When check-ins and booking confirmations are truly useful.
Weighing when check-ins in desk sharing truly add value – and when they unnecessarily complicate daily routines.
A work environment that focuses on predictability, reliability, and flexibility.
In a flexible desk-sharing environment, employees book workspaces as needed. To ensure smooth usage, a booking confirmation—often referred to as a “check-in”—is frequently required. This involves reconfirming a previously reserved desk on the day of use. The purpose of this measure is to ensure that booked spaces are actually occupied and, if unused, made available to other employees.
However, the key question is when such check-ins are truly useful. In practice, booking confirmations provide the most value when the demand for workspaces is high, and transparent usage is absolutely necessary.
Check-in: When the booking confirmation delivers real value.
The daily check-in function aims to provide real-time data on actual workspace usage. This enables facility and office management to gain a precise overview of office occupancy and make better-informed decisions. However, a check-in is only effective when employees work in a high-demand environment where every available desk matters. Otherwise, the additional confirmation often results in unnecessary effort.
- Value in highly frequented offices: In offices that are often near full capacity, check-ins significantly improve availability. The booking confirmation ensures that unused workspaces are released and made accessible to other colleagues at short notice. Employees can rely on the fact that displayed desks are genuinely available, which is especially valuable in dynamic work environments.
Block bookings and ad-hoc usage: The challenge of reliable planning.
A common scenario in desk sharing is the precautionary habit of employees booking workspaces in bulk – often without certainty about whether they will actually use them. The motivation is understandable: many employees prefer to reserve a desk in advance to ensure they have a spot if needed. However, this practice often results in unnecessarily blocked desks and creates an inflated occupancy rate that doesn’t reflect actual usage. This raises the question of whether a check-in is a useful additional measure to address this discrepancy.
Block bookings: Reserving without certainty of use
The tendency toward block bookings leads to an inaccurate representation of workspace occupancy. While desks appear booked, they are not always used. These “precautionary bookings” make it difficult to accurately measure actual demand and needs, posing challenges for facility and office managers.Uncertain ad-hoc culture as a risk for planning
Another common issue is spontaneous ad-hoc usage: employees arrive at the office without a confirmed booking, hoping to find a free desk and meet the right colleagues. This practice contributes to an uncertain usage culture. Without assurance that their chosen desk is available, employees risk not finding suitable workspaces or missing the opportunity to collaborate with their team members. For a reliable and well-planned office organization, this ad-hoc culture is therefore a hindrance.
Accountability as the foundation for a functioning and reliable desk sharing system.
For a desk-sharing model to succeed, a mindful and forward-thinking booking culture is essential. A work environment where employees reserve desks only when they truly intend to use them—and cancel reservations early when plans change—enhances the system’s reliability and transparency. The check-in function can be a useful tool here, provided it is built on a well-thought-out and needs-based booking strategy.
Forward-looking bookings create a reliable office environment: A conscious and predictable booking practice, combined with regular booking confirmation, builds trust in workspace availability. This transforms desk sharing into a concept based on reliability and planning, rather than luck or spontaneity—one that is embraced by all employees.
arbooONE: A solution that combines reliability and flexibility
Schedule a demo and see for yourself how arbooONE supports your desk-sharing initiative and creates a predictable office environment.
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