Implementing a Desk Booking system into your office environment has several benefits for both the employees and the employer.
1. Facilitates new ways of working
We know that flexible working, or Hybrid Working, is becoming increasingly popular. People want to decide for themselves when they want to come to the office, and when they would like to stay home. If they do decide to visit the office, employees want to be assured of a workplace. A Desk Booking system facilitates this for them. It also stimulates collaboration. It becomes easier to reserve a workplace close to the person you want to collaborate with. Managing the occupancy rates via a desk booking system ensures that pleasant workspaces are always available. With a desk management system, employees are able to filter and select a desk according to their own preferences. This way, you can provide employees with lots of freedom and give them control in regards to when and at which desk they want to work at the physical office.
2. Support collaboration
With desk booking, the collaboration between teams or departments is boosted. Employees can collaborate better by simply reserving desks side by side. For example, the GoBright Desk Booking Platform even has a Team Booking function designed to support these kinds of collaborations.
Besides employee benefits, using Desk Booking is also beneficial to the employer.
3. Cost effective
With desk booking software you are able to manage and control the occupancy at the office. Data that is collected gives you more insight into the way the office is being used. By gaining insight into the actual occupancy, many offices discovered they did not really need the number of desks that they had. This information can be used to make strategic data-driven decisions in regards to reshaping the office and providing your employees with the best office environment. You might even be able to get rid of some real estate costs, because you discover you have way too much office space on your hands. Cost-efficient, too!
4. Sustainability
Desk Booking encourages people to only use the space that they really need. This way, the office becomes a lot more sustainable. No more unoccupied and unnecessary costly office space.
5. Time efficiency
In most cases, not all employees will be at the office at the same time due to new working models and other changes in the office environment. Some days it might be quiet in the office, and some days it might be a lot busier than expected. Regardless of the situation, if an employee decides to come into the office, a nice workplace must be available. Using a desk booking system allows you to assess the situation at the office in advance. By being able to anticipate, you don’t waste any time going into the office and run into surprises.
6. Insight into analytics
A smart data-driven workplace is what it is all about these days. With the data derived from desk booking solutions you are able to understand employee behavior a lot better. You will get insight into how the office is being used. Why do employees often book their desks on a specific floor? What is special about these desks? Perhaps your employees like to work where there is the most natural lighting, or near the company restaurant? These are all valuable analytics that can help you optimise the office. Adapting the office to employee behavior is one of the most important ways to ensure that your office is future-proof.
7. Attract a new generation
Not to forget, the younger generation enters the job market with new ideals. Flexibility and freedom is a must for them. They don’t want to be tied to the 9 to 5 traditional office cubicle. They expect a workplace that represents their standards and accommodates their wishes. Integrating desk booking into the office fits really well with the perspective this generation has on the future office. Because the future office is a smart office.
8. Health and safety
With desk sharing, several people share the same desk at the office. You might assume that this will automatically lead to concerns in regards to health, hygiene and safety. However, there are two sides to the story here. When people use the same desk and this process is not monitored, it will indeed lead to increased risks in regards to hygiene and safety. Yet, with use of a desk booking system, this process is in fact monitored. Especially in times when safety needs to be extra emphasized (e.g. during a pandemic), the use of Desk Booking systems ensures that it does not get too crowded in the office. For example, an office manager is able to block certain desks so that a safe distance is guaranteed. Also, with control over the occupancy rate, you ensure that there are never too many people on the floor at the same time.
Even with monitoring, the fact remains desks are being used by multiple people. How is this going to be safe? GoBright has already thought about this. With the GoBright Connect, you are able to adjust your status while working at the desk. Besides the obvious “occupied” or “available”, it will also adjust to “Needs cleaning” when an employee has checked out from their desk. The facility department will automatically be alerted that the desk needs to be properly cleaned. After it is cleaned, the desk will be ‘available’ again.
In conclusion, there are many benefits to using a Desk Booking system. It supports the new way of working, stimulates collaboration, and is cost and time effective. It is also beneficial for your office’s sustainability, it attracts new talent, stimulates health and safety at the office, and provides insights into your office’s occupancy.