Workplace Services / Reservations

Reservations: Application Overview

The Archibus Reservations application provides a web-based application for managing enterprise room and resource reservations. With this tool, you can manage several variables to ensure optimal use of space and resources as well as a smooth transition from one meeting to the next.

You can define various room arrangements, such as a conference room, a classroom, or a theater room arrangement. In some instances, you can define multiple room arrangements for one room. You can also define different set-up and clean-up times for each room arrangement. The user can then reserve the room arrangement that best suits their needs, and can also take into account set-up and clean-up times when planning their agenda. In addition, trades people can easily review set-up and clean-up tasks.

You can also reserve various types of resources. First, you can define fixed resources that always remain in a room. In addition, you can create a resource reservation to correspond with a room reservation. You can also set up resource reservations that are separate from room reservations. A resource reservation may include:

unique resources, such as a specific laptop or projector
limited resources, such as IT personnel or a printer
unlimited resources, items that can be ordered in any amount, such as catering services

After a reservation is made, the automated workflow rules ensure that the appropriate employees and external guests receive email notifications of the reservation.

Note: For Archibus SaaS, Archibus offers the Reservations module for managing reservations. This module includes reservations, as well as reserving working spaces (known as booking hotelable rooms). For an overview of the Reservations module, see Reservations Module.

Note: You can also reserve rooms using Archibus Workplace or the Workplace Services Portal mobile app. Reservations made in these programs are managed with the Reservations application.

You can also integrate the Reservations Plugin for Microsoft Outlook or the Archibus Extension for Microsoft Exchange. See:

Typical workflow

The following is a typical workflow to manage enterprise room and resource reservations:

Prerequisite: Review these concepts

Step 1. Business process owner determine how to deploy the Reservations application.

You can deploy the Reservations application alone, or with the Reservations Plugin for Outlook or the Archibus Extension for Exchange. See:

Step 2. Business process owner sets up Reservations and develops background data

This information includes rooms and their configurations and arrangements, resources and their types, users and email, timeline blocks, and timeline start and end times, and application parameters that determine various deployment options, such as whether or not notifications are used.

Setting Up the Reservations Application

Step 3. Become familiar with the Reservations Calendar Console.

Step 4. Request room and resource reservations.

Create a one-time reservation for a room and optionally resources.
Create recurring reservations for rooms and optionally resources.
Create reservations for conference calls.
Create a new reservation by copying an existing reservation.
Reserve only a resource.
If your site has installed the Reservations Plugin for Outlook, staff can make reservations from either Web Central, or from Outlook; thus, even those without access to Web Central can make reservations.
Make room reservations directly from a smart phone or mobile device using the Workplace Services Portal mobile app .
From a tablet, kiosk, or smart phone, reserve resources and rooms using Archibus Workplace.
- With Archibus Workplace, general staff and guests can reserve meeting space on a one-time or recurring schedule. Using the Reservations features of Workplace requires that you have a license for the Reservations application or module.
- Reservations made from Archibus Workplace are automatically approved. Reservations made from Archibus Workplace appear in both the Reservations views, as well as the Service Console of the appropriate users. See Using Archibus Workplace.

Step 5 (Optional). Reservation managers or other authorized users approve reservations.

See Approve Reservations.

Step 6. (automatic) The application notifies attendees.

When reservations are created or changed, notifications are sent to attendees. If you are using Exchange, Exchange handles the notification. Otherwise, the Reservations application or module handles notification.

Step 7. Staff update reservations as changes occur.

Circumstances may arise and a requestor may need to change the reservation. As users make changes to their reservations, the system sends notifications. If you are using the Archibus Exchange extension, Exchange handles the notifications; otherwise, the Reservations application handles notifications.

See:

Step 8. Staff check into reserved rooms.

Your site might want you to verify that you used the reserved room by checking in when you enter the room.

Step 9. Managers analyze reservations using operational and managerial reports.

Review the management reports to understand the utilization rate of your rooms and resources. This provides you with vital information to optimize the use of your shared resources.

Reservations Reports.
Review setup and cleanup times. See Review Current Work by Trade.