Deskme.com Reviews

Based on looking at the website, Deskme.com appears to be a legitimate and well-structured software solution designed to optimize office space utilization through hot-desking and meeting room management.

It directly addresses common pain points associated with flexible work environments, offering tools for employees to book desks, find colleagues, and reserve meeting rooms efficiently.

The platform emphasizes cost savings for businesses by maximizing existing office real estate, while simultaneously aiming to improve employee satisfaction by ensuring they can easily find suitable workspaces.

The site highlights a clear value proposition: transforming underutilized office space into an efficient, agile environment.

With features like 3D office maps, real-time booking, and integrations with popular calendar systems, DeskMe aims to streamline the hybrid work model that many companies have adopted.

They position themselves as a practical solution for businesses looking to save on overheads while maintaining a productive and organized office presence for their workforce.

Find detailed reviews on Trustpilot, Reddit, and BBB.org, for software products you can also check Producthunt.

IMPORTANT: We have not personally tested this company’s services. This review is based solely on information provided by the company on their website. For independent, verified user experiences, please refer to trusted sources such as Trustpilot, Reddit, and BBB.org.

The Hot-Desking Revolution: Why Companies are Shifting

It’s a strategic pivot for businesses looking to optimize resources and enhance employee flexibility.

Hot-desking, once a niche concept, has rapidly become a cornerstone of this new reality.

The Financial Imperative: Saving Square Footage

Let’s talk numbers, because that’s where the rubber meets the road for businesses. Traditional office models, where every employee has a dedicated desk, often result in significant wasted space. Estimates suggest that on average, only about 20% of office space is actively utilized on any given day. Think about that: 80% of your expensive real estate sitting idle, burning money. This inefficiency is a major driver behind the hot-desking movement. By implementing flexible desk arrangements, companies can drastically reduce their physical footprint, leading to substantial savings on rent, utilities, and maintenance. For example, a company paying €7,000/month for a 200 square meter office with 20 employees could potentially halve their office space and save €3,500. DeskMe posits that even with their service fee, the net savings are significant, like their example of saving €3,450 per month. This isn’t just theoretical. major corporations are reporting millions in savings by adopting flexible workspace strategies.

Employee Demands: The Pursuit of Flexibility

It’s not just about the bottom line. it’s also about attracting and retaining top talent. The modern workforce values flexibility more than ever before. A 2022 survey by Gallup found that 80% of remote-capable employees prefer a hybrid work arrangement, with many stating they would look for a new job if forced back into the office full-time. Hot-desking caters to this demand by offering employees the freedom to come into the office when needed, without being tied to a specific workstation. This autonomy can lead to increased job satisfaction, better work-life balance, and ultimately, higher productivity. It’s about empowering employees to choose an environment that best suits their tasks for the day, whether that’s a quiet corner for focused work or a collaborative space for team projects.

Overcoming the Hot-Desking Headaches: DeskMe’s Approach

While the benefits of hot-desking are clear, implementing it isn’t always smooth sailing. Artificial-studio.com Reviews

Companies frequently run into issues that can negate the advantages and even frustrate employees.

DeskMe specifically addresses these common pain points, which often include:

• Finding a suitable desk: Employees often waste time searching for a desk that meets their specific needs e.g., dual monitors, adjustable height, quiet area.
• Locating colleagues: In a flexible environment, it’s hard to know who is in the office and where they are sitting, hindering collaboration.
• Inefficient space utilization: Without a proper system, some desks might be overbooked while others remain empty.
• Frustration and wasted time: Employees arriving at the office only to find no suitable space can lead to a negative experience and a quick return home.

DeskMe aims to solve these by providing a real-time booking app, allowing employees to see available desks, their equipment, and even the location of their colleagues, transforming potential chaos into structured efficiency.

How DeskMe Works: A Deeper Dive into Functionality

DeskMe’s core value proposition lies in its streamlined approach to office space management.

It’s designed to be intuitive for the end-user employees while providing robust management tools for administrators. Chatshape.com Reviews

The Employee Experience: Seamless Booking and Navigation

For the average employee, the process is designed to be as simple as possible. The DeskMe booking app serves as the central hub.

