Room Manager FAQ
General
Yes, absolutly. Room Manager runs only on Office 365.
Power Apps is a service for building and using custom business apps that connect to your data and work across the web and mobile – without the time and expense of custom software development.
Read More about PowerApps
The question is, if Room Manager Power Apps solution can run under a PowerApps Portal.
What is PowerApps Portal?
With PowerApps Portals, the ability to build low-code, responsive websites which allow external users to interact with the data stored in the Common Data Service.
Room Manager is not supporting CDS. As this is another approach. But we are considerung this archtitecture in the future.
As Power Automate is used to trigger flows, which are build for Room Manager. The question is, if there are limits of the number of flows. This depends on the subscription plan E3, E5 etc.
As an option you can buy for 15$ from Microsoft unlimited number of flows for your company. Please contact us, if you have any questions related to your PowerAutomate subscription plan.
Buffer time can be set for your desk bookings likewise for other resources like cars for sample. Means, that an additional time period, which you can define in the configuration settings. This buffer time is added to the end-time of the event. This buffer time is used by many companies for cleaning the room, desk or the car.
The desk occupancy rate is a measure of how much of the available office space is being used at any given time. It can be calculated by dividing the number of desks in use at a given time by the total number of desks available, and then multiplying by 100 to express the result as a percentage.
For example, if an office has 100 desks and 80 are in use at a given time, the occupancy rate would be 80/100 * 100 = 80%.
To calculate the occupancy rate over a period of time, you would need to gather data on the number of desks in use at regular intervals (e.g., hourly, daily, weekly) and then calculate the average occupancy rate over that period.
It’s also important to consider that the occupancy rate is not only based on the number of people in the office, but also the time they spend in the office. To get a more accurate occupancy rate, it’s recommended to use a sensor-based solution to track the presence of people and the time they spend in the office.
Also, you can use the occupancy rate in conjunction with other metrics like attendance rate, to have a better understanding of how the office space is being used
The Mobile App has been built using the Power Platform in combination with SharePoint Online and therefore O365 licenses (E1, E3, E5, F1) are sufficient.
The Room Manager app and solution is built on the Power Platform. The app and the solution will be installed on your tenant which means that all of the security and governance measures you have put in place will be respected. Room Manager does not collect or process your data.
Yes, see the answer on the previous question. Since the solution/app is installed in your own tenant all of the regular Microsoft GDPR / AVG measures are respected. Please visit the Microsoft trust center for more information.
The Room Manager Platform is highly configurable and adapts to every customer’s scope and requirements, resulting in a distinct system setup. Therefore, we can’t provide a generic demo system that would show you all the benefits and workflows relevant to your business. However, we are happy to schedule a meeting with you to learn more about your needs and show you how you will benefit from using the ROOM MANAGER Platform.
Flexible working is a work style that allows employees to choose when, where and how they work, often through the use of technology and remote working.
Here are some of the most important experiences with flexible working:
Improved work-life balance: Flexible working can help employees better balance their work and personal responsibilities, leading to increased job satisfaction and a reduction in stress.
Increased productivity: Flexible working can lead to increased productivity as employees are able to work during the times when they are most productive and focused.
Cost savings: Flexible working can result in cost savings for companies, as it can reduce the need for office space and other overhead costs.
Improved employee engagement: Flexible working can lead to improved employee engagement as employees feel a sense of trust and empowerment from their employer.
Increased employee retention: Flexible working can lead to increased employee retention as employees are more likely to stay with a company that offers this type of work style.
Greater diversity and inclusion: Flexible working can lead to greater diversity and inclusion as it enables people from different backgrounds and circumstances to participate in the workforce.
Better communication and collaboration: Flexible working can lead to better communication and collaboration as it allows team members to work together more effectively, regardless of their location.
Improved innovation: Flexible working can lead to improved innovation as employees have more autonomy and freedom to think creatively.
