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Here is why you should consider digital Meeting Room Displays for improving productivity, convenience, and happiness and what to look for.
Today more and more companies compete for new employees, not only on salaries or benefits but in the work environment. Great furniture, modern colors, comfort zones, a barista or café to get a cappuccino, look and feel creating a vibrant atmosphere.
In this E-book, we give you an easy way you add to the above and help your employees stay productive. We give you the ultimate guide to why you should implement Meeting Room Displays and “What to look for” implementing it.
Digital meeting room displays improve utilization and end the room booking nightmares!
The key to a great overall Meeting Room Display solution is to present the right information at the right time and place - for visitors and employees alike. Especially when visitors have to find the right meeting or employees have to find an empty conference room.
But meeting room displays, meeting room screens, or signs, are not all alike. They have to be flexible and provide different benefits depending on the place and context of the information that is provided.
The best meeting room display solutions should be intelligent and integrate seamlessly with your calendar systems like Outlook, Exchange, or Google Calendar, letting meetings and events be displayed automatically, making the solution free of any manual updates.
This will free up resources for front desk employees to do their job rather than helping visitors find their way and create a great first impression of the company – displaying an easy-to-read overview of today’s activities and helping people find their way to the event they are attending.
With Meeting Room Displays integrated into your calendar system, this also helps employees find empty meeting rooms, making ad-hoc meeting room bookings easier and providing a simple and efficient overview of today’s events in that particular place. It both saves time and resources when booking instant meetings and helps optimize utilization in the workplace.
With the right solution, rooms can be released automatically to ensure that “no-shows” are canceled, and the room is free for others to use.
The Ultimate Guide: 15 ways to improve productivity, and meeting room efficiency with Room Displays
1. Create a productive work environment
Think of innovative ways to streamline work processes and enhance productivity within your organization. One effective strategy is to simplify the process of finding the right meeting room and making reservations by integrating meeting room displays with popular calendar and booking systems such as Outlook, Office 365, or Google Calendar.
By linking these displays directly to your calendar system, employees can easily check availability, book rooms, and manage their meetings more efficiently. This eliminates the need for manual updates and reduces the chances of double booking or room conflicts. With a quick glance at the meeting room display, individuals can instantly identify the availability of rooms and reserve them on the spot.
This integration not only saves time and resources but also creates a more user-friendly experience. Employees no longer have to navigate through multiple platforms or rely on manual communication to determine room availability. Instead, they can rely on the convenience of the meeting room displays, which provide real-time information and eliminate any confusion or frustration.
2. Ditch “room sharking”
Ever needed a meeting room right away, and taken one that seemed available? However, you were unaware that it was already booked, and the next group is walking in shortly. Now, they feel awkward about asking your group to wrap up and give them the room.
Room sharking is not as bad as it sounds, even though it is a catchy term. Most employees are not doing this intentionally. Nevertheless, companies need to find ways to help employees avoid it altogether.
Modern Workplace tools are interconnected, and Meeting Room Displays are, connected to the company scheduling system like Outlook or Google Calendar. Thus, avoiding room sharking and giving employees the information, they need to find an available room instantaneously.
3. Provide an instant overview
Just like at the airport where you can easily see the arrival and departure times of flights, imagine having digital overview dashboards in your office that show everyone which meetings are taking place in which rooms. These displays provide a convenient and efficient way to find your meeting and navigate to the correct room.
By implementing digital overviews, you eliminate the need for employees and visitors to search through calendars or ask around for meeting locations. Instead, they can simply glance at the displays and instantly know where they need to be. This not only saves time and reduces confusion but also enhances the overall productivity and efficiency of your workplace.
With these digital displays, you can create a user-friendly and intuitive environment that ensures everyone is aware of ongoing meetings and their respective locations. Whether it's a large conference room or a small breakout area, the displays provide a clear visual representation of the current meeting schedule. This allows employees and visitors to easily identify the right room and eliminates any uncertainty or delays.
Furthermore, these displays and dashboards can be customized to show additional information such as meeting duration or the names of attendees. This added functionality provides even more clarity and ensures that everyone is well informed about the status and details of each meeting.
4. Make people know they have made it to the right room
Putting up meeting room displays that synchronize with your calendar, shows you the schedule for the meeting room and confirms that you’ve made it to the right room. Such features not only eliminate the confusion and frustration of entering the wrong room but also enhance the overall efficiency and productivity of your meetings.
Imagine walking into a meeting room and instantly knowing that you are in the right place, without any doubts or uncertainties. With the help of digital meeting room displays, you can have a visual confirmation of your meeting room reservation, ensuring that you are in the right room at the right time.
5. Large displays - Quick decisions!
Large overview dashboards can help to show room availability at a glance. Instead of going to Outlook or your Calendar on your workstation or laptop to check availability, only check the large overview screen for an instant overview of all meeting rooms, see which one is available, and go! Your meeting can start in seconds - not minutes.