• Visualizing the Office: The app provides a visual representation of the office layout. This isn’t just a list. it includes 3D office maps. These interactive maps allow employees to:
  • Easily navigate the office, even if they’re visiting for the first time.
  • See the precise location of desks and meeting rooms.
  • Identify where their colleagues are seated, fostering spontaneous collaboration.
• Filtered Search for Specific Needs: Not all desks are created equal. An employee might need a specific setup for their day’s tasks. DeskMe allows users to filter desks by various criteria, such as:
  • Number of displays e.g., “find desks with two displays”.
  • Location e.g., “near a window” or “in a quiet zone”.
  • Equipment e.g., “adjustable desk,” “docking station”. This granular control ensures employees can find a workspace that genuinely suits their preferences and work style.
• Real-time Availability: The system operates in real-time, ensuring that what an employee sees on the app is an accurate reflection of current availability. This prevents the frustration of arriving at a seemingly available desk only to find it occupied.
• Meeting Room Integration: Beyond individual desks, employees can also reserve meeting rooms through the same app, often integrated with their existing calendar systems, ensuring consistency across scheduling tools.

The Administrator’s Perspective: Control, Insights, and Scalability

While the employee experience is about simplicity, the administrator’s side focuses on control, data, and efficient management of the entire office ecosystem.

• Centralized Management Dashboard: Administrators gain a holistic view of office usage. They can:
  • Monitor desk occupancy rates in real-time.
  • Manage meeting room availability and schedules.
  • Set up and configure different desk types and room attributes.
• Advanced Permissions and Grouping: The system allows for granular control over who can book what. Desks and meeting rooms can be grouped, and permissions can be set so that:
  • Only specific teams can reserve certain areas e.g., a dedicated project room.
  • Certain users have priority access to premium workstations.
  • Visibility of bookings can be restricted to relevant user groups. This flexibility ensures that specialized areas or sensitive meeting rooms are managed appropriately.
• Reporting and Analytics: This is where the power of data comes into play for optimizing office space. DeskMe offers various reporting tools, including:
  • Time of day heatmaps: Visualizing peak usage times.
  • Calendar heatmaps: Identifying trends in daily and weekly occupancy.
  • Office occupancy graphs: Tracking overall utilization percentage.
  • Excel exports: For further in-depth analysis and custom reporting.
  • User group statistics: Understanding how different teams or departments utilize the space. These insights are invaluable for space planning, identifying underutilized areas, and making data-driven decisions about future office layouts or expansions. For instance, if data shows certain meeting rooms are consistently empty or a specific desk type is always booked, adjustments can be made.
• Integrations for Seamless Workflow: DeskMe emphasizes seamless integration with existing enterprise tools. This is critical for minimizing disruption and maximizing adoption. Key integrations include:
  • Google Calendar & Outlook Calendar online & on-prem: Real-time syncing ensures bookings made in DeskMe appear in standard calendars and vice-versa.
  • Active Directory sync: For user management and single sign-on capabilities.
  • Login with FB/Google/Microsoft: Simplifying user authentication. These integrations mean less manual data entry, fewer conflicts, and a more unified digital workspace.

Meeting Room Mastery: Beyond Basic Booking

Meeting rooms are often a source of significant frustration in offices, leading to double-bookings, wasted time, and impromptu takeovers.

DeskMe aims to revolutionize meeting room management, transforming them from chaotic spaces into efficiently utilized assets.

The Pain Points of Traditional Meeting Room Booking

Before into DeskMe’s solutions, it’s essential to understand the common frustrations users face: Slatebox.com Reviews

• Slow Booking Processes: Relying solely on Outlook or Google Calendar can be clunky for quick, impromptu calls. The process often involves opening an application, navigating to a calendar, checking availability, and then sending invitations.
• “Squatting” on Rooms: People often jump into an empty room for an unscheduled call, only to be interrupted by someone who actually reserved it, leading to awkward encounters and wasted time.
• No-Shows: A room is booked, but the meeting never materializes, or it ends early, leaving the room appearing occupied when it’s actually available. This leads to underutilization.
• Difficulty Finding Available Rooms: Especially in larger offices, it’s not always clear which rooms are free at a glance.

DeskMe’s Solution: Meeting Room Screens and Smart Features

DeskMe tackles these issues head-on with dedicated meeting room screens and intelligent booking functionalities.