However, it’s important to note that not all employees may be suitable for flexible working, and it is important to consider the needs of the individual employee and the specific nature of the job. It’s also important to set clear guidelines and expectations to ensure that flexible working is implemented successfully and that it is beneficial for both the employee and the organization.
To calculate the cost savings after implementing a desk booking solution, you would need to gather data on the current costs associated with managing office space, such as the cost of rent, utilities, and cleaning. Then, you would need to compare those costs to the costs after the desk booking solution is implemented, taking into account any changes in the amount of space needed or the number of desks used. Additionally, you would need to factor in any costs associated with implementing the desk booking solution, such as the cost of the software or any training required for employees.
The key metric to measure is the occupancy rate of your office space before and after implementing the solution. This metric will give you an idea of how much space is being used before and after the implementation of the solution. The difference of occupancy rate before and after the implementation, multiplied by the total cost of the office space (rent, utilities, cleaning) will give you an estimate of the cost savings.
It’s also important to consider other benefits such as improved employee productivity and satisfaction, which can also have a positive impact on the organization’s bottom line.
Desk sharing solutions, also known as hot desking or flexible seating, are becoming increasingly popular in modern workplaces. These solutions offer a variety of advantages for businesses and employees, including cost savings, increased collaboration and productivity, and improved work-life balance.
One of the biggest advantages of desk sharing solutions is cost savings. By eliminating the need for each employee to have their own dedicated desk, companies can significantly reduce their real estate and furniture expenses. This can be especially beneficial for businesses that are looking to cut costs or maximize the use of their office space.
In addition to cost savings, desk sharing solutions can also improve collaboration and productivity among employees. By encouraging employees to move around and work in different areas of the office, desk sharing can foster a more dynamic and interactive work environment. This can help to break down silos and promote teamwork and communication among employees.
Another advantage of desk sharing solutions is that they can help to improve work-life balance for employees. By allowing employees to choose where and when they work, flexible seating arrangements can help to reduce stress and increase job satisfaction. This can lead to lower turnover rates and higher employee engagement and productivity.
Overall, desk sharing solutions offer a number of advantages for businesses and employees alike. From cost savings and increased collaboration to improved work-life balance, these solutions can help to create a more productive and dynamic work environment. As more and more companies adopt these solutions, it’s clear that the future of the workplace is all about flexibility and adaptability.
Exchange Online
Many companies manage the meeting rooms as classical resource exchange mail boxes. Means, that each meeting room has an email address, like [email protected]. The Room Manager Outlook Add-In can be as well used with the Room Finder in Outlook. Exchange is the master for your meeting rooms. All rules, policies for exchange meeting rooms are managed by Exchange.
Exchange on-premise is not supported with Room Manager
Absolutly, you can manage your meeting rooms directly in Room Manager. Like for any other kind of resources, all is managed under the Room Manager site under site contents.
There is no limitation. Room Manager is the master for your meeting room booking. Employees can make bookings from the online form and use as well the Room Manager Outlook-Add-In
SharePoint Online
The Room Manager solution runs on your Office 365 tenant using SharePoint Online. Room Manager is a SharePoint based solution
We don’t support SharePoint on premise. You need an Office 365 subscription with SharePoint Online
Yes, all our mobile solutions for Mobile resource booking, visitor sign-in and Conference room display are build with PowerApps
Yes, you need to configure external access to your SharePoint site. Please find the Microsoft documentation about External access sharing here: external-sharing-overview
Visitor Management
Many options. The visitor can check in with QR Code, which has been received with the inviation mail. Unexpected people, guests, visitors can check-in without the QR code by entering data into the form on the tablet. A QR code is created and can be printed out.
Yes. the visitor management solution of Room Manager allows the recepionist to see who is expected by accessing the visitor list. All visitor related data are found. Searching by visitor name, host, event, check-in and check-out status is shown.
Yes, a visitor pass can be printed out
Yes, it can be set mandatory that a visitor needs to sign an NDA or any other company based policies prior to the sign in
Expected visitors receive with the invitation email and the QR code a link to the Health Ceck. This can be opened on the phone and a couple of questions are presented to the person.
