In the previous parts, we discussed how to gather information about implementing a desk booking system. In part 1, we introduced the concept of a desk booking system. In part 2, we discussed how to prepare for a desk booking system to be incorporated into your workplace. In part 3, we discussed the process of gathering the requirements through user stories and selecting a desk booking system. In this part, we discuss more about how to implement, the challenges, pitfalls, and eventual rollout.

Once a product has been chosen, the next step is to prepare for the rollout of the system. This is a crucial stage of the whole process and many organizations fail to have a smooth transition resulting in confusion, frustration, and poor reception of the new desk booking system.

 

Creating a Timeline

As in any project undertaking, implementing a desk booking system will require a project timeline. The project timeline will help in ensuring that there are specific deliverables, budgets, activities, and necessary support from the management.

The timeline that is created will need to consider several aspects that will need to be catered for. This is explained below.

 

Account Creation & Configuration

Allocate time for the creation of the account and all the setup. This could be anywhere between a few hours or days to a few weeks depending on how much effort is needed. If the desk booking system requires a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach to account setup, then there will be a learning curve for your team to study and understand the product. However, if the vendor of the desk booking product assists you in the onboarding, then it will be much faster.

 

Requirements Implementation

Allocating time to set up and configure all the business rules so that it is exactly right based on your workplace needs. This again can take quite some time depending on how many desks are there and the individual requirements of business rules configuration.

 

Training

Allocate time for training and testing the system. This will require a select group of users to get trained on the product. These people will also be in charge of testing the product during trials as well as become champions of the product when eventually rolled out.

 

Trials

Allocate time for a controlled group of users to test the system to ensure that the product functions according to the needs of the business. While the user stories will have provided much-needed insights and inputs to the functionality, there are always fringe cases that you will need to consider when actually using the system.

 

Communication

Allocate time for mass communication as this is required to prepare the staff for the eventual rollout.

 

Support

Allocate time for the necessary support that the staff will need during the initial transition and onboarding. Be prepared for questions, queries, feedback, and comments, and work with the vendor to address those concerns.

 

Creating a Team

To undertake an organization-wide desk booking system, you need to put together a team that will help you in various aspects of the transition. This can span different departments such as Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities, etc. For example:

1. You will need a member from the senior management who can drive the entire transition and be the face of change. This is essential to ensure that there is buy-in from all employees as you will face resistance. This has to be a Senior Executive who can drive the initiative.
2. You will need a team member who will coordinate all the activities with the vendor. This will ensure that the vendor of the product can gather detailed information on your particular organization’s needs. Information can include the various office spaces, desks, users, configurations, and other settings that you will need the vendor to set up when creating your account.
3. You will need a team member to help in documentation that will be required when rolling out.
4. You will need personnel from Information Technology to handle specific IT-related aspects such as networks, security, IT compliance, hardware and software setup, etc.
5. You will need team members who can get trained in the product and are deeply familiar with the functionality to be able to assist employees with onboarding and initial handholding soon after launch. These are “champions” who encourage the adoption of the product and help in ensuring that the morale and enthusiasm are high to move to the new way of working.

 

Preparing for Communication

Communication is the most critical aspect of the initiative. It is important to have lots of communication with the key stakeholders and the general employees.

For stakeholders, communication is primarily based on the project progress, key milestones reached, and challenges faced.

For employees, it is more of the preparatory work for the upcoming changes.

A mass communication plan needs to be put in place before the launch of the desk booking system for the employees. This will help prepare them for the transition and provide a heads-up for any questions, concerns, and feedback that they may have. Typically, a series of mass communication exercises will happen one month before the transition and will become more frequent closer to the date of launch.

The mode of communication can be email blasts to all employees, creating and maintaining a web page on the intranet, and having a briefing session.

 

Training of staff

Training of staff starts with getting the core team to be deeply familiar with the product. This will require the staff to under the product in-depth so they can help brief and train the rest of the employees before onboarding. These staff will also be required to test the system during the pilot phase of the rollout.

The training staff will require information such as online documentation, videos, and brochures that can help them understand the product better. In addition to that, they may need to create specific quick guides, user manuals, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and cheat sheets specifically to their own configuration to help employees get started quickly.