• Real-time Availability at a Glance: DeskMe provides 10.1″ meeting room screens that are placed directly outside each meeting room. These screens immediately display the room’s status:

  • Green/Red Indicators: Clearly showing if the room is currently occupied or available.
  • Current Meeting Details: Displaying the name of the meeting, organizer, and remaining time.
  • Upcoming Bookings: Showing the schedule for the rest of the day, allowing for quick planning.

  This instant visual feedback eliminates guesswork and prevents accidental interruptions.

• On-the-Spot Booking and Extending: The screens aren’t just passive displays. They are interactive, allowing users to:

  • Reserve a Room Immediately: If a room is free, a user can book it directly from the screen for an ad-hoc meeting, with the reservation syncing in real-time to Outlook/Google Calendar.
  • End Meeting Early: If a meeting finishes ahead of schedule, the organizer can release the room with a single touch on the screen, making it immediately available for others. This maximizes room utilization.

• “Confirm” Option for No-Shows: This is a crucial feature for preventing ghost bookings. With the “Confirm” option enabled, a reservation will be automatically canceled if nobody physically enters the room and taps “Confirm” within 15 minutes of the start time. This intelligent automation ensures that rooms are not held indefinitely by no-shows, significantly improving overall availability and preventing wasted space. Promptmetheus.com Reviews

• Integration with Core Calendars: All actions taken on the meeting room screens—bookings, extensions, early releases—are synced in real-time with Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar both online and on-premise deployments. This ensures that all scheduling systems reflect the most accurate availability, eliminating conflicts and confusion.

• Hardware Specifications: The screens themselves are purpose-built for this environment, featuring:

  • Powerful and Fast Performance: Ensuring a smooth user experience.
  • LED Frame: Providing clear visual cues e.g., green for available, red for occupied.
  • NFC Scanner: Potentially for user authentication or specific interaction.
  • PoE & WiFi Support: Flexible installation options, allowing for power over Ethernet or standard Wi-Fi connectivity. DeskMe also emphasizes that these screens are provided “at cost level,” suggesting they are not a significant profit center but rather an enabler for the software’s functionality.

Pricing Structure: Understanding the Investment

When evaluating any software solution, understanding its pricing model is paramount.

DeskMe employs a straightforward, subscription-based model that scales with a company’s needs.

This clarity is a significant advantage, as it allows businesses to easily estimate costs and understand the return on investment. Giphtys.com Reviews

“Pay Per Place/Month” Model

DeskMe’s primary pricing structure for hot-desking is a per-place, per-month fee. Specifically, they charge €5 per place/month.

• What “Place” Means: A “place” refers to a bookable desk or workstation. If you have 100 desks in your office that you want to manage with DeskMe, you would be charged for 100 places, irrespective of how many employees you have. The logic here is that the software manages the physical assets desks, not the number of individual users.
• Scalability: This model is inherently scalable. As your office needs change—you add more desks or reduce your footprint—your DeskMe costs adjust accordingly. This offers flexibility, especially for growing or downsizing companies.
• Cost-Benefit Justification: DeskMe frames this cost against the potential savings from reducing office space. For example, they illustrate that for a company with 20 employees in a 200 square meter office costing €7,000/month, reducing the office size by half could save €3,500. Even with DeskMe’s cost e.g., 20 places x €5/month = €100/month, the net saving remains substantial at €3,400. This calculation provides a strong financial argument for adoption.

Meeting Room Pricing

For meeting rooms, DeskMe follows a similar per-room, per-month fee: €5 per meeting room/month.

• Screens as One-Time Investment: It’s important to note that this €5/month fee is for the software managing the meeting room. The physical meeting room screens themselves are a one-time investment, which DeskMe states they provide “at cost level.” This means the hardware is a separate, upfront expense, but the ongoing fee covers the software and real-time syncing capabilities.
• Clear Differentiation: This separates the software service from the hardware, allowing companies to budget accordingly. They might already have screens or prefer to source their own compatible displays, though DeskMe’s integrated screens are likely optimized for their system.

Overall Value Proposition

The pricing model reflects DeskMe’s focus on efficiency and cost savings.

By optimizing the use of existing space, businesses can potentially save far more than the monthly subscription fees.

The transparent pricing allows companies to calculate their potential return on investment ROI before committing, which is crucial for budget-conscious organizations. Travelai.com Reviews

It encourages businesses to view DeskMe not as an additional expense, but as a tool for cost reduction and operational efficiency.

