Setting up a desk booking system may seem a very daunting task with visions of overhauling the entire workplace. However, it is much easier to implement it in your existing office with the right tools like the ecobook – Desk Booking System. When implementing ecobook, these are the following items that you need to do.
Upload your layout
You can use ecobook to book a desk without the layout view. However, it is visually more conducive to see the office layout with desk locations. To make the best use of ecobook, get your floor plan layouts in JPEG or PNG format. If you do not have an image of the layout, you can still create a simple rough layout using Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format. If you are using images from programs such as AutoCAD, then remove unnecessary details such as pillars, dimensions and labels so that you only have the bare essentials to display, like desks and meeting rooms. Use the upload feature to upload your layout and assign them to a location such as a building and level. The next step is to create the desks and mark them on the layout. This is done using a simple point-and-click.
Set Policies
Set policies on the desks such as:
1. Lead time for booking of desks – This allows you to indicate if staff can book the desk immediately or can only book 3 hours or 2 days in advance.
2. Booking windows such as 8:00 am to 6:00 pm – This allows you to limit the timing that is allowed for bookings.
3. Booking windows such as 12 months – This allows how far into the future staff can book a specific desk.
4. Booking on weekends and public holidays – This indicates if staff is allowed to access the system on weekends or public holidays.
5. Desks that need approvals – This allows staff to indicate desks that require authorization. So, when someone books these desks, it will require approval by some specific set of people who have oversight over these desks.
Assign Rights
Implementing desk booking becomes easier if you assign rights. Not all your staff will have the same set of permissions. Perhaps you would like to segregate desks based on floors, departments, or specific cross-functional teams. Plan the grouping before creating the groups. You can create groups easily from the administration panel and assign users to them. Each group can have its permissions to either view or book the desks. There are primarily 4 combinations:
1. Hidden desks – desks that cannot be seen by these groups of users even if they are available.
2. View-Only desks – these are desks that can only be viewed.
3. Bookable desks – these are desks that can be viewed and reserved.
4. Managed desks – these are desks that can be reserved with approval.
Reserve Desks
Some desks may be permanently occupied by a certain group of users. These can be booked long-term or blocked. This prevents staff from being able to book these desks.
Other Options
Implement Desk Device Hardware
Desk-based devices are hardware products that allow users to check in at their desks upon their arrival and check out when they leave. While this can also be done using the web-based interface, a display panel provides convenience and clear visibility into which spaces are available when entering the office space. The device sports a LED display that indicates availability in green color and occupancy in red. Setting up the software component is quite simple with registering each device with a unique identifier. However, mounting and placing them on the desk can be a more complex task with the need for USB-based power and the availability of WiFi. Once set up, the devices can be locked in with tamper-proof brackets and screws.
Implement Lobby Display
Lobby display touchscreen kiosks allow the staff to view the entire floor plan and check for the availability of seats right in the lobby or reception area. With a simple tap and check-in process, the desk can be reserved immediately. The lobby kiosk is easy to implement with the same consistent interface that you would get in the web-based interface. However, in the lobby interface, authentication will be required. This can be achieved using a PIN or a tap of your staff access card.
Selecting Staff Authentication Methods
If you plan to use the desk device or the lobby display unit for staff to use, then it is important to have a seamless authentication mechanism. Staff usually carry a staff card. The staff card information can be imported into the system using the administration panel on the web. Alternatively, staff can be issued a PIN to help them key in and reserve the desks. The PIN is unique to the staff and a new one can be requested if needed. Alternatively, staff’s known numbers such as employee ID or printer PIN, or mobile phone number can be used as the PIN.
Concluding
Desk reservation setup in your office is not a tedious task. However, with a tool like ecobook, the process of implementing desk booking is easy. While setting up the hardware could take slightly longer with the planning and preparation of office cabling, a software-based setup can get your office up and running in no time.
