Syddansk Universitet

Customer Case Study: University of Southern Denmark Implements Resource Central

“In the past it took at least half an hour to organize a meeting; now it takes a few minutes.”

Inge Hansen, IT-Coordinator, University of Southern Denmark

The University of Southern Denmark, with campuses across six cities, has streamlined its meeting planning process using Resource Central by Add-On Products. The system, integrated with Microsoft Outlook®, allows for the quick booking of meeting rooms, equipment, and services.

“We use Resource Central from Add-On Products to organize meetings at the 55 meeting facilities available at The University of Southern Denmark. Thanks to this solution, we can now perform the entire process in a logical, structured way through Outlook.”

Inge Hansen, IT-Coordinator, University of Southern Denmark

Customer Profile

Country: Denmark

Industry: Education

University Overview: The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) is one of Denmark’s largest universities, with campuses in Odense, Kolding, Esbjerg, Sønderborg, Slagelse, and Copenhagen. It educates over 19,000 students and employs nearly 4,000 staff members.

Challenge

The University sought to optimize and streamline the planning of internal meetings and events across its multiple campuses.

Solution

The University implemented Resource Central, an integrated solution with Microsoft Outlook®, to book meeting rooms, order catering, arrange seating, and send invitations. Resource Central has been deployed across the four largest campuses, with plans for implementation at the remaining campuses.

Benefits

• Complete organization of meetings in under 2 minutes
• Seamless integration with Microsoft Outlook®
• Booking of meeting rooms, equipment, and services directly through Outlook
• Increased efficiency by allowing organizers to book rooms, arrange services, and send invitations all at once

Improved Efficiency with Resource Central

Before Resource Central, one staff member was dedicated to meeting planning at the Odense campus. This process was time-consuming, using phone calls and manual methods to coordinate meetings. Now, Resource Central has automated and simplified the entire process, freeing up staff to focus on other tasks. The software features:

• Bookings for meeting rooms, equipment, and catering through Outlook
• Ability to order additional services like coffee, water, and fruit
• Automatic dispatch of invitations to participants
• Integration with the University’s electronic sign system to display meeting details on campus

Resource Central is an add-on solution for Microsoft Outlook® and Exchange, designed to facilitate the quick and efficient organization of meetings, including room booking, catering, and other services. The system handles order changes automatically and sends notifications to relevant staff.

“Before we had Resource Central, we had one member of staff employed full-time at the Odense campus responsible only for the details of meeting planning. With the telephone as the main means of communication, this made for a very long and complicated process. This employee is now free to work on other tasks.”

Inge Hansen, IT-Coordinator, University of Southern Denmark

Easy Adoption and Use

Resource Central has been embraced by staff across the University, especially due to its seamless integration with Microsoft Outlook®. Those already familiar with Outlook can start using the system without any formal training, while those unfamiliar with Outlook can receive training to use both Resource Central and Outlook effectively.

“Resource Central looks just like a part of Microsoft Outlook®, meaning all those used to working with Outlook can learn to use it without any training simply by using the excellent online help.”

Inge Hansen, IT-Coordinator, University of Southern Denmark

Ongoing Expansion and Customization

Since its implementation in 2006, Resource Central has been expanded to manage resources across multiple campuses. User feedback has played a significant role in the continuous development of the system, with many enhancements incorporated into the product over time.

“We’ve also seen many of our suggested enhancements incorporated in new releases of the product. There has always been a good dialogue between the University and Resource Central’s developers, and many of our suggestions have been realized as part of the standard product, meaning we’ve not had to pay for having them included.”

Inge Hansen, IT-Coordinator, University of Southern Denmark

 

For more information on The University of Southern Denmark:
Website: www.sdu.dk