These dashboards serve as a centralized hub for employees to quickly and easily determine the availability of meeting rooms. By having this information readily available on a large screen, employees no longer have to navigate through multiple platforms or waste time searching for an available room. With just a glance, they can identify which rooms are free and immediately proceed with their meeting.
Furthermore, these screens can be strategically placed in high-traffic areas, making it easy for employees to access the information they need without disrupting their workflow. Whether it's a hallway, a common area, or near the entrance of a meeting room, the large overview displays ensure that everyone can quickly check room availability and make informed decisions.
6. Simplify on-the-spot meetings
Who bothers to “find and reserve” a room for a 10-minute phone call or a quick 1-on-1? Most people just go to the nearest empty meeting room without checking if the room is available or if somebody has a meeting that starts in five. A Meeting Room Display lets you check instantly if the room is available and for how long.
This feature is especially useful for those impromptu meetings or quick discussions that don't require a formal reservation. Instead of wasting time searching for an available room, employees can simply glance at the Meeting Room Display and see if it's free for their short meeting. This not only saves time but also prevents any potential conflicts or disruptions.
By providing real-time availability information, Meeting Room Displays encourage employees to make better use of available spaces and avoid unnecessary conflicts. It promotes a more organized and efficient approach to reserving meeting rooms, ensuring that everyone has equal access to the resources they need.
7. How meeting room displays keep conflicts at bay
It is crucial to provide employees with the necessary information about room availability and duration to avoid frustrating issues. Let's consider a plausible scenario: employees may need an open room for an hour-long meeting, but another group is scheduled to use that room in just 35 minutes.
While the employees who took the open room did nothing wrong by using it, a meeting room sign that displays the availability of the room can solve this problem. By clearly indicating the duration of each booking, employees can make informed decisions about whether they can use the room for their desired duration or if they need to find an alternative space.
This feature not only helps prevent conflicts and disruptions but also promotes a more organized and efficient approach to room usage. Employees can plan their meetings accordingly, ensuring that everyone has equal access to the resources they need. With the availability and duration information readily visible on the meeting room display, employees can make quick and informed decisions about their meeting space needs, avoiding any potential misunderstandings or frustrations.
8. Book the room at the door
Did you ever get kicked out of a room that someone else had reserved? It can be frustrating and disruptive, especially when you are in the middle of an important meeting. However, with Meeting Room Displays, you can now reserve the room right at the door, ensuring that you can finish your meeting without any interruptions or someone booking it while you're using it.
Imagine the convenience of being able to reserve a meeting room instantly, without having to worry about someone else taking it from under you. With Meeting Room Displays, you can simply walk up to the door, check the availability on the display, and reserve the room on the spot. This not only saves you time and eliminates any conflicts but also gives you peace of mind, knowing that the room is secured for your use.
By allowing you to reserve the room at the door, Meeting Room Displays empower you to take control of your meeting space. You no longer have to rely on manual communication or go through the hassle of searching for an available room. Instead, you can confidently walk up to the door, reserve the room, and focus on your meeting without any distractions.
9. Create a cool environment
Digital Meeting Room Displays with your company branding not only provide practical benefits but also make a powerful statement about your company. By incorporating these displays into your workplace, you are showcasing your commitment to innovation and efficiency. It creates a modern and sophisticated environment that reflects your company's values and professionalism.
The sleek and stylish design of the displays adds a touch of elegance to your meeting rooms, elevating the overall aesthetics of your office space. With your company branding prominently displayed, it reinforces your brand identity and creates a cohesive and consistent visual experience for employees and visitors alike. Moreover, the presence of these displays creates a positive and welcoming atmosphere. Employees feel valued and supported when they see that their company invests in cutting-edge technology and tools to enhance their work experience.
10. Free-up front desk resources
With Meeting Room Displays or digital meeting signs in place, front desk resources are freed up from the mundane task of directing people to the correct meeting rooms. Instead, they can now dedicate their time and attention to more important tasks that require their expertise and assistance.
By eliminating the need for front desk staff to manually provide directions, Meeting Room Displays enhance the overall efficiency and productivity of your facility. Visitors and employees can easily navigate to their meetings without relying on someone at the front desk to guide them. This not only saves time for everyone involved but also reduces the chances of miscommunication or confusion.
With front desk resources no longer tied up in directing people, they can focus on providing personalized and valuable assistance to visitors. They can address inquiries, provide information about the facility or company, and offer any other support that may be required. This ensures that visitors have a positive experience and feel well taken care of during their time at your facility.
11. Ensure modularity and scalability
When implementing a digital meeting room display system, it is essential to consider the modularity and scalability of the system. By choosing a modular and scalable solution, you can ensure that it is easy and affordable to upgrade the system as your needs change or when you want to add more functionality.
