The office guide to booking software solutions

Table of contents

1. The different kinds of booking software
2. The benefits of booking software for HR
3. Meeting room software
4. Desk booking software
5. Free desk booking software
6. Leveraging booking software
   

The modern office requires modern technology, and this is especially true in light of changing workspaces. Hybrid working schedules in modern offices require booking software that maintains flexibility, happiness, and productivity for busy people.

There are several different kinds of booking software, all with their own benefits and the right place to implement them for your office.

Different kinds of booking software

You can use three main kinds of booking software to streamline hybrid working. They include:

• Meeting room booking software. Used for booking meeting or conference rooms
• Desk booking software. Used to booking desk space in hybrid and hot desking workspaces where desks are shared between all employees
• Car park booking software. Used to simplify parking management and make commutes easier

What are the benefits of booking software for HR?

Employee experience

Employees who have control over their environment are happier and more comfortable. They require less assistance from HR because they can turn to the booking software to meet their own needs. They always have the space they need and don't have to fuss when they don't need space.

Productivity, efficiency, and time savings

Offering booking software increases productivity by streamlining the admin around working. Easy-to-use software makes finding and using resources a snap, leaving space for workers to focus on their work.

The best booking software for hybrid working schedules

Meeting room software - WorkInSync

Pros

Meeting rooms matched based on purpose and capacity

When booking a meeting room, you can input what kind of meeting you're booking and how many people will need to attend. The booking software can then make recommendations based on what's available. There's also a handy amenities tracker so attendees can see a room's amenities and request that those be made available.

Real-time availability and booking

This booking software knows what meeting rooms are booked and which are available at given times, so you can book them ahead of time or on the spot. If a meeting has a cancelation, the software automatically makes the room available for booking again.

Notify meeting participants

Communicating with your team is easy and simplified. WorkInSync can have integration with Google Calendar and Outlook so that attendees get notifications when the meeting is booked, including date, time, room name, and amenities.

Single dashboard

Easy to use, the single dashboard view gives a comprehensive view of all the information you need, from reserved slots, cancellations, and names of attendees, to even the sanitization workflow, all in one convenient view.

Free meeting room software - Google calendar

Pros

Free

This free option is a tried and true software that many people use automatically for a variety of organizational purposes. It is free, and the intuitive software will integrate well with existing Google Calendars.

How-to guide

Google provides an easy-to-follow how-to guide to help you create the shared calendar. In addition, plenty of tutorials and guides online help you make the scheduling work best for you.

Compatible with Outlook and Apple Calendar

For offices where everyone chooses their favorite calendar to use, Apple, Outlook, Google, or a different one, using Google Calendar to schedule meetings is convenient because you can weave it into everyone’s individual calendar, making for a seamless booking method.

Desk booking software - Robin

Pros

Designed with hybrid working in mind

Robin is designed specifically for hybrid and hot desking workplaces. This makes it a great flexible option that understands how to make desk booking software work best.

Real-time office map makes booking easy

With custom office maps, people can see a real-time birds-eye view of what desks are available to book and where they are in the office, ensuring they get just the one they want.

Share with coworkers

This desk booking software makes communicating and coordinating with co workers easy. Share when and where you'll be in the office, and book in advance to make meetings work seamlessly. The check-in feature even allows you to ding coworkers’ apps and let them know when you arrive at the office.

Mobile app

For the utmost ease, Robin is available on a mobile option. This makes desk booking much simpler, with a remote control to achieve it always in your hands.

Analytics

To optimize desk use, this desk booking software allows you to get a full view of what desks are getting used most, which are used less, and how to use space better.

Desk booking software - Skedda

Pros

Maps and floorplans

Make booking software easy to use with maps and floorplans that take the visualization out of booking a desk. With simple maps, employees can see exactly where they're trying to book their desks.

Booking calendar

Simple dashboards with multiple calendar viewing options make seeing everything at a glance easy.

Automate rules

Each office has different rules around desk sharing. Automate these easily by working them into the way the booking software works.

User management

Easily control what users are capable of different things, ensuring the right people get the access and control they need.

Car park booking software - Parkable

Pros

Book in advance

Take the guessing out of parking. With mobile-based car park booking software, people can book parking stalls in advance, ensuring that there is enough space for them to park on the days they’ll be in the office and only when they'll be there, leaving space open for someone else to use when they’re not around.

Easy interface

Easy to use and intuitive, the booking software is designed to simplify all aspects of car parks, from reserving and releasing parking spaces, paying for them, and even accessing parking spaces.

Make parking fairer

Instead of doing first-come-first-serve parking, which can be unfair, Parkable’s booking functions let people book spots, so they're sure to be ready when needed. In addition, the admin functions allow you to allocate who has parking privileges and when ensuring that those who need to have priority (those who live further away or with special needs) get it.

Leverage booking software to make a hybrid work schedule easier

The right tools will empower your hybrid working teams with higher productivity, experience, efficiency, and time savings.

Talk to us about adding car park booking software to your workplace toolkit!