solution can help employees and students plan their week, manage office capacity, find appropriate spaces and more, thereby eliminating costly downtime and inefficiencies.

Insight Into Space Utilization

With real-time, comprehensive utilization data, you can find out which spaces are used the most, identify unused spaces, make improvements, maximize safety and realize significant cost savings.

A More Flexible Workspace

A more flexible and adaptable work environment helps employees choose the safest and most relevant space for their needs. It also helps encourage safe spacing and maximize overall utilization.

Increased Employee and Student Efficiency

With the right tool, employees will no longer be wandering around and wasting time looking for an available space.

Increased Safety and Social Distancing

Comprehensive data can simplify contact tracing and help organizations maintain accurate and safe cleaning schedules to sanitize high-touch surfaces.

 

What are your hardware options when it comes to desk booking software?

There are many hardware options when it comes to a desk booking software, including:

  • Smartphone and mobile desk booking devices.
  • Tablet
  • Kiosk
  • Desktop booking system
  • Digital signage

 

What kind of integrations should you look for in a desk booking system?

EMS Graph

EMS desk and space booking software can integrate into your company networks and into many web-based tools and applications. Integrations include:

  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Skype
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Zoom
  • HR systems
  • Sensors
  • Video conferencing
  • Facility Management
  • HVAC
  • Customer-Specific Applications

 

What types of spaces can be booked through these systems?

With a robust meeting room and desk booking system, many different spaces can be booked, including:

  • Fixed workspaces: These spaces are permanently assigned to a specific employee. That said, they can be easily released during organization change or periods of prolonged absence.
  • Flexible workspaces: Flexible workspaces are often assigned to a specific employee, but can be used by other individuals on days when that employee is not in office. This is ideal for companies with a hybrid working environment.
  • Bookable workspaces: These spaces can be reserved by any employee with access at any point in time.

You can also set up specific “neighborhoods” for certain teams or groups of people, which can help teams easily find the right spaces and connect with their colleagues.

 

Introducing EMS Desk Booking Software System

Learn more about EMS desk booking and space scheduling software here.

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August 9, 2021