10 Ways to Save Time with Meeting Room Software

Too often, team leaders, project managers, and other staff members spend far too much time planning and scheduling meetings. It might just seem like a few minutes here and there, but it really adds up over time. Many businesses are yet to install meeting room software and still rely on outdated, manual methods for booking meetings. Not only is this time-consuming, it increases the risk of scheduling errors, especially considering that a good portion of business meetings end up being rescheduled or cancelled.

Schedule meetings with meeting room software

Before a single meeting participant is even sitting in a conference room, someone has spent approximately 8-9 minutes booking the room and ordering catering and other services, not to mention playing phone tag, sending out emails to meeting attendees, and going back and forth trying to coordinate schedules. This is valuable time that would be better spent on more critical business tasks. Meeting room software virtually eliminates scheduling errors and can cut down meeting booking time, including the ordering of associated services, to just 2 minutes. Below are 10 specific ways that meeting booking software can save you time.

1. Quickly and easily locate available meeting rooms

Get a quick overview of available meeting rooms, view images of each room, and review important details, such as a room’s maximum capacity and floor plan. This allows you to locate the most appropriate meeting room for your needs both quickly and easily.

2. Register guests in a timely and efficient manner

Meeting room software that is equipped with a guest registration module allows receptionists to check visitors in quickly, print name badges, and perform barcode scans to keep track of registered visitors. The system also sends automatic email notifications to hosts when guests arrive, so they can head to the reception area to greet them. If visitors are late, hosts can simply work on other tasks till they receive an email notification.

3. Order all extra services simultaneously

When you use meeting room software, there’s no need to contact service providers separately to order audiovisual equipment, catering services, transportation, etc. A “one-stop” order form allows you to order all extra services at the same time when you book a meeting space. The order forms are 100% customizable, which means that you can adapt them to your specific needs. The services available on an order form can vary depending on the individual meeting room, building, location, country, etc.

4. Automatically notify and send order forms to service providers

Once you fill out an order form, service providers are instantly notified. They receive work orders and have the ability to view and print them.

5. Integrate with your company’s ERP system

Complete the order-to-invoice process for internal and external invoices by integrating your meeting room software with your company’s ERP system. Meeting room software seamlessly transfers data to your ERP system without the need for laborious synchronization processes.

6. Handle reservations across time zones

Keep your workforce across multiple locations and time zones in sync with meeting room software, which handles reservations across different time zones automatically. Meeting booking software helps you organize complex, multi-location meetings effectively.

7. Order from a remote workstation or via the web

Meeting room software provides the flexibility that today’s mobile workforce needs by offering anytime, anywhere access. Employees can access meeting scheduling software from a remote workstation or via the web when they’re away from the office. This means that employees can plan and schedule meetings in one centralized system, no matter where they are.

8. Generate reports on meeting room and resource usage

Get a big-picture view of meeting room and resource usage in no time flat by using meeting room software to generate resource utilization reports. These reports allow you to analyze meeting room usage and determine which resources are over- or underutilized. The data gleaned can be used to maximize efficiency and minimize costs.

9. Handle changes and cancellations

Room booking software keeps users, meeting rooms, and resources in sync, even when a meeting is moved or a booking is cancelled. Cancel or make changes to meetings on the fly – the system will be updated instantly and attendees and service providers will be notified immediately of changes and cancellations.

10. Eliminate the need for manual updates

Manual updates, communication delays, and scheduling errors are things of the past when you use meeting booking software that is updated in real-time with current schedule information. You’ll no longer find yourself accidentally booking meetings with colleagues at the wrong time because they scheduled a new meeting in their calendar while or after you booked a meeting.

Resource Central by Add-On Products is meeting room software that integrates completely with Microsoft Outlook®. Resource Central extends Outlook®’s capabilities while allowing you to continue working within its familiar and user-friendly environment. Resource Central boasts all of the features listed above, enabling you to spend less time booking meetings and more time doing business. How much time are you currently wasting on meeting booking? Try Add-On Products’ ROI calculator to find out!

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