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for a Flexible, Modern Workplace

 

The Modern Workplace: Open and Flexible

The modern workplace requires flexibility and options as companies figure out how to reduce their real estate overhead, enable work-life balance, respond to COVID and make the most out of their physical environment.

In many ways, this has called for a reimagining of the “traditional” office space in favor of more collaborative workplaces that feature a mix of environments, including an open environment, cubicles, designated areas for presentations, conference rooms, meeting rooms and more.

These changes, of course, come with important shifts in how employees book spaces and an increase in practices like desk hoteling, hot desking, desk sharing and free address. That’s where EMS can help.

 

EMS Can Help Simplify Desk Hoteling and Workspace Reservations

EMS makes it faster and easier to book space as needed, supporting the flexible, activity-based workplace. Your team members can make any space available in EMS, whether it’s a cubicle, shared table, standing desk, parking space or closed-in office. You can also enable EMS to accept and route requests for managed workspaces with services and resources.


 

Desk Hoteling: The Basics

 

What is Desk Hoteling?

Desk hoteling, also known as office hoteling, is an agile workplace practice that allows employees to find and book the workspace that is best suited to their needs during a particular date block of time. Hoteling and hot desking practices are often used concurrently with more permanent seating options for businesses that have dynamic employee needs.

Overall, desk hoteling is shown to increase productivity, maximize engagement and cut real estate costs from underutilized space.

 

What is Desk Hoteling Software?

Desk hoteling software is a tool that can streamline the desk hoteling and office hoteling processes, providing a centralized tool from which employees and administrators can:

  • Set roles and permissions
  • Book spaces in advance
  • See all available spaces
  • Gain access to real-time data and analytics
  • Integrate with other relevant systems and tools
  • Facilitate contact tracing and a safe return to work
 

LEARN MORE: IS DESK HOTELING IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Features of EMS Desk Hoteling Software: Full Office Hoteling Support from Start to Finish

Desk hoteling software EMS easy-to-use features

Access and Update Meeting Information via Kiosk, Tablet, Computer or Mobile Device

Everyday users can reserve spaces quickly and conveniently from a variety of access points. Help your employees book or check-in at centrally located kiosks, reserve spaces in advance through online request forms, or use programs like Outlook to book a space and add it to their personal calendars.

Learn more about Points of Access

Maximize Insight With Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics

Comprehensive, integrated data and analytics is necessary to optimize company culture, meet KPIs and increase revenue. The right hoteling software will give you key insight into many of these important metrics, letting you track things like:

  • Where employees sit
  • How departments are working together
  • How much time is spent in each office space
  • Which spaces are getting utilized
  • Which spaces need sanitization

This information can inform important decisions about your real estate, space utilization, employee training, departmental structure and more.

Desk booking software EMS flexible collaboration and efficiency

Facilitate Activity-Based Working with Flexible Booking Options 

Activity-based work and room scheduling provides employees with the flexibility and capability to find the most appropriate space to complete a particular task. Using an activity-based model, employees can choose from meeting rooms, lounge areas, pods, break out spaces, conference rooms and more.

This flexibility can enhance productivity, increase collaboration, improve employee relationships and maximize employee efficiency.

EMS desk hoteling software use floor plans to book spaces

Utilize Floor Plans to Increase Productivity and Proximity

Floor managers and EMS administrators can help foster innovation and a collaborative environment by seating business units or project teams together in designated areas or neighborhoods.

Using EMS, employees can be ideally situated for productivity and proximity to the resources they need, whether they're working from their primary office or visiting a remote company location.

Improve Contact Tracing and Space Utilization

Now, more than ever, it’s important for organizations to be able to see which employees are sitting where, which spaces are being used, what needs sanitation and more. This information allows for contact tracing, effective social distancing and optimized space utilization.

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Best Office Hoteling Software Practices for a Safer Office

Organizations everywhere must make the best use of their office space to accommodate a growing hybrid workforce that expects safe, sanitary workspaces. EMS is here to help.

Our best office hoteling software practices allow offices to maintain confidence that workspaces are clean, healthy and safe. As your organization implements office hoteling, be sure to keep these considerations top of mind:

  • Anytime access to desk booking. Rather than allowing employees to roam the floors looking for bookable spaces, EMS offers access to room and desk booking from anywhere with points of access.
     
  • Granular control. Create desk groupings with EMS’ highly configurable booking forms so you can remind employees of policies and collect needed information at the outset.
     
  • Optimized cleaning processes. Built-in reports mean access to up-to-date data that informs custodial staff which spaces need attention.
     
