Workplace reservation systems have become a key tool for companies as they implement their back to work strategies. As discussed in our previous blog, back to work with a seamless reservation system, many organizations have turned to technology solutions like IBM TRIRIGA's Reserve app (TRIRIGA Reserve) to ensure that employees are able to book workspaces upon returning to the office. Using their mobile devices, employees can access TRIRIGA Reserve on-the-go, easily review available spaces, and reserve hot desks or meeting rooms ahead of time. With every reservation, the employee will receive a confirmation email with an attachment to add the reservation to their Microsoft Outlook calendar.

This is a great first step towards improving the overall experience that employees have when interacting with the workplace, but what if this process can could be completed all within Microsoft Outlook, a tool which many employees are already using on a day-to-day basis?

How does Microsoft Outlook Integration work with IBM TRIRIGA's Reserve App?

Outlook integration is an add-on feature that IBM offers to TRIRIGA license owners, which embeds the TRIRIGA Reserve app directly within Microsoft Outlook. This allows users to easily access the reservation app within Outlook to set up appointments or meetings using space availability, amenity, and floor plan details from TRIRIGA.

With an Outlook integration, employees have full access to the reservation app's features and functionalities:

• Filter for space requirements (capacity and space amenities)
• Identify available workspaces on floor plans
• Book individual workstations or meeting rooms
• Link workspaces to the meeting location
• Send meeting invites to selected colleagues
• Review available amenities for meeting rooms and workplaces

Watch below for a quick demo on how IBM TRIRIGA's Reserve app can be accessed within Outlook for users to easily search and reserve available workspaces all in one app:

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Making TRIRIGA Reserve easily adoptable with an Outlook integration

As companies introduce new office tools to enhance their employees' experience within the workplace, they will also aim to make the transition and adoptability of the tool as seamless as possible for their employees.

So how can an Outlook integration increase the employees' adoptability to a new reservation app?

1. Using a familiar tool

Integrating the reservation app within Outlook allows for employees to continue to use a platform that they are familiar and comfortable with for their day-to-day work activities. Users would access the tool all from within the Outlook app, and there would be no need to open an additional browser to make a workspace reservation. Although the functions of the reservation app within Outlook will be new, the introduction of this added feature will be a benefit to users when using their Outlook calendars, which brings us to the second point.

2. Enhancing user experience when using the Outlook calendar

When users schedule an appointment or meeting in a standard Outlook calendar, they may enter their "Location" details by typing in the name of the workspace. The added functionality of TRIRIGA Reserve embedded within Outlook can enhance and further support the user's experience in their search and reservation of workspaces. The reservation tool can help users visualize their workspaces by displaying images of the available spaces, as well as viewing floor plans to easily locate the workspace in relation to other spaces. Once the user has made an appointment or meeting invite, the system will also automatically update their Outlook calendar with the reservation. This allows the user to search for available workspaces, create a reservation or meeting invite, and view all bookings within one application.

Additional configurations and customizations to the TRIRIGA Reserve tool could be developed and implemented by our Tjene team in order to provide your employees with a reservation app that best supports their needs. If you are interested to see how this tool could be the right fit for your workplace strategy, our team would be happy to further demo the reservation system's features and functionalities to your team. You may contact us at info@tjene.com.

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What is IBM TRIRIGA?

IBM TRIRIGA is an industry leading integrated workplace management system (IWMS). The integrated system connects all data from your organization's management systems such as capital projects, lease, space, facilities, operations and maintenance into one platform. Using IBM TRIRIGA enables employees to efficiently manage, track, and streamline processes impacting the overall business of your corporate real estate. 

What is the IBM TRIRIGA Reserve tool?

The IBM TRIRIGA Reserve tool (TRIRIGA Reserve) is a reservation system that is part of IBM TRIRIGA's Workplace Services technology solution offered within the space management module for corporate real estate. TRIRIGA Reserve is a mobile web app for employees to easily and efficiently reserve available meeting rooms and workstations at the palm of their hands.  

Curious to see how the TRIRIGA Reserve tool works as a web application outside of the Outlook app? Watch our demo on the reservation tool here!

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