Why your office should use a meeting room booking app
Meetings are an essential part of doing business. But is your office getting the most out of them?
Companies lose over $37 billion to unproductive meetings each year, and it’s not hard to understand why. Many things can go wrong in the office like employees arriving in the wrong room or meetings getting canceled at the last minute.
Thankfully, there’s technology that can handle your meetings in one place and ensures that everyone shows up in the right place at the right time.
What is a meeting room app?
A meeting room booking system helps offices find and book the best space for their upcoming meetings. It comes with interactive floor, space analytics, and other features that make setting up meetings and getting the most out your office space easy.
The best meeting room apps integrate with calendar tools so employees can view meeting details in the context of their schedule. Other integrations include video conferencing platforms, project management tools, and more.
Benefits of using meeting room booking apps
Using software to manage and book your meetings makes a big difference in the office.
From saving time to picking a room that’s the right fit, it ensures that you get the most out of each meeting. Let’s dive into some of the main benefits that come with a conference room scheduling tool:
Spend less time booking meetings
According to stats, 40% of employees can waste around half an hour each day looking for a meeting space. That adds up to a couple of hours each week that they could use in other areas of their job.
The right meeting room app helps you book a space in advance so you can focus on more important tasks. It should also come with an office map that helps employees instantly view the location of the meeting, so they don’t get lost on the way.
Avoid double-booking rooms
It can happen to anyone in the office. You book a room for an upcoming meeting, only to show up and realize others are already using the space.
It’s an embarrassing moment for everyone and wastes valuable time.
A meeting room prevents double-booking from ever happening. From the dashboard, you'll have a view of room availability before you make a reservation.
Eliminate no-show meetings
Another common issue in the office are no-show meetings. There’s nothing worse than showing up to a planned meeting, only to be the only person there.
With meeting room software, no-show meetings become a thing of the past. Each attendee gets notified whenever a meeting gets canceled or rescheduled, so no one gets last-minute surprises.
You’ll can also automatically cancel events that no one shows up and free up room for others. It’s going to help maximize office space, which brings us to our next point.
Manage room space effectively
Effective space management is key to creating an environment where employees can do their best. Wasted rooms not only affect productivity but costs you money in rent and real-estate.
A room scheduling software provides you with insights into how you're using office space. If you notice that one room is frequently empty, for example, you can find ways to put it to better use.
7 things to look for in a meeting room app
As you can see, a meeting room app can do wonders for your office. However, there are certain ingredients to consider before choosing a platform that’s right for you, such as:
Proven track record
The first thing you should look for in a meeting room app is what others are saying about their software. What type of online reviews are they getting? Are they well-established in their industry?
It’s going to give you a solid first clue on whether or not the app is the right choice for your office.
Ease-of-use
Next, ease-of-use is the next aspect to research about the meeting room app. The software should be straightforward and simple enough for employees to figure it out within a couple of days.
For extra support, it should also come with detailed manuals and content on their website that helps you maximize the platform. That includes a help center, blog posts, ebooks, etc.
Advanced search features
The meeting software should be able to filter rooms based on their size, location, and other vital details.
That way, instead of showing results based on availability only, it’s also going to display rooms based on relevancy. You’ll be able to find the perfect space that fits the meeting theme and be more productive.
Workplace analytics
To maximize each meeting, the app must come with detailed workplace analytics that answer the following questions:
- What is the average length of your meetings?
- Which meeting rooms are the most popular among employees and why?
- Which spaces in the office are unnecessary?
- How frequent are no-shows each week?
At Robin, we help offices uncover this data through our dashboard. It shows you real-time data on how people and spaces work together, so you can provide employees with the ideal environment to do their best.
Admin permission settings and customization
Do you have specific rooms you only want certain employees to access? If so, the meeting room app should come with permission settings that help you do so.
As a bonus, it should also include unlimited ways to customize meeting rooms, from conference names to adding logos.
Real-time interactive maps
Paper maps and spreadsheets are not an ideal long-term tactic to manage your meeting rooms. They get out of date fast and require a lot of manual work.
To make your life easier, choose a meeting room app that comes with a real-time office map. If a meeting is canceled or rescheduled, the map must automatically update itself, so no one is left behind.
Vast choice of integrations
Lastly, integrations are a vital aspect to consider. A meeting room solution is going to work better if it can complement tools you’re already using, such as Google Calendar, Microsoft Office 365, Slack, and more.
How to gets started with a meeting room app
Once you find the software that’s the right fit, it’s time to take action. Here’s how you can make sure to get the most out of your meeting room app:
1. Integrate the app to your existing calendar tool
To get everyone in your team on point about upcoming meetings, integrate the app with the calendar tool that your office uses. It’s going to set up reminders so no one forgets about important events.
2. Make your meeting room booking policies clear
Your office needs a set of guidelines that come with the use of the meeting room app.
For example, there needs to be rules regarding canceling meetings in the system. Employees also shouldn't be able to book large rooms for ten people as their own private space.
3. Connect the meeting room app to your mobile device
Make sure that employees download the app on their phone, especially if your workplace is frequently on the move. By doing so, they can access your meeting schedule from anywhere.
4. Display the meeting room schedule on various screens
On top of getting employees to download the app on their phones, make sure to include various screens with room display throughout the office to keep everyone in the loop.
You can do this through digital signage. Employees will be able to check out the meeting room schedule as they go to their coffee break or during conversations with other coworkers.
Investing in a room booking system is one of the best choices to make for your office. It removes friction from employees' days while making managing the office simple for workplace teams.
If you’re interested in using an app to manage your meetings, Robin can help.
