Desk booking software for flexible workplace management

Desk booking, hot desking, and desk hoteling are strategic practices in space management that support flexible work arrangements and optimize office space use, particularly in the context of hybrid workplaces.

Desk booking software is one key feature of a workplace management system. It helps organizations to manage desk booking and space allocation, especially in offices with flexible seating arrangements or hybrid work models. Employees can book desks or spaces in advance or on-the-go through integrated apps, on mobile, or on a desktop.

Desk booking software optimizes space utilization by allowing employees to reserve desks as needed, ensuring efficient use of office space. This flexibility empowers employees to choose their workspace based on their preferences and needs, fostering collaboration and improving the employee experience. Additionally, desk booking software streamlines administrative processes, providing real-time insights into workspace utilization trends and supporting hybrid work models by accommodating flexible work arrangements.

Organizations struggling with underutilization of space benefit from having software to manage desk booking. The software also provides flexibility in seating arrangements, common in hybrid work models. It can also benefit companies that are looking to right-size their real estate investment and save costs. Often, when a company shifts to hybrid, they need a desk booking solution to make the shift easy for employees to use and efficient for the facility management team to track and plan the space.

All employees will interact with the software. Facilities managers, IT, and HR team members will be a part of the team implementing the software. Once implemented, all employees can have access to the tool to book desks directly on the app or web or through integrations with existing systems like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google, and more.

Desk sharing, including hot desking and hoteling, supports flexible working styles and helps facilities managers and space planners get more use out of workspaces. You can create “neighborhoods” at the office and designate spaces for teams or activities like focus work or quiet zones without assigning a specific desk to each employee, and limit those bookings to certain teams or groups. With hot desking, you can restrict concurrent bookings to ensure certain desks remain floating desks. For hoteling, employees can set up recurring reservations. With a workplace management software like OfficeSpace, it’s easy to manage all types of desk booking as you’ll have access to an overview of the floor plan in every office. You can approve seating requests or change which desks are bookable to get the most use out of your spaces.

You can book a desk for yourself or someone else on the OfficeSpace mobile app or on a desktop. You can book a seat using the visual directory to see and select available desks, represented by a green icon, or go to Book a Desk on the platform and search for available desks based on your criteria, like date, time, and amenities. On Slack and Microsoft Teams, use slash commands to access the desk booking module and search for available desks. Admins with local and global permissions can book desks for visitors in the Visitor Management settings, which connects OfficeSpace with Greetly.

An ideal desk booking software is intuitive and easy to navigate, letting employees make reservations on-site or on-the-go, set up recurring reservations, and find desks that match their working style and preferences. Software like OfficeSpace offers mobile accessibility, integrates with tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, has built-in features like wayfinding and digital floor plans, provides insight into booking trends, and allows admins to make instant changes as the team evolves.