Meeting Room Booking System

Benefits of Meeting Room Scheduling Software

Room scheduling software helps organizations streamline the scheduling and management of their facilities and resources. By providing real-time availability and online booking, room reservation software can save an organization time and improve communication and collaboration between employees by ensuring everyone has space to work and the technology they need to complete their work. Room booking software also eliminates the risk of double bookings and other scheduling conflicts.

If the meeting room scheduling software provides analytics, business owners can also gain real-time insights into room utilization. This allows them to manage real estate costs and release any space that is underutilized.

Meeting Room Booking System Features

A robust meeting room booking system simplifies space management, enhances workplace efficiency, and ensures seamless collaboration.

Here are the key features to look for:

• Real-Time Availability & Scheduling – Instantly check room availability, book spaces, and prevent double bookings with a centralized platform.
• Automated Reservations & Approvals – Set up custom workflows to manage room requests, approvals, and cancellations effortlessly.
• Integration with Calendars & Business Tools – Sync with Outlook, Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and facility management systems for a seamless experience.
• Interactive Floor Plans & Room Displays – Visualize available spaces, navigate office layouts, and reserve rooms with digital signage or interactive maps.
• Mobile & Self-Service Booking – Employees can book, modify, or cancel reservations from anywhere via desktop, mobile apps, or kiosks.
• Resource & Equipment Management – Ensure necessary amenities like projectors, whiteboards, and video conferencing tools are available for meetings.
• Usage Analytics & Reporting – Gain insights into room utilization, peak booking times, and occupancy trends to optimize space planning.
• Access Control & Security – Integrate with badge systems or smart locks to restrict access based on reservation status and employee permissions.
• Hybrid Work & Hot Desking Support – Allow employees to reserve workspaces and meeting rooms in flexible, hybrid office environments.

A well-equipped meeting room booking system enhances efficiency, reduces scheduling conflicts, and helps businesses maximize office space while supporting evolving workplace needs.

How Do I Set Up a Meeting Room Booking System?

Setting up a meeting room reservation system can help you manage your organization's meeting spaces more efficiently, saving time and reducing scheduling conflicts. Here’s how to get started:

1. Assess your needs: Step one is to determine the specific needs of your organization. Consider factors such as the number of meeting rooms, the size of the rooms, the types of equipment and resources required, and any scheduling policies or procedures that need to be followed.
2. Choose a meeting room reservation system: There are many meeting room reservation systems available, ranging from simple spreadsheet templates to more complex software solutions. Look for a system that meets your organization's needs and budget, and consider factors such as ease of use, customization options, and integration with other software tools.
3. Train users: Once you’ve chosen the room reservation software and set it up at your organization, you will need to train users on how to use it effectively. This may involve offering in-person training sessions and communicating any company policies related to room reservations and usage.
4. Monitor usage: Finally, it is important to monitor usage of the meeting room booking system to ensure that it is being used effectively. This may involve tracking usage statistics, soliciting feedback from users, and making adjustments to the system as needed.

How to Find the Best Meeting Room Booking System

There are a wide variety of options when it comes to meeting room booking systems. Though it’s essential to find software that meets the specific needs of your organization, here are a few things to consider.

1. What are the features? Depending on your needs, you may prefer a simple room booking system or one with special features, including real-time availability calendars, booking confirmations, automatic reminders, reporting and a mobile interface.
2. Is it easy to use? Consider the user-friendliness of the system. Does it have a clean and intuitive interface? Is it easy to navigate? Does it have a user manual or tutorials to guide users? If the software isn’t easy to use, it’s unlikely employees will use it.
3. What does customer support look like? Ensure the system offers good customer support in case you run into any issues. Check if they offer email, phone, or live chat support, and if their support team is responsive and knowledgeable.
4. How does it fit in with your budget? Compare the pricing plans of the different systems and choose one that fits your budget and meets your requirements. Look for hidden costs like set-up fees or additional charges for extra features.

Accruent EMS: An Industry-Leading Meeting Room Booking System

Accruent EMS is hassle-free room scheduling software that streamlines booking, lowers administrative overhead and reduces meeting scheduling time. Not only can you access real-time room information and calendars, but you’ll gain visibility into room usage with our analytics and reporting. Business owners can also set up permissions-based room access and generate invoices for room usage. And Accruent EMS is compatible with Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, and other applications for streamlined scheduling.

Key Capabilities and Benefits: 

• User-Friendly Scheduling – Book rooms quickly via web, mobile app, kiosks, or directly in Outlook and Teams. Reduces training time and boosts adoption.
• Automated Workflows & Efficiency – EMS automates bookings, confirmations, and approvals. Easily add catering, equipment, and services to reduce scheduling errors.
• Real-Time Visibility & Control – Centralized dashboards show live room availability and usage. Track trends, prevent conflicts, and optimize space utilization.
• Seamless Integrations – Connects with Outlook, Office 365, Zoom, Teams, and digital signage for a streamlined scheduling experience without duplicate data entry.
• Comprehensive & Scalable Solution – Manage meeting rooms, AV, parking, and shared spaces across multiple locations with a system that grows with your needs.

How Accruent EMS Helps Your Industry

Accruent EMS is a comprehensive solution trusted by businesses and institutions across many industries. Here’s how it adds value to your workspace:

• Corporate Offices: Streamline meeting room reservations, support hybrid work models, and integrate perfectly with Outlook and video conferencing tools. Managers can quickly gain insights into office space utilization and reduce real estate costs.
• Higher Education: Simplify scheduling process for classroom, study room, exam and auditorium on a single platform, resulting in a more efficient use of campus facilities, easier timetable management, and an improved student experience with readily available resources.
• Healthcare Facilities: Coordinate meeting space reservations for team huddles, training, and patient education, reducing scheduling burdens with automated notifications and ensuring efficient room usage in fast-paced environments.
• Event Venues & Others: Manage shared spaces in government buildings, event centers, and community venues, providing flexibility in customizing workflows, automating security checks, setting up instructions for industry-specific requirements.

Real-World Success: How Organizations Benefit from EMS

Discover how leading organizations use Accruent EMS to streamline meeting room scheduling, improve space utilization, and enhance workplace efficiency. These real customer stories showcase the impact of EMS in action across various industries.

• Minnesota State Colleges was able to save $50 Millions in savings by validating space utilization for true needs using EMS. Hear from schools' representative Stacy Brown to learn more.

• a Data Integration Company wanted to implement a modern booking system that would allow them to facilitate hybrid work, ensure employee health and safety, optimize their workplace strategy, and enhance the employee experience. Learn how EMS improved company’s room-booking capabilities in 21 offices globally across 9 time zone.

• A Big 4 Accounting Firm needed to optimize space utilization across 695 offices around the world. Learn how EMS helped save $97 million in five years.

• A 100 year-old High Profile Law Firm sought to address a breakdown in communication among various departments required to manage a meeting or event. Learn how the firm realized a return on their EMS investment as they significantly reduced costs and increased productivity in 3 months.