 

Implementing a Pilot Program

The pilot program allows you to roll out the desk booking system to a small group of users who can use the product daily for a fixed period before rolling it out to all the employees. The pilot program helps to iron out issues such as adjustments to business rules, configurations, and permissions. Feedback from the pilot program will allow project owners to further fine-tune the system to suit the needs of the employees for daily usage.

 

Rollout

Once the pilot program is completed, the system will be ready to roll out. As per the communication that has been carried out for the changes, execute the plan to ensure that the rollout is smooth. Typically, the rollout happens on the first day of the week so that the weekend can be used to ensure that the system is ready and any migration of data or last-minute adjustments can be made.

When rolling out, make sure that the project team is ready and on standby to address any concerns faced. Also, ensure that any previous systems that have been used should be taken down to prevent confusion.

 

Facing Challenges

Like all new system rollouts, employees will face challenges. These challenges can be from the product, the operations, or just pure adjusting to new ways of working. These challenges need to be addressed quickly and effectively to ensure that the adoption is smooth. Some of the challenges that are commonly faced, especially with a desk booking system are covered below.

 

Product Challenges

Product challenges can be anything from the performance of the product to the usability. Different people will have different learning curves when it comes to adopting a new product. These can be addressed by having teams of people trained in the product so that they can quickly assist in helping resolve common issues that employees face when they initially start using the product.

 

Operational Challenges

This typically arises when policies and procedures set when setting up the product conflict with daily usage. In almost all cases, the policies that were set up initially do not withstand the real-life use cases that employees face. So, challenges in adopting and getting familiarized with the new policies can cause frustration and confusion. There may be a need for fine-tuning the rules, policies, and allocations of desks to ensure that real-life challenges are eliminated and any friction is smoothened out. Again, well-trained staff need to be available to help in addressing these challenges.

 

Generational Challenges

While the new generation of employees quickly adopt and use new products and are comfortable working in an open, free-seating environment, the older generation will face greater challenges. The generation of baby boomers and Gen X are used to working in their private cubicles. They are used to having a seat permanently assigned to them. Having them move to an open seating area will have a lot of pushback and resistance. Champions must work with them to understand the need for the transformation and get them comfortable with the new way of working.

 

Gathering Feedback

This phase is again, critical to the successful adoption of the desk booking system in the office. Gathering feedback provides inputs that expose challenges faced by the employees as explained above. These inputs provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of the desk booking system adopted.

It is important, to collate such feedback and review them to ensure that genuine concerns exist with respect to certain aspects of the system.

You should get the team together and analyze the issues and resolve them either through product configuration, policy changes, or clarification on the reason for some aspects to be as they are.

Gathering feedback and responding to it provides employees with the satisfaction of being heard, as well as being involved in influencing how the new workplace functions. This can in turn get the employees invested in the office creating a sense of ownership.

 

Monitoring & Evaluation

Once the desk booking system has been rolled out, it is important to keep a constant watch on the performance of the workplace through the system.

Some of the key aspects that can be observed from the desk booking system are addressed below.

 

Adoption & Usage

Monitor the adoption and usage of the product among the employees. Identify challenges that occur when onboarding or delisting users. Determine the underlying reasons for any challenges.

 

Business Rules

Monitor the business rules and configuration in the desk booking system. Check if any business parameters set are conflicting with normal usage causing friction. For example, if you have set that the desks can only be booked from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm but users are coming in early and are having challenges in booking, then perhaps it is time to tweak the rules to make it more convenient for the users.

 

Policies

Evaluate policies that have been put in place. Monitor how effective are those policies in controlling workplace usage. Determine if policies are being adhered to. If not, evaluate the policies to see if changes need to be implemented to fine-tune them or if enforcement needs to be put in place to ensure that the policies are being followed. Enforcement can be as simple as a meeting to emphasize the importance of a policy and why it needs to be adhered to.

 

Space Usage

Space usage can easily be determined from the desk booking system based on occupancy and utilization. Determine the occupancy during different times of the day and days of the week. Check if any space is being under-utilized and find the root cause. Determine spaces that are in high demand and find out the reasons. These influence how you adjust the business rules, policies, and allocation of desks to make the office space more efficient.

 

Concluding

In this four-part series, we have provided insights into how a desk booking system can benefit the workplace, the process of moving to the new world of work, and the final stages of executing, implementing, and managing the transition. We hope that this guide provides the much-needed information and guidance in your transition to the new world of flexible working.