Key Features That Make a Difference

Beyond the core hot-desking and meeting room management, DeskMe packs a suite of features designed to enhance the overall office experience and provide valuable insights for administrators. These aren’t just add-ons.

They actively contribute to a more efficient, user-friendly, and data-driven workspace.

3D Office Maps: Visualizing Your Workspace

This feature isn’t just a gimmick.

It’s a powerful tool for navigation and orientation, especially in larger or multi-floor offices. Litgrades.com Reviews

• Intuitive Navigation: Real-time 3D maps allow employees to visually grasp the office layout. This is invaluable for:
  • New hires: Quickly finding their way around without constantly asking for directions.
  • Infrequent office visitors: Easily locating their booked desk or a specific meeting room.
  • Finding colleagues: Visually identifying where teammates are seated on the map.
• Enhanced User Experience: It transforms a potentially confusing environment into an easily navigable space, reducing wasted time and improving overall employee satisfaction. It’s like having a GPS for your office.

Robust Integrations: Playing Nicely with Others

DeskMe excels here, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum utility.

• Calendar Sync: The bedrock of office scheduling. DeskMe integrates with:
  • Google Calendar: For companies heavily reliant on Google Workspace.
  • Outlook Calendar online & on-prem: Crucial for Microsoft-centric organizations, including legacy on-premise Exchange setups. This real-time, two-way sync ensures that DeskMe bookings appear in users’ personal calendars, and external calendar bookings e.g., a meeting invitation sent via Outlook are reflected in DeskMe’s room availability.
• User Management:
  • Active Directory Sync: For centralized user authentication and management, streamlining onboarding and offboarding.
  • Login with FB/Google/Microsoft: Offering convenient single sign-on SSO options, reducing password fatigue and enhancing security.
• Broader Ecosystem Compatibility: The mention of “many more” integrations suggests a flexible API or a commitment to expanding compatibility, allowing businesses to connect DeskMe with other internal systems if needed.

Reporting & Analytics: Data-Driven Office Optimization

This is where DeskMe provides the insights needed for strategic decision-making regarding office space. Data is gold, and DeskMe mines it effectively.

• Time of Day Heatmaps: Visualize when certain areas or the entire office are most occupied. This can inform:
  • Cleaning schedules.
  • Resource allocation e.g., IT support presence.
  • Energy efficiency strategies.
• Calendar Heatmaps: Understand daily and weekly usage patterns. This can help predict peak days for office presence and inform hybrid work policies.
• Office Occupancy Graphs: Track overall utilization rates over time. This metric is crucial for determining:
  • If current office size is appropriate.
  • If a move to a smaller or larger space is warranted.
  • The effectiveness of hot-desking implementation.
• Excel Exports: For advanced users who want to perform custom analysis or integrate data with other business intelligence tools.
• User Groups Statistics: Analyze how different departments or teams utilize the office. This can highlight specific needs or inefficiencies within various groups.

These reports enable facility managers and HR departments to make informed decisions, optimize layouts, and potentially save significant costs on underutilized space.

Coworking Deals: Scaling Beyond Your Walls

• Seamless Scaling: When your primary office reaches full capacity, DeskMe can facilitate integrating nearby coworking locations. This means:
  • Employees can seamlessly book a desk at a partner coworking space through the same DeskMe app.
  • It acts as a flexible overflow solution without requiring a costly expansion of your own physical office.
• Partnership Networks: It also opens opportunities for companies to form “partnership networks,” potentially allowing reciprocal access to spaces or creating a broader network of flexible work locations for employees. This is a forward-thinking feature that acknowledges the distributed nature of modern workforces.

Info Screens: The Office Digital Billboard

Similar to meeting room screens but on a larger scale, info screens enhance general office communication and wayfinding.

• Up to 55″ Displays: Placed strategically, typically at office entrances or common areas.
• Who’s In the Office: Displays real-time information on who has checked into the office, fostering a sense of community and making it easier to find colleagues.
• Easy Desk Booking: Allows ad-hoc desk bookings directly from the large screen, useful for visitors or employees who arrive without pre-booking via their mobile app.

This serves as a dynamic digital directory and a central hub for office information, further enhancing the user experience. Timbr.com Reviews

Search & Filters: Pinpointing the Perfect Spot

This feature goes beyond basic booking to address specific user needs.

