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Desk booking – there’s an app for that!

HomeResourcesBlogDesk booking – there’s an app for that!
desk booking

Did you know: iPhone and Android users downloaded 64 billion apps in the first half of this year? And while many are just for fun, they also have serious applications – especially for the agile workplace.

For today’s Covid-stressed worker, apps are providing an amazing window into a safer working world, where sanitized hot desks can be booked in advance and social distancing is assured.

How is Covid changing the mobile landscape?

According to App Annie the pandemic has created explosive growth in terms of mobile usage, with market acceleration equivalent to two or three years.

A typical mobile user now spends 4.3 hours on their device per day with a staggering 1.6 trillion hours spent on mobile for the first half of 2020.

Pre-Covid, applications such as Zoom were a niche business product but now they have entered the mainstream as a key tool to keep colleagues connected, even though business users may complain of “Zoom fatigue”.

In this mobile-first world, it’s imperative that developers create their software with the app user firmly in mind. Business app usage surged 220% during lockdown with tablets and mobile phones becoming core computing devices for many.

How can a desk booking app help your return to work strategy?

While a full return to work may still seem some time away, human face to face interaction is never going to be replaced totally by technology. Four of the top five business apps – Zoom, Teams, Google Meet and WebEx – are driven by our desire to collaborate.

Remote working is also here to stay for the immediate future whether from a work/life balance or safety point of view.

Savvy real estate leaders are introducing the flexibility of desk booking apps to provide their remote teams with an easy to use way to book hot desks and workspaces quickly and conveniently when they need to be back at HQ.

Using an easy-to-use floorplan booking module as part of the mobile desk booking app makes it easy for employees to find a socially distanced desk and book it in a few swipes while they are at home or out and about.

Contactless check in

Thanks to QR code integration the remote worker can easily check in/out of the desk when they are at HQ for zero touch access using their mobile device and a range of desk booking panels helps them with finding their clean and available desk.

More complex bookings can also be achieved through a desk booking app such as the need to book catering, AV or a meeting room – all with built-in safety measures such as social distancing, sanitization details and extended set up and breakdown times for cleaning.

Outlook integration

With integration between Outlook and the desk booking app, service teams can be easily alerted to incoming bookings or any last-minute changes.

While desk booking apps help at the user end, they are also great for real estate leaders looking to improve space utilization.

With reverse hoteling becoming a popular trend, the desk booking apps can help you use every spare square foot – useful when you need to keep staff safely distanced.

Built-in business rules help to reduce desk and meeting no shows. You simply set up a rule that the desk/room is released within, say, 15 minutes of a no show and someone else can make use of it.

See it for yourself

  • Check out our latest videos to see how easy it is to book desks and even plan a whole trip to the office using a desk booking app.
  • Watch our newest video to see our approach to your return to work journey.
  • Discover more useful info about keeping your team safe on our return to work microsite.