Free Meeting Room Booking System – OfficeRnD Hybrid [2023]

Are you on the hunt for a reliable free meeting room booking system for your workplace??

Then OfficeRnD Hybrid might just be for you.

In this article, you will learn:

• What benefits can OfficeRnD Hybrid bring to your business and team
• What sets OfficeRnD Hybrid apart from other solutions out there
• Which important features to look for in a free meeting room booking software
• 5 factors to consider before getting a free meeting room booking tool

Today, every workplace transitioning to flexible work needs software to support it efficiently.

You’re about to find the right one for your organization.

Let’s dive in.

OfficeRnD Hybrid – More Than Just A Meeting Room Booking System

In the modern workplace world, having reliable hybrid workplace software is crucial if you want to manage flexible work and make your office a productive and collaborative space that employees enjoy and spend time in.

OfficeRnD Hybrid is an award-winning cloud-based platform that helps organizations of any type and size to enable and manage their hybrid work. Moreover, it supports them throughout the entire journey.

OfficeRnD Hybrid helps companies tackle the various challenges arising when switching to flexible working through a set of valuable features such as:

• User-friendly meeting room booking system that allows employees to book conference and meeting rooms on any device, thus having a productive hybrid meeting.
• Intuitive desk reservation solution that makes booking and scheduling desks a breeze
• Interactive and fully customizable floor maps provide an awesome workplace management experience
• Full integration with the most commonly used work tools, including but not limited to Microsoft Teams, MS Outlook, Google Workspace, Slack, and more.
• Advanced analytics reports, thanks to which you can monitor office resource usage and optimize your office space.
• Collaboration-boosting features that help in attracting workers to the office for increased engagement and productivity.

Check out this page for a full list of the features available within OfficeRnD Hybrid.

The freemium version of OfficeRnD Hybrid has all essential features and integrations for up to 20 users and 20 resources. If you’re a small organization or one that is starting the hybrid journey and don’t want to break the bank to use a meeting room booking tool for your office, then you’ll love OfficeRnD Hybrid.

Why Use A Free Meeting Room Booking Solution?

Nowadays, hybrid work is not just a buzzword powered by media. It’s one of the core benefits that employees seek in the workplace.

OfficeRnD Hybrid’s meeting room management page

According to research done by Zippia, 44% of US workers prefer a hybrid work arrangement, and 55% want to work remotely at least thrice per week.

Needless to say, flexibility is at the core of the hybrid workplace model, and the future of offices is focused more on collaboration than individual work.

The transition from hybrid workplaces to intentional workplaces is in full motion as employers understand that bringing workers back to the office for collaboration is crucial for engagement and productivity.

As a result, booking meeting spaces is becoming more and more important. Though hybrid meetings can be a challenge, they are also an alternative for effective collaboration and are here to stay.

To ensure employees have the best experience, it’s important to equip them with the right tools to book and manage meetings and conference rooms.

5 Internal Company Factors to Consider Before Getting Free Meeting Room Booking Software

The factors listed below will prepare you for adopting such software.

#1 Company Culture

Does your company culture support the use of technology for meeting room bookings? Are employees open to adopting new software?

#2 IT Infrastructure

Does your company have the necessary IT infrastructure to support the new booking system? Will it require additional hardware or software upgrades?

#3 Employee Training

Will employees need training on how to use the new software? Is your IT department equipped to provide this training?

#4 Meeting Room Availability

How many meeting rooms does your company have? Will there be enough available for the increased demand for the new software?

#5 Growth Projection

What does your growth trajectory look like? Do you expect the business expansion to require implementing and using additional resources?

Hopefully so. In that case, you will need booking software that allows plan upgrades, including more features and capabilities. You have to look for software that supports your business growth.

OfficeRnD Hybrid offers flexible plans suited for businesses of any size and needs. See the plans and compare features here.

6 Crucial Features To Look For In A Free Meeting Room Booking System

Since the market is saturated with meeting room booking tools, choosing the one that suits your needs becomes difficult. We’ve narrowed down the 6 must-have features that any free meeting room booking software should have.

#1 User-Friendliness

The ease of use of the meeting room tool directly impacts its adoption rate and employee satisfaction.

Users must be able to book meeting rooms from everywhere:

• Web portal – that’s still the most preferred method of booking desks
• Mobile app – the app should be available on Android and iOS and allow employees to book rooms on the go.

The software should have little to no learning curve to avoid friction.

#2 Integration With Other Apps

You and your employees already use many apps. You don’t need to open another one to book rooms.

The meeting room booking system should integrate with the most common work applications used in day-to-day work:

• Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Outlook
• Slack
• Google Chrome
• Google or Outlook calendar

In addition, the booking solution must have the option to reserve rooms directly from the tablet mounted in front of the room.

Look for a solution that is easily available on any screen.

By the way, OfficeRnD Hybrid is such a tool. Watch the video below to see how it integrates with Microsoft Teams and Outlook, and check this page for a full list of integrations.