• Finding Colleagues: Crucial for fostering collaboration in a flexible environment. Employees can quickly see if a colleague is in the office and where they are located.
• Desk Filtering by Category: As mentioned before, the ability to filter desks by equipment e.g., “two displays,” “adjustable,” “standing desk” or location e.g., “near a window,” “quiet zone” is a significant user convenience, ensuring employees find a workspace that genuinely suits their requirements for the day.

Advanced Permissions: Granular Control for Admins

For larger organizations or those with specific security/privacy needs, this feature is critical.

• Group Management: Administrators can group desks and meeting rooms logically e.g., “Marketing Team Zone,” “Executive Meeting Rooms”.
• Role-Based Access: Permissions can then be applied to these groups, allowing only certain users or user groups to:
  • Reserve specific areas: Restricting access to sensitive project rooms.
  • See bookings: Controlling visibility of confidential meetings.

This ensures that the office space is managed according to internal policies and organizational structure.

The Customer Perspective: What Users Are Saying

Customer testimonials and reviews are crucial for gauging the real-world effectiveness of any service.

DeskMe features several testimonials on its website, providing insight into the user experience from various roles within organizations. Thoropass.com Reviews

The consistent themes across these reviews revolve around ease of use, responsive customer service, and tangible benefits in office management and efficiency.

Office Managers: Gaining Visibility and Data

Jaana Meriläinen from Aiven, an office manager, highlights the significant improvement in her role.

• Key Benefit: “It has helped my work as an office manager as now I can easily see who’s at the office and what is our usage % for the office.” This directly addresses the core challenge of managing a flexible office: knowing who is where and how efficiently space is being utilized.
• Data for Planning: She emphasizes the value of data: “So it’s also a good tool to have data when planning new office spaces.” This confirms that DeskMe’s reporting and analytics features are genuinely useful for strategic decision-making regarding office real estate.
• Customer Support: A strong point made is the exceptional customer service: “10 points goes to Vitaly, who has been beyond-helpful and always there when I needed assistance.” Responsive and helpful support is critical for any software implementation.
• Finnish Company Pride: The mention of DeskMe being a Finnish company suggests a local connection and potentially a sense of reliability or cultural alignment for some customers.

Project Managers/Leads: Agile Service and Tailored Solutions

Katerina Salmi from Crazy Town focuses on the flexibility and customer-centric approach.

• Key Benefit: “I would definitely recommend DeskMe. And one of the reasons is the very agile customer service, and the tailor made solutions.” This suggests DeskMe is not a one-size-fits-all product but is willing to adapt to specific client needs, a valuable trait for complex organizational structures.
• Ease of Use: “It has been very helpful! And it’s also very easy to use!” This reiterates the importance of an intuitive user interface for widespread adoption.

IT & Facilities: Improved Utilization and Seamless Integration

Mikko J.

Salminen from Spinverse, likely in an IT or facilities role, provides a more technical perspective on the benefits. Voxreply.com Reviews

• Duration of Use: Spinverse has been using DeskMe since 2019, indicating long-term satisfaction and reliability.
• Comprehensive Application: They use it for “meeting room, desk and work area reservations,” demonstrating the breadth of DeskMe’s applicability within an organization.
• Outlook Integration: “fully integrated with our Outlook for meeting room reservations.” This confirms the effectiveness of DeskMe’s integration capabilities, which are crucial for minimizing friction in existing workflows.
• Tangible Results: “This has made the reservation easy and has improved the utilisation and availability of the meeting rooms a lot!” This directly quantifies the positive impact, aligning with DeskMe’s core value proposition of improved efficiency.

General Users: Clarity, Agility, and User-Friendliness

Valtteri Lahti from Digi & Game Center offers a user-centric viewpoint.

• Clarity and Visibility: “DeskMe is an excellent service for people to use. They can see which places are reserved and when.” This highlights the transparency provided by the system.
• Navigational Aids: “They can use the space calendar, use the map of the facility, and if they’re new to the space they can see, which room they are actually reserving…” This reinforces the value of the visual aids and clear information.
• Agility and Ease: “It’s very agile and very easy to use.” These descriptors consistently appear, underscoring DeskMe’s commitment to a straightforward user experience.

Collectively, these testimonials paint a picture of a reliable, user-friendly, and highly effective office management solution backed by strong customer support.

