When it comes to managing workplace bookings, the goals are clear: simplify processes and maximize resource usage. However, many organizations using fragmented calendar apps and isolated space booking platforms struggle to accomplish these goals. Traditional calendar-based scheduling offers little visibility into room availability or space utilization patterns, and resources like catering and AV equipment must be coordinated separately. As a result, space management is chaotic and reactive.
Korbyt Booking solves these problems with its seamless integration with Microsoft 365, which allows users to reserve spaces directly in Microsoft Outlook while employing advanced capabilities like real-time room availability and built-in resource requests. By leveraging a familiar interface, the Korbyt Booking add-in reduces friction, improves adoption, and empowers users to streamline space management without the hassle of navigating multiple systems. Plus, AI-driven optimizations improve scheduling efficiency and space utilization to help organizations do more with the spaces they have.
Why Streamlined Booking Matters
Managing meeting rooms and collaborative spaces can quickly become a juggling act, especially for multi-location enterprises or those with a hybrid workforce. Users often feel overwhelmed by processes that demand additional time and effort, creating friction that could deter hybrid employees from visiting the office more frequently. Without a comprehensive space booking solution, organizations face significant challenges:
- Inconsistent Space Usage Patterns: Hybrid schedules make it difficult to predict office attendance. With no clear tracking system, organizations are never sure what resources are needed on which days.
- Underutilized Reserved Spaces: Without real-time updates or automatic room release, reserved rooms often remain unused when plans change, leaving employees without alternatives during peak demand. Studies show that average office utilization is just 35%, wasting significant facility costs.
- Fragmented Systems: Employees frequently encounter disjointed tools for booking spaces, requesting services, and managing AV setups. Employees must manually coordinate these needs, which is both time-consuming and prone to mistakes.
- Lack of Real-Time Data: When availability isn’t updated in real time, employees may book spaces that are already occupied or miss out on open ones. This lack of transparency disrupts workflows and undermines trust in the system.
- Insufficient Analytics for Optimization: Without data on how spaces are used, organizations miss opportunities to adjust layouts, schedules, or policies to better meet employee needs.
- Gaps in Security Compliance: Inadequate integration between booking systems and IT policies can create vulnerabilities, particularly in managing hybrid and remote work scenarios.
Advanced Booking Functionality for Modern Workplaces
A booking process that integrates directly with existing workflows eliminates friction, ensuring employees can focus on their work rather than logistics. Korbyt Booking’s integration with Microsoft Outlook provides an advanced, intuitive solution that allows users to create bookings and communicate service needs from a single interface. Beyond saving time, this streamlined process delivers measurable business value:
- Space utilization data enables strategic space planning and potential real estate cost reduction.
- Analytics in the Korbyt Booking admin interface help facilities teams identify underutilized spaces and optimize room configurations.
- The platform’s direct integration with existing workflows ensures employees can focus on value-adding activities rather than administrative tasks.
- Centralized resource management simplifies security compliance and reduces IT support overhead.
Booking with Korbyt and Outlook: A Familiar Yet Enhanced Experience
Korbyt Booking’s Outlook add-in makes space management simple. Employees can schedule meetings from within their Outlook calendars while taking advantage of enhanced capabilities that make their jobs easier, including:
- Unified space management: Employees can reserve desks, meeting rooms, or large collaboration areas seamlessly without switching systems, then check in via interactive panels, QR codes, or RFID.
- Real-time room availability: When scheduling a booking in Outlook, employees can see room availability instantly. This makes the booking process more reliable and encourages employees to follow it.
- Built-in resource requests: Users can request related services, like catering or AV equipment, from within the Outlook add-in. Requests are automatically routed to the correct department for approval or denial.
This flexible, integrated system ensures in-office, hybrid, and remote employees have access to—and visibility of—the spaces they need. Leaders and office managers can use the analytics and reporting in Korbyt’s administrative interface to get key insights about how spaces are used. By making informed decisions about workspace management, organizations can potentially reduce facility costs. And with enterprise-grade security and white-glove customer support, companies can feel confident that their resources are protected.
How to Use the Korbyt Booking Add-in for Microsoft Outlook
Here’s how Korbyt Booking transforms the Outlook experience into a workplace resource powerhouse:
- Start with What You Know
Begin your booking directly from Outlook by clicking on your calendar or creating a new appointment. Add participants and meeting details just as you usually would.
- Enhance Your Booking
From within the appointment, launch the Korbyt Booking add-in. This tool allows you to:- Find spaces that meet your requirements, filtering by room type, layout, or amenities.
- View images of available spaces to ensure you select the right one.
- Add Services with Ease
Once you’ve selected a space, you can request additional services such as catering or IT support. These requests are communicated directly to the appropriate departments, saving you from unnecessary follow-up.
- Collaborate Seamlessly
If needed, add video conferencing capabilities to the booking by selecting the platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or WebEx) for a smooth virtual or hybrid meeting experience.
- Customize Your Booking.
Include information such as booking type (internal meeting, external meeting, etc.) as well as optional information like chargeback codes, and GL codes for billing purposes.
Bringing It All Together with Korbyt Booking
By integrating Korbyt Booking with Microsoft Outlook, organizations can simplify their workplace management processes and enhance the user experience. Employees benefit from a familiar interface, while administrators gain insights into resource usage and service demands. The result is a more efficient, collaborative, user-friendly workplace.
Ready to streamline your workplace booking process? Learn more about Korbyt Booking’s advanced functionality and integration capabilities by scheduling a demo today.