A modular system allows you to customize and expand the features of your meeting room display according to your specific requirements. You can easily incorporate new functionalities or make changes to the system without having to overhaul the entire setup. This flexibility ensures that your system remains adaptable and future-proof, saving you time and resources in the long run.
Scalability is another crucial aspect to consider. As your organization grows and your meeting room requirements increase, you need a system that can accommodate these changes seamlessly. With a scalable solution, you can easily add more meeting room displays or integrate additional features as needed. This eliminates the need for a complete system overhaul and ensures that your investment remains valuable and efficient.
In addition to modularity and scalability, it is also important to consider the cost-effectiveness of upgrading your system. By choosing a solution where updates are included in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription, you can avoid additional expenses associated with purchasing and installing updates separately. This not only saves you money but also ensures that your system remains up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.
12. Opt for a cloud-based solution
When it comes to maintenance and upkeep, it is important to choose a solution that provides adequate coverage. A cloud-based solution is ideal in this regard, as it requires low maintenance and eliminates the need for additional resources to set up and run the system. With a cloud-based solution, you can enjoy the convenience of easy integration and deployment, ensuring a seamless transition for your organization.
One of the key benefits of a cloud-based solution is its hardware-agnostic nature. This means that you are not limited to specific hardware requirements, allowing you the flexibility to choose the devices that best suit your needs and budget. Whether you opt for tablets, touchscreens, or other display devices, a cloud-based solution can easily adapt to your chosen hardware.
13. Improve company identity
Digital signage designed with company colors and logo not only improves the company profile and corporate identity but also creates a lasting impression on visitors. When visitors see digital signage that reflects the company's branding, they immediately feel a sense of familiarity and connection. It helps them identify with the company and builds trust in its professionalism and credibility.
Incorporating company colors and logo into the digital signage creates a cohesive visual experience throughout the office space. This consistency in branding enhances the overall aesthetics of the workplace and creates a sense of unity and professionalism. Visitors are more likely to perceive the company as organized, reliable, and detail-oriented.
14. End, extend, cancel and confirm
In order to optimize the utilization of meeting spaces and prevent frustration among employees, it is crucial to implement a solution where meetings can be confirmed to claim the room. Without this feature, there is a risk of ghost meetings, which are the main cause of poor utilization of meeting spaces. It can be incredibly frustrating for employees when they need a meeting room, only to find that their coworkers have booked the space but never show up for their meetings.
Implementing a system where meetings must be confirmed, ensures that the booking is legitimate and the room will be utilized effectively. If a meeting is not confirmed within a certain time frame, the system will automatically cancel the booking and free up the room for others to use. This not only prevents wasted space but also allows employees to make better use of the available rooms.
Ghost meetings can have a negative impact on employee satisfaction and productivity. When employees are unable to find a meeting space but can see that their coworkers have booked rooms and not shown up, it creates frustration and a sense of unfairness. Implementing a confirmation system ensures that meeting rooms are utilized efficiently and fairly, promoting a positive and productive work environment.
15. If you do not know, you cannot act! Data, data, and more data
Your Meeting Room Display solution is not only a convenient tool for reserving and managing meeting spaces, but it also offers a valuable opportunity to collect data and gain insights into the utilization of your workspace. By choosing a solution that includes a reporting tool, insights, or workplace analytics tool, you can unlock the full potential of your workspace.
With access to data on meeting room usage, you can maximize the efficiency of your workspace by identifying patterns and trends. By analyzing the data, you can determine the peak hours for meetings, the most popular meeting rooms, and the average duration of meetings. This information can help you optimize the allocation of resources, ensuring that meeting rooms are utilized to their full potential.
In addition to maximizing workspace usage, the data collected from your Meeting Room Display solution can also enhance collaboration within your organization. By understanding how teams and departments utilize meeting spaces, you can identify opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and facilitate better communication. For example, if certain teams frequently book meeting rooms at the same time, you can encourage them to coordinate and potentially consolidate their meetings, freeing up space for other teams.
Furthermore, the intelligence gathered from your Meeting Room Display solution can help you adapt to changing usage patterns. As your organization evolves and grows, the demands for meeting spaces may change. With access to data on utilization, you can make informed decisions about expanding or re-configuring your workspace. For example, if certain meeting rooms are consistently underutilized, you can repurpose them for other purposes or consider converting them into collaborative spaces.
AskCody is changing the way meetings, and all associated items and resources are booked and managed across organizations and locations – all inside Microsoft Outlook and Office 365. The product suite streamlines room booking and management and even finding hot desks, all aspects of the business that have long been recognized as hurdles to productivity and a waste of time. AskCody lets people search for and book rooms based on availability, the number of people, the purpose of the meeting, and in-room equipment right inside Outlook. AskCody helps you create a happier, more productive, and efficient modern workplace while optimizing available resources.