They validate DeskMe’s claims regarding improved efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced employee satisfaction.

Benefits for Companies: Why DeskMe is a Smart Investment

Implementing a solution like DeskMe isn’t just about adopting new technology.

It’s about fundamentally transforming how a company utilizes its most significant physical asset – the office space. Morethanpanel.com Reviews

The benefits extend across financial, operational, and human resource domains.

Significant Cost Savings

This is arguably the most compelling benefit for many businesses, especially those grappling with high real estate costs in urban centers.

• Reduced Office Footprint: By enabling flexible hot-desking, companies can move away from a 1:1 employee-to-desk ratio. Since not all employees are in the office every day in a hybrid model, a smaller office footprint is sufficient. For instance, if only 50% of your workforce is in the office on any given day, you theoretically only need desks for 50% of your staff plus some buffer.
• Lower Rent and Utilities: A smaller office means directly proportional savings on monthly rent. Beyond rent, there are also substantial reductions in utility costs electricity, heating, cooling and maintenance expenses for the unused or reduced space.
• Optimized Resource Allocation: Instead of having empty, unused desks burning money, DeskMe ensures that the space you pay for is actively utilized. This optimization means every square meter contributes to productivity. DeskMe’s example of saving €3,450/month for a 20-employee company by reducing office size illustrates a concrete financial advantage.

Enhanced Employee Experience and Productivity

Happy employees are productive employees.

DeskMe contributes to a positive work environment in several ways.

• Reduced Frustration: Eliminates the common headaches of hot-desking:
  • No more wandering around searching for a free desk.
  • No more interruptions in meeting rooms due to double-bookings.
  • Employees can confidently arrive at the office knowing a suitable workspace is reserved for them.
• Empowerment and Choice: Employees can choose a desk that fits their specific needs for the day e.g., quiet zone for focus, collaborative space for teamwork, specific equipment. This autonomy increases job satisfaction.
• Improved Collaboration: The ability to see where colleagues are sitting and easily find them encourages spontaneous interaction and collaboration, which is often a challenge in highly flexible environments.
• Streamlined Processes: Easy one-click booking, quick room releases, and intuitive navigation via 3D maps save valuable employee time that would otherwise be spent on administrative tasks or searching for space.

Improved Office Management and Efficiency

For facility managers and administrators, DeskMe provides the tools for unparalleled oversight and control. Loadero.com Reviews

• Real-time Visibility: Instant access to data on who is in the office, where they are, and how much space is being used. This empowers proactive management rather than reactive problem-solving.
• Data-Driven Decisions: The comprehensive reporting and analytics features provide actionable insights. Managers can:
  • Identify peak usage times and adjust resources accordingly.
  • Determine if office expansion or contraction is genuinely needed.
  • Optimize office layouts based on actual usage patterns.
  • Justify future real estate investments with hard data.
• Streamlined Onboarding: New employees can quickly familiarize themselves with the office layout and booking procedures, reducing the burden on HR and management.
• Reduced Administrative Overhead: Automating desk and meeting room bookings frees up administrative staff from manual scheduling tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities.
• Scalability and Flexibility: The system is designed to adapt as a company grows or shrinks, or as its hybrid work policies evolve. The coworking integration further enhances this flexibility.

In essence, DeskMe transforms the office from a static cost center into a dynamic, optimized asset that supports the modern workforce, leading to tangible financial benefits and a more productive and satisfied employee base.

The Future of Work: DeskMe’s Role in Hybrid Models

The hybrid work model, blending remote and in-office presence, is not just a temporary adjustment.

It’s rapidly becoming the standard for many organizations.

DeskMe is positioned as a critical enabler for this evolution, helping companies navigate the complexities and maximize the advantages of a flexible workforce.

Adapting to Employee Preferences

Employee preferences are a significant driver of the hybrid model. A 2023 report by Buffer found that 98% of employees want the option to work remotely at least some of the time. However, they also value the benefits of in-person collaboration, mentorship, and company culture that the office provides. Aitoolnet.com Reviews

• Bridging the Gap: DeskMe acts as a bridge between the remote and in-office experience. It provides the necessary infrastructure to make office visits purposeful and efficient, rather than a frustrating chore.
• Purpose-Driven Office Visits: When employees do come into the office, they want it to be productive. DeskMe ensures they can easily:
  • Book the right type of desk for their task e.g., focused work, collaborative session.
  • Find their teammates for scheduled or impromptu meetings.
  • Access necessary resources like meeting rooms without hassle. This encourages employees to utilize the office effectively, making their commute worthwhile.