Unexpected visitors can scan a QR code at the lobby and preregister by taking the questionnaire
Yes, a notification is send to the host once the visitor has checked-in at the reception.
Outlook Add-In
The Room Manager Outlook Add-In is a separate module that can be installed on your Outlook desktop or Outlook on the Web in O365. The RM Outlook Add-in allows you to send an Outlook Meeting Request, with rooms, equipment, catering, and all other categories/resources needed for the event directly from Outlook.
It is a user based license you need for each employee who wants to use the OAI from Microsoft Outlook Desktop or Outlook Calendar on the Web.
The OAI works only with the Room Manager solution. You cannot use the OAI without the Room Manager solution.
We use the centralized deployment for Office Add-Ins. This is the newest technology Microsoft provides for the deployment of the Office Add-In.
Deploy and publish Office Add-ins – Microsoft Docs
The Microsoft 365 admin center makes it easy for an administrator to deploy Office Add-ins to users and groups within their organization. Add-ins deployed via the admin center are available to users in their Office applications right away, with no client configuration required. You can use Centralized Deployment to deploy internal add-ins as well as add-ins provided by ISVs.
Publish Office Add-ins using Centralized Deployment via the Microsoft 365 admin center
We provide 2 versions of the RM OAI.
Exchange OAI version: is used, when you manage your meeting rooms in Exchange, as classical exchange room mailboxes.
Non-Exchange OAI version: with this version you don’t manage your meeting rooms in exchange, but in Room Manager site itself.
All your other resources like cars, equipment, catering etc. are managed in Room Manager under the site contents
Interactive Floor Plan
Absolutly, you can just upload your floor plans as image files to Room Manager Site. If you don’t have any exisiting floor plans, you can create them using powerpoint or visio or any other tool which let you draw easily such a plan. If you need assistance, please let us know, we can assist you.
This is one of the big advantage Room Manager has, you can update changes to your floor plan and the available desks, or rooms esily. Check out more under Interactive floor plans
The Interactive Floorplan booking is an SharePoint App. We developed it using the SharePoint Framework (SPFX). It contains 3 web parts which are used. One for creating new floorplans, one for modifiying floor plans and finally the User Interface for the users to book a free space on the florrplan.
Yes you can. All resources like desks and rooms and spaces are managed in a SharePoint list under site contents.
Desk Booking
On your tenant on Microsoft 365 all desks are managed in a SharePoint list. The desk has some predefined fields, which you can use, or add even your custom fields if needed.
All desk bookings are added to the desk reservations lists.
End users can book a desk (or room) by one of the following channels.
- Desk Booking Form (Browser)
- Interactive Floorplan (Browser)
- Mobile App (PowerApps) which runs on the smarthones
Yes you can. All resources like desks and rooms and spaces are managed in a SharePoint list under site contents.
Plumsail Forms is needed. It allows us to create custom forms.
Out of the box SharePoint modern forms can only be customized with Power Apps. This has a lot of limitations. With Plumsail Forms for SharePoint Online, which is actually a SharePoint App, the customization is much easier.
The client needs to purchase the App directly from the Plumsail Website.
- Check-In time:
defines in minutes, how long you define the check-In time, which is allowed. If the user does not takes actions and check-ins the booked resource, the system will release the resource.
- Filter by departement:
By defining the departments values to each desk you achieve that the these desks can only be booked by users from the assigned department(s) value - Buffer Time:
Add extra time to the reservations. A user books a desk or room from 8AM till 9AM. If you define a buffer time of 15 minutes, the resource will be booked in the system till 9:15AM - Reminder Email:
Defines when the system sends a reminder of bookings by email prior to the start time of the reservation.
Exception: same day bookings are checked-in automatically by the system
- Weeks in Advance booking:
Defines how many weeks in advance a resource can be booked. With this setting you can prevent that the users are booking resources many weeks or months in advance. - Custom policies can be added by using Power Automate, for your use cases.