#3 Space Management And Customization

The software should allow for easy creation and management of floor plans, making it easier to visualize and manage your company’s meeting rooms and desk spaces.

Employees should be able to book rooms on an interactive and easily customizable floor plan with drag-and-drop functionality.

Moreover, they should be able to do it from everywhere – Web, Mobile, MS Teams.

Last but not least, everyone should have real-time visibility over the availability of any given meeting room and search based on location, capacity, amenities, and time.

In today’s busy office life, rooms often get booked and canceled on an ad-hoc basis, and having a flexible booking solution is necessary. Last but not least, the meeting room software must allow you to have detailed visibility of your space utilization through advanced analytics.

That way, you can make more informed decisions about your office footprint thanks to data collection and measurement.

#4 Accessibility and Security

A report from the last year shows phishing attacks increased by 48% in the first half of 2022, and ransomware attacks grew by 41% in the same year.

Look for meeting room scheduling solutions that have ironclad security.

A testament to the latter is the presence of the world’s best-known security standards, such as:

• ISO 27001
• GDPR
• CCPA
• SOC 2 TYPE 2

In addition, the booking platform should offer multilanguage support for increased accessibility and adoption.

#5 Customer Service

With the implementation of new software, many questions may arise. The platform you choose must have at least a self-service knowledge base and 24×5 email and chat support.

#6 Verified Buyers’ Feedback

When it comes to product reputation, nothing speaks louder than social proof.

Do a quick online research and see what the others say about the meeting room booking platform you’re interested in.

Just type in Google “product name + reviews,” and you will find relevant reviews. In addition, you can check out if the product is present on popular websites for software reviews such as:

• G2
• Software Select
• Capterra
• Software Advice
• Software Reviews

For example, you can check how OfficeRnD Hybrid performs on G2 and Capterra.

Try OfficeRnD Hybrid For Free!

Confused about what meeting room booking tool to choose?

Try OfficeRnD Hybrid for free!

It can help you easily find and book meeting rooms from any device and platform, thus boosting onsite collaboration. Besides, being a complete hybrid work solution, it allows you to also book desks, obtain valuable data analytics, and much more.

And you can start at no cost.

Click here to get started with OfficeRnD Hybrid for free and see how it can completely transform your workplace.

FAQ

Is OfficeRnD Hybrid Really Free?

Yes, OfficeRnD Hybrid is free and you get all essential features and integrations for up to 20 users and 20 resources. No hidden costs and strings attached.

It’s perfect for small organizations or ones that are just starting their hybrid work journey.

Why Choose OfficeRnD Hybrid Over Other Meeting Room Booking Solutions?

Users praise OfficeRnD Hybrid for its easiness of use, quick setup, and helpful customer service. Besides, its freemium versions support more users and resources as compared to its competitors.

How Much is a Meeting Room Booking System?

The cost of a meeting room booking system can vary depending on the software provider and the features included.

Some providers offer free plans, while others charge a monthly or annual subscription fee. Pricing for meeting room booking software can range from around $5 per user per month to over $100 per month for more advanced features. It is best to research and compare different software providers to find the one that best fits your organization’s needs and budget.

What is Meeting Room Booking Software?

Meeting room booking software is a tool that allows users to schedule and reserve conference rooms or other shared spaces within an organization.

These tools can streamline the process of booking meeting rooms, help prevent double bookings, and provide real-time availability. Some meeting room booking software also includes features such as digital signage, utilization reporting, and payment processing. These tools can be used by a wide range of organizations, from small businesses to large enterprises, as well as coworking spaces and other shared workspaces.

How do you Manage Meeting Room Bookings?

There are several ways to manage meeting room bookings, and the specific method used may depend on the organization’s size, resources, and needs. Here are some common ways to manage meeting room bookings:

1. Use meeting room booking software. This type of software can help automate the booking process, provide real-time availability information, and prevent double bookings. Read this article to understand why you need one.
2. Implement a centralized booking system: This involves designating a person or team responsible for managing meeting room bookings and creating a process for requesting and approving bookings.
3. Create a shared calendar: This can be done using a tool like Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook, and can allow employees to view room availability and book rooms directly from the calendar.
4. Use digital signage: Displaying real-time information about room availability and upcoming meetings outside of each meeting room can help prevent confusion and double bookings.
5. Establish clear booking policies: This can include guidelines for how far in advance rooms can be booked, how long meetings can last, and what to do in the case of a no-show.

Overall, the key to effectively managing meeting room bookings is to establish clear policies and processes and to communicate these to employees in a clear and consistent manner.

Can I Use an Excel Sheet for Meeting Room Booking?

Yes, you can use an Excel spreadsheet to make conference room bookings. Many small organizations do it because of its main benefit – it’s free.

However, it comes with its limitations as compared to using dedicated software:

• It’s cumbersome
• It can quickly become chaotic and create confusion
• Inability to sync with other space and resource management tools
• It poses serious security concerns