Optimizing Office Space in a Dynamic Environment

The hybrid model means office occupancy fluctuates.

Some days might see a surge of employees, while others are quieter. Managing this dynamic usage efficiently is key.

• Dynamic Space Allocation: DeskMe’s real-time booking and analytics allow companies to dynamically allocate space. If Tuesdays are typically high-occupancy days, managers can ensure more desks are available or monitor for potential overcrowding. If Fridays are low-occupancy, resources can be adjusted accordingly.
• Data for Long-Term Planning: The data collected by DeskMe occupancy rates, popular times, preferred desk types becomes invaluable for long-term real estate planning. This isn’t just about saving money in the short term. it’s about making strategic decisions for future office size, layout, and even location. Companies can avoid costly expansions or lease agreements that don’t align with actual usage patterns.
• Support for Decentralized Teams: Even if a company has multiple smaller offices or a dispersed workforce, DeskMe can provide a unified booking experience across all locations, centralizing management and data for a global view.

Fostering Community and Culture

One challenge of hybrid work is maintaining a strong company culture and sense of community when not everyone is in the office daily.

• Finding Colleagues: The ability to see who is in the office and where they are sitting through DeskMe’s app can facilitate serendipitous encounters and planned collaborations, strengthening team bonds.
• Scheduled Team Days: Companies often designate specific “team days” for in-office presence. DeskMe can ensure that teams can easily book desks near each other, maximizing the benefit of these in-person days.
• Info Screens as Communication Hubs: The large info screens at office entrances can serve as dynamic communication hubs, displaying company announcements, events, and a “who’s in” directory, further fostering a sense of belonging.

In conclusion, DeskMe isn’t just a booking tool.

It’s an infrastructural component for the modern hybrid office. Greenspark.com Reviews

Potential Considerations and What to Look For

While DeskMe presents a compelling solution for office space management, it’s always wise for any business to consider potential implementation aspects and ensure the solution aligns perfectly with their unique needs.

No software is a magic bullet, and a thoughtful evaluation process is key.

Integration Complexity

While DeskMe touts robust integrations, the actual implementation can vary depending on a company’s existing IT infrastructure.

• On-Premise vs. Cloud: If a company heavily relies on on-premise systems like an older Exchange server for Outlook Calendar, ensuring seamless integration might require more technical effort compared to a purely cloud-based environment. Businesses should inquire about the specifics of the integration process for their unique setup.
• Active Directory Sync: While Active Directory sync is a significant plus, the complexity can depend on the AD environment e.g., multiple domains, specific group policies. It’s worth understanding the prerequisites and potential challenges.
• Custom Integrations: If a business requires integration with other niche internal systems e.g., an internal HR platform, a specific access control system, it’s important to ascertain DeskMe’s API capabilities and if custom development would be necessary.

Hardware Investment for Meeting Rooms and Info Screens

DeskMe clearly states that meeting room screens and info screens are a “one-time investment” provided “at cost level.”

• Upfront Cost: While not part of the monthly software fee, this represents an upfront capital expenditure. Companies need to budget for the purchase of these screens, especially if they have many meeting rooms.
• Installation and Maintenance: Beyond the purchase, consider the logistics and cost of installing these screens e.g., mounting, power over Ethernet wiring if chosen and ongoing maintenance or replacement needs.
• Scalability of Hardware: If a company plans to expand or add more meeting rooms in the future, they should factor in the cost and procurement process for additional screens.

User Adoption and Change Management

Even the most intuitive software can face resistance if not introduced properly. Rundit.com Reviews

• Employee Training: While DeskMe is designed for ease of use, a brief training session or clear user guides can significantly boost adoption rates. Employees need to understand why the system is being implemented and how it benefits them.
• Communication Strategy: A clear communication plan before, during, and after implementation is crucial. Employees should be informed about the transition, its benefits, and where to find support.
• Addressing Concerns: Some employees might be resistant to hot-desking or new technology. Openly addressing their concerns and highlighting the system’s advantages e.g., guaranteed desk, finding colleagues can mitigate resistance.
• Feedback Mechanism: Establishing a clear channel for employee feedback on the system can help in fine-tuning its usage and identifying any unforeseen issues.

