Desk Booking Software for Hybrid Work Models: How to Organize Your Office Chaos

What is the cost of desk booking software?

The cost of desk booking software varies depending on the provider and the range of features. Most solutions operate on a monthly or annual subscription model, where you pay per user or per workspace. The price range is typically between 2 and 8 euros per user per month. The more users, the cheaper it often becomes per person. Many providers offer tiered pricing, where larger companies benefit from volume discounts. It's important not just to look at the price but also at which features are included. Some providers charge extra for analytics, integrations, or premium support. Other solutions, like anny, offer transparent all-in prices, where all important features are already included. Calculate how much you can save through optimized office space – oftentimes, the software pays for itself within a few months.

How long does it take to implement desk booking software?

The good news: Implementing modern desk booking software is usually quick. Technically, you can set up most solutions within a few hours or days. You upload the floor plans of your office spaces, mark the bookable workplaces and rooms, possibly set booking rules, and integrate the software into your existing tools like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. That's it for the technical side. The real challenge lies in change management. You should plan for about two to four weeks to introduce, train, and familiarize your employees with the new solution. A pilot project with a department or team has proven helpful before rolling out the software throughout the company. This way, you can gather feedback, adjust processes, and convince skeptics through positive experiences. In total, you should plan for about four to eight weeks for a complete implementation, including rollout and acclimatization phase.

Do we need desk booking also for small teams?

This question strongly depends on your specific situation. Generally, once more employees can potentially come to the office than there are workstations available, desk booking makes sense. In very small teams of five to ten people, where everyone has a fixed seating arrangement and rarely works remotely, you probably don’t need software. However, once your team works hybrid and flexibility is important, you benefit even in smaller team sizes. Imagine there are ten of you, and everyone comes to the office on different days. Without desk booking, you probably coordinate this via WhatsApp groups or Excel sheets – which works but is inefficient. With desk booking software, you know at a glance who is there when and can plan your office days to collaborate with the right colleagues. Also, if your team grows, you have already established the structure. Many modern solutions also offer affordable starter packs for smaller teams, making the investment worthwhile.

How do I ensure all employees actually use the software?

Employee acceptance is indeed the critical success factor. From experience, we know: The software can be great – if your team doesn't use it, it's pointless. Therefore, you should focus on three things from the start. First: Communication. Explain not only HOW the software works, but especially WHY you are introducing it. What problem does it solve? What personal benefits do the employees gain? Second: Simplicity. Choose software that is truly intuitive. If booking a workplace is more complicated than sending a WhatsApp message, it will be difficult. The best solutions can be understood and operated in under a minute. Third: Role models. Leaders and managers should lead by example and consistently use the software. Additionally, it helps to integrate the software into existing workflows – for example, by integrating it into Microsoft Teams or Slack, so employees don’t have to open a new app. And very important: Regularly gather feedback and adjust processes. If employees see that their feedback is taken seriously, acceptance increases enormously.

Can we use desk booking software for meeting rooms?

Absolutely, and that is even one of the great advantages of modern desk booking solutions. Most systems allow you not only to book workstations but also meeting rooms, phone booths, project spaces, or even parking spaces. This makes sense because in a hybrid work model you need flexibility on all levels. Imagine booking your workstation for Tuesday and simultaneously seeing that your team is also in the office that day. Then you can book a suitable meeting room for your team meeting. Many solutions also offer advanced features for room bookings, like integration with Outlook or Google Calendar, so meeting room bookings automatically appear in the calendar. Some systems even show the equipment of the rooms – whether a projector is available, how many people can fit, or if the room is equipped for hybrid meetings with video conferencing equipment. This saves time and prevents double bookings or employees standing in front of closed doors.

What happens to our data? Is desk booking GDPR-compliant?

Data protection is a completely legitimate topic with desk booking software, and you should look closely here. The good news: Serious providers from the EU area are GDPR-compliant and take data protection very seriously. When choosing a solution, you should ensure that the provider is based in Europe or at least uses servers in the EU. The software usually only stores the necessary data: who booked which workplace when. Personal data like names are necessary to ensure functionality, but no sensitive information is collected. It's important that you, as a company, communicate transparently with your employees about what data is collected and for what purpose. Some employees may be concerned about being monitored through desk booking. You can counteract this by clearly stating: it’s not about control, but about organization and transparency. Most modern solutions also offer anonymization features for analytics – you can see how many workstations are used without tracking individual employees. Ask your provider for a Data Processing Agreement and have your legal department or data protection officer take a look at it.

What integrations with existing tools are possible?

Modern desk booking software should seamlessly integrate into your existing IT landscape. The most important integrations are Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. With these, you can use Single Sign-On – your employees don’t have to log in separately but use their familiar credentials. Additionally, the desk booking software often synchronizes with Outlook or Google Calendar, so booked workstations automatically appear in the calendar. Integration into collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack is also extremely valuable. Employees can directly see from Teams who is in the office and book their workplace without switching apps. Some solutions offer APIs, allowing you to build your own integrations – for instance, with your HR system or building management. If you already use an access control system, access permissions can often be synchronized as well. When selecting your desk booking software, you should carefully check which integrations are natively supported and how easy the setup is. Good software comes with pre-built connectors and offers support during integration.

How do we measure the success of desk booking software?

To measure the success of your desk booking software, you should set clear KPIs in advance. The most obvious metrics are usage data: how many employees actively book workstations? What is the average office occupancy? Are all available spaces used, or are there areas that remain permanently empty? This data helps you optimize your office space and possibly save costs. If, for example, you find that only sixty percent of the workstations are used on average, you can consider reducing the office space. But success isn’t measured only in hard numbers. Conduct regular employee surveys: Has coordination with the team become easier? Does the software reduce frustration in everyday work? Do employees feel better informed about who is in the office when? The time-to-value is also an important factor: how long did it take before the software was used productively? The faster your team works with it, the better. Many desk booking solutions offer integrated analytics dashboards that automatically compile these metrics for you. Use this data not just once, but establish regular reporting – so you can see trends and constantly optimize.