Smarter Week

How to automate it

How to automate “book meeting rooms and desks for people”

Here is the best way to spend less time on this, best first. Each comes with steps you can follow today.

20 min
typically, every day
75%
of the time can be automated
Easy
to set up

Fix 1 of 1

Software feature

Let people book rooms and desks themselves

Room resources in Outlook and Google Calendar, or tools like Robin, Skedda and Envoy, let people see what is free and book it, with screens outside rooms.

Typically saves about 70% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Make sure every room is set up as a bookable resource in Outlook (or Microsoft Places) or Google Calendar.
  2. 2For desks, use Microsoft Places, Robin, Skedda or Envoy Desks.
  3. 3Turn on auto-release of no-show bookings.
  4. 4Send one how-to and stop booking on others' behalf except for executives.

Tools: Outlook room resources and Microsoft Places · Google Calendar resources · Robin · Skedda · Envoy

Quick wins

Have you tried…

Can people book rooms and desks themselves from their calendar?
Set up each room and desk as a bookable resource in Outlook or Google Calendar, or use a tool like Robin or Skedda. People see what is free and book it.

Who does this task

Roles in our library that list this as one of their common tasks. Each guide covers the rest of that role’s week.

Office managerReceptionist / front desk

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Other common tasks for Office managers