Support and Service Level Agreements SLAs

The positive customer testimonials highlight responsive support, but it’s important to formalize this.

• Support Channels: What support channels are available email, phone, chat? What are the response times?
• SLA: For enterprise clients, a formal Service Level Agreement outlining uptime guarantees, response times for critical issues, and resolution processes is essential.
• Onboarding Support: What level of support does DeskMe provide during the initial setup and configuration phase?

By thoroughly evaluating these considerations, companies can ensure a smoother implementation process and maximize the value derived from DeskMe’s office management solution.

It’s about doing your homework to ensure a good fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DeskMe.com?

DeskMe.com is a software solution designed for optimizing office space utilization, primarily focusing on hot-desking and meeting room management for businesses embracing hybrid work models.

How does DeskMe help with hot-desking?

DeskMe provides a booking app that allows employees to reserve desks in advance, see their equipment, find colleagues, and view real-time 3D office maps, ensuring they always have a suitable workspace.

What are the main problems DeskMe solves for hot-desking?

It solves issues like employees struggling to find suitable desks, difficulty locating colleagues in a flexible environment, and underutilization of office space, which averages around 20% usage in many offices.

How does DeskMe’s pricing work for desks?

DeskMe charges €5 per bookable desk place per month.

Can DeskMe help my company save money?

Yes, by enabling flexible hot-desking, DeskMe can help companies reduce their required office footprint, leading to significant savings on rent, utilities, and other overheads.

They estimate potential savings of thousands of Euros per month for companies reducing their office size.

Does DeskMe manage meeting rooms?

Yes, DeskMe offers a comprehensive solution for meeting room management, including real-time availability displays and smart booking features.

How do DeskMe meeting room screens work?

DeskMe provides 10.1″ screens placed outside meeting rooms that show real-time availability.

Users can book a room directly from the screen, end a meeting early, or confirm their presence to prevent no-shows.

Are the meeting room screens included in the monthly fee?

No, the meeting room screens are a one-time investment provided “at cost level” by DeskMe.

The €5 per meeting room/month fee is for the software service.

What integrations does DeskMe offer?

DeskMe integrates with popular calendar systems like Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar online & on-prem, Active Directory for user sync, and allows login via Facebook, Google, or Microsoft accounts.

Can I see who is in the office using DeskMe?

Yes, the DeskMe app allows employees to see where their colleagues are sitting.

Info screens placed at the office entrance can also display who is in the office.

What kind of reports and analytics does DeskMe provide?

DeskMe offers reporting features like time of day heatmaps, calendar heatmaps, office occupancy graphs, Excel exports, and user group statistics to help analyze space utilization.

Is DeskMe suitable for large organizations?

Yes, DeskMe includes features like advanced permissions to group desks and meeting rooms, allowing only certain user groups to reserve or see bookings, making it suitable for complex organizational structures.

What are DeskMe’s 3D office maps used for?

The 3D office maps help employees easily navigate the office, find their booked desk, and locate colleagues, even if they are new to the space.

Can employees filter desks based on their needs?

Yes, employees can filter desks by category, such as those with two displays, adjustable desks, or desks near a window, to find a workspace that suits their preferences.

What is the “Confirm” option for meeting rooms?

The “Confirm” option, when enabled, automatically cancels a meeting room reservation if no one physically checks into the room within 15 minutes of the start time, preventing no-shows from hogging rooms.

How long has DeskMe been in business?

DeskMe has been in business since 2017.

Does DeskMe support coworking spaces?

Yes, DeskMe offers “Coworking deals” that allow companies to seamlessly scale their office space with nearby coworking locations when their primary office is full, or to create partnership networks.

What kind of customer support does DeskMe offer?

Based on customer testimonials, DeskMe provides agile and helpful customer service, with responsive assistance when needed.

Is the DeskMe app easy to use?

Customer testimonials frequently praise the DeskMe app for being “very easy to use” and “agile,” indicating a user-friendly interface.

Can DeskMe help with long-term office space planning?

Yes, by providing detailed reporting and analytics on office occupancy and usage patterns, DeskMe offers crucial data to help companies make informed decisions about future office space requirements and layouts.

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