Anyone who has ever worked in an office environment in any capacity will be aware of a universal issue that wastes time, causes arguments and creates a hostile atmosphere – meeting room bookings. Think about how many hours you’ve probably wasted throughout your professional life going back and forth to make sure Room C is free, only to turn up at Room C at the agreed-upon time to find another group mid-way through a strategy meeting?
It’s been estimated that, annually, around $37 billion is spent on unproductive meetings and, until recently, there was no concrete practical solution. Enter the room booking software solution.
What is room booking software?
It’s essentially a way of streamlining the way meetings are booked are carried out by taking all of the guesswork and effort out of the equation. It’s a holistic software solution that integrates effortlessly with existing software and hardware and can also be used with bespoke touchscreen solutions to further simplify the booking process.
Take a system like EvenMAP’s Booker, for example. This system allows everyone in the office to browse available meeting rooms from their computers and smartphones and book accordingly. It also uses bespoke Android-based tablets, manufactured by Spectra, that are mounted beside the entrance to each meeting room and can be used to see if the room is occupied and when it might be free. It’s this seamless integration (a bridge between the digital land physical workplaces) that makes it such a powerful tool.
What are the benefits of room booking software?
Efficiency – Particularly with the major spanner in the works that COVID-19 represents, efficiency in the workplace has never been more important. Frankly, you can’t afford to waste time and waste space and with a room booking software solution in place, keeping track of who is using meeting rooms at all times, all employees (and particularly facilities managers) can make the most of these optimised spaces. The efficiency of the software also makes COVID security measures (proper hygiene, room cleaning and social distancing) that much easier to manage.
Anytime – A meeting booking system can be accessed 24/7, which is incredibly fortuitous given a recent global movement towards flexible working hours. There’s real freedom in being able to book a room outside of conventional working hours and being able to book a room from your desk at work or from your sofa at home.
Productivity – How many meetings have you been in where you spend the first 10 minutes making sure everybody is there and arranging what the meeting is going to be about? If you book a meeting room with an integrated software solution, you’ll not only have the exact time mapped out for you but the meeting can be named so there is no question regarding what the meeting is about. Everyone who is required to attend will also have their meetings sent to their digital calendars and inboxes, so it’s far less likely they’ll forget about it.
Remote – The working world has changed a great deal in the last six months as many have been forced to adapt to the reality of remote working and video conferencing. Today’s room booking software is designed with this in mind so it can sync meetings with those in the office and clients and employees all over the world.
Cost – While it might mean an initial outlay to set up the system, think about the administrative time and effort it takes to manually keep track of meeting room booking, particularly in a large corporate environment. You might need to pay an annual subscription fee but with all administrative tasks being undertaken automatically, you’ll save a small fortune in man-hours.
Ultimately, meeting rooms are resources that might not be being utilised to their optimum efficiency by businesses, especially those based in expensive areas such as London and Cambridge, where real estate prices are sky high and businesses cannot afford to have an unoccupied meeting room sitting around. Room booking software is all about maximising ROI and improving room utilisation. You’ll also get the added benefit of usable data that can be analysed and used to make future meetings even more efficient, productive and cost-effective.
Image: Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com
About author