  • Real-time notifications. Notifications from EMS keep employees, administrators and service providers aligned when policies and practices change, like when an employee reports themselves at higher risk when booking space.
     
  • Capacity-limit enforcement. In EMS’ office hoteling software, you can use the Room Configuration wizard to enforce new capacities or quickly revert to previous ones.
     
  • Automatic, no-touch check-ins. Our customers can enable automatic, no-touch check-ins via a variety of methods such as email, the web app, the mobile app, the EMS kiosk and the EMS room sign app.

FAQ: Desk Hoteling Software

 

What is hoteling software?

Desk hoteling software is a powerful tool that can help organizations facilitate desk hoteling and hot desking efforts. It can also help them:

  • Create space in the office and drive down real estate costs.
  • Drive transparency and clarity through data-driven visibility.
  • Keep people – and their comfort, sanitation, and hygiene – at the forefront.
  • Track and optimize space utilization.

The right hoteling software can also decrease employee confusion and help team members find the most appropriate space for any given meeting or task. This, in turn, can decrease frustration and maximize space utilization and employee productivity.

 

What is workspace management?

Workspace management, as the name suggests, is the management and optimization of workspaces to increase space utilization, reduce real estate costs and maximize space efficiency. Today, effective workspace management is achieved using workspace management software. The right software or suite of tools can:

  • Maximize space utilization
  • Simplify meeting and space scheduling
  • Help organizations identify and reduce unused space
  • Increase transparency about space availability

 

How much money can you save with a work from home (WFH) or hybrid work environment?

Many businesses today have found that they can increase employee satisfaction, maximize productivity and save time and money using a WFH or hybrid work environment, particularly in the wake of COVID-19. And employees prefer this environment. According to a Global Workplace Analytics report, up to two-thirds of people want to work from home, and businesses find that WFH opportunities can increase productivity by 40% - and that’s just scratching the surface.

That’s why many companies have opted for multi-use, activity-based workspaces and desk hoteling tools that make that model possible.

 

What are the benefits of office hoteling?

When executed effectively, office hoteling, hot desking and “free address” practices can lead to many benefits – both for companies and for their employees. More specifically, office hoteling can:

  • Allow for more office networking and collaboration.
  • Cut real estate and space utilization costs.
  • Increase employee productivity by allowing employees to self-select spaces that best suit their needs.
  • Increase employee wellbeing and, by extension, their productivity and performance.
  • Lead to higher employee attraction and retention rates.
  • Increase business resiliency in the face of unexpected events or workplace disruptions.

 

How do you create an effective office hoteling program?

If you are transitioning to desk hoteling or office hoteling from a more traditional workplace structure, there are some best practices to keep in mind to ease the transition:

  • Allow employees to personalize their space, even in a hoteling environment.
  • Create a mix of spaces in your office, including long working tables, designated meeting rooms, computer nooks and more.
  • Deploy a robust, easy-to-use hoteling software to streamline day-to-day tasks and increase transparency.
  • Enable notifications for bookings, missed check-ins and other key notifications.
  • Use utilization reports to drive down costs and optimize your spaces.
  • Communicate openly, welcome employee feedback and make sure the system you implement makes sense for employee needs.

 

What should you consider when researching desk booking software?

The desk booking software that you implement must be robust, well-adopted and easy to use in order for it to be effective for your business. When evaluating vendors and options, consider factors like:

  • Ease-of-use: The right desk booking software will allow employees and visitors to book spaces, update reservations and more on their computers, tablets and mobile devices. It will also integrate with their other frequently used tools like Microsoft Teams, Zoom and G Suite for a seamless online experience.
  • Reporting and Analytics: The right tool will provide the reporting and analytics needed to track, understand and optimize your operations. Use this information to improve your space utilization, lower operating costs and reduce wasted resources.
  • User adoption: No software will be worth the money if it’s ignored or underutilized. Make sure that the software you choose is one that your employees like and that fits in with your existing technological stack.

 

What’s the purpose of APIs for desk hoteling software?

APIs can help ensure that all your important tools and software can be integrated with your desk hoteling software. With EMS Platform Services, you can create:

  • Your own hardware integrations with digital signage, sensors, voice-controlled personal assistants, and more.
  • Custom systems integrations such as with lecture capture, HVAC controls, wayfinding software, payment portals, and more.
  • Integrations with custom access points such as kiosks or simple mobile apps developed in-house by your organization.
  • Marketable integration solutions for EMS customers.

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