The remote work culture put a sudden halt to in-person meetings. Virtual conference apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet replaced meeting rooms overnight. But, two years later, a hybrid workplace has emerged as the new normal. In this flexible work model, some employees work remotely while others work from the office.
The ratio of remote and on-site workers varies among companies. But, no matter the structure, every hybrid work model needs a proper on-premise setup. This includes having adequate space for conducting in-person meetings. But after going hybrid, many companies downsize, and meeting rooms are often the first to go.
While meeting rooms and conference rooms are underutilized assets, they are necessary. So, you need to make the most of the office space you have. Here’s how a meeting room booking system can help you out.
This software manages your meeting room space and records its usage. You can use your meeting room booking system to:
- Schedule meetings and book meeting space as and when required
- View how many meeting rooms are available
- Track the number of meeting hours
- Monitor how frequently certain teams need to book meeting rooms
- Check amenities and maintenance status
- Automate cleaning and sanitization process
But before we list out the top meeting room booking systems for you, let us look at some viable use cases.
Why Should You Use a Meeting Room Booking System for Your Hybrid Workplace?
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Here are three things a meeting room management software can do for you:
- Improve your office space utilization
- Facilitate better collaboration
- Reduce costs and booking time
Let us now go over these benefits in detail.
#1 Improve Your Office Space Utilization
A hybrid workplace means fewer employees, which means more space-saving, right? Surprisingly, most organizations often end up wasting their space. Meeting rooms sit empty for days and are used only for a few hours when needed. There is a lot you can do with this space in your office.
Suppose your office has three large meeting rooms. Through your meeting room booking system, you can track the rooms your employees are using. You realize that two of them go unused for months. Now, to save space, you can divide the two large meeting rooms into hot desks, small offices, or one-on-one spaces.
#2 Facilitate Collaboration
The hybrid model will not work if there is no collaboration. And collaboration is not possible without clear communication! To maintain the flow of communication, employees need to attend more meetings than before.
With a meeting room booking system, you can:
- Send meeting notifications instantly
- Set up automatic reminders through emails
- Integrate with collaboration tools and send reminders through them
- Notify your employees if you cancel or reschedule a meeting
#3 Reduce costs and booking time
Booking a meeting room requires a lot of back-and-forth communication between IT managers and facility managers. You have to send and track emails, make calls, and notify your attendees.
With a meeting room booking system, all you need to do is:
- Check available meeting rooms
- Book a meeting in any available room
And you’re done! The software will notify the participants about the location and time or any changes you make.
Top 5 Meeting Room Booking Systems for IT Managers
Need a suitable meeting room booking system? Well, the right option for you is the one that meets your hybrid workplace requirements the best.
We have compiled a list of the best meeting room booking solutions.
#1 Ping
Ping is a meeting room booking system with an easy-to-use interface.
Key features:
- Room management
- Check-ins
- Mobile web app
- Integrations with G Suite, Office 365, iCloud
- In-built analytics tool (Paid users only)
- Security features
#2 WorkInSync
WorkInSync is a cloud-based hybrid work solution. It enables you to seamlessly adopt a hybrid model for your office through a single SaaS platform. The solution is highly regarded by the leading organizations.
Key features:
- Enables booking meeting rooms in advance through Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar
- Its meeting room booking software also helps you create interactive floor maps, making it easier to find and book meeting spaces
- Provides a host of other solutions like integration, space management, desk booking, visitor management, and contactless access management
#3 Condeco
Another popular meeting room booking app, Condeco is widely used by organizations.
Key features:
- It allows you to reschedule meetings or swap rooms when required
- It allows you to extend meetings in real-time if they stretch beyond fixed schedules
- Provides three meeting room types: self-serve, managed, or blind managed
#4 MIDAS
MIDAS room booking software is available as a cloud-hosted SaaS platform and an on-premise solution. It is not an end-to-end meeting room booking system, but you can use it to streamline your booking process.
Key features:
- Allows access through a web browser regardless of the location
- Has staffing and equipment scheduling options
- Allows you to share booking confirmations and reminders with employees, and invoices to clients
#5 Smartway2
Smartway2 is a robust booking system. However, it requires you to train some before using it efficiently.
Key features:
- It comes with an analytics tool to help you curb your resource wastage
- You can easily integrate it with Outlook and Office 365
In Conclusion
Whether you are an established company or a startup, your hybrid workplace needs an effective way to manage how your employees collaborate. And since the hybrid model is here to stay, a robust meeting rooms booking system will go a long way!
So identify your needs, assess your resources, and start looking for a meeting room booking system.
