Creating a new resource
To create a new resource, follow these steps:
Go to the right category
Click New resource
When creating a resource, consider the following options on the Basic tab:
Enter the name of the resource and ensure it’s in the right category
Add a visible description for users
In Capacity, enter the number of seats available in the room to help users choose a suitable room
Finance
In Finance, you can enter data that is used for invoicing bookings of the room – if relevant. If irrelevant, just ignore it, and you can move on to Other settings.
Price, Attributes, Table Setup, and Images
Price
If relevant, add a price for the room, which will apply to all bookings.
Choose whether the price applies per booking or per hour.
Resource Attributes
Coordinate with the Administrator to choose attributes that apply to the room.
Table setups
If users can order different types of table setups, choose the relevant ones and specify the Standard table setup.
Images
Upload an image of the room for users to view.
Preparation time and follow-up time
This feature activates time time before and after meetings.
!! Buffer time is also known as preparation and follow-up time, avoiding back-to-back meetings.
If you set a preparation time of 5 minutes, the room will always have a buffer of 5 minutes between all meetings.
If you set the same follow-up time, it will result in a buffer of 10 minutes between all meetings – 5 minutes for follow-up + 5 minutes for preparation.
Typically used when canteen staff need to prepare and clean up after catering in the room, so it should be activated only by specific orders.
By adding this, the preparation/follow-up time will only be activated by catering orders that require it.
The catering manager has the option of activating this on relevant items, and this should be coordinated with him/her.
!! Recommendation: We do not recommend activating preparation and follow-up for all meetings, as it may block a lot of time during the day.
Availability
Setting up booking rules
On the Availability tab, you can set up rules for bookings of this resource.
Working hours
In Working hours, you choose which week schema should apply to the resource, i.e., when will this room be available for bookings.
If you choose no restrictions, it can be booked around the clock, all week.
Weekschemes are created by the Administrator and must be coordinated with him/her.
Place of delivery
This allows catering to be delivered to the room. If deactivated, it will not be possible to get catering delivered to this room.
Maximum Days and Deadline
Maximum Days
Next step is maximum days in the future, i.e., how many days in advance it should be possible to book the room. This can ensure that recurring meetings can’t be created for the next year or two.
Deadline
The last step is the type of deadline, i.e., when the room must be booked at the latest. You can choose between a Specific time of the day or whether it should be Time before the meeting.
This is often used for catering but very rarely for meeting rooms, as you don’t want to restrict users from booking rooms that are available.
Closing Period
Closing periods can be set for a meeting room or equipment, which makes the room or equipment not bookable within a period. A reason for setting a closing period could be that the room is out of service or to be planned out of service.
A closing period is defined by:
Start date - the first day in the closing period
End date - the last day in the closing period
Note - a note explaining the reason for the closing period
Managing closing periods
A resource can have multiple closing periods set.
New closing periods can be created by clicking "Add"
Existing closing periods can be deleted by clicking the "Garbage" icon
Editing an existing closing period can be accomplished by deleting and then adding a new closing period
What happens with existing bookings in the new closing period?
If bookings exist for a created closing period - a message will show listing the number of bookings in that period.
!! No booking will be automatically canceled or deleted.
To help communicate to existing owners, who have bookings in a new closing period, you can click the "Mail" icon. It will send an email notification, explaining to them that they have to book a different meeting room.
If the user ignores the message, the resource manager can go into Bookings and delete the conflicting bookings.
!! This feature is supported for equipment, Planner-only rooms, and Exchange rooms. The rule will only work for Exchange rooms when booked via the Office Add-in for Planner
Notification Settings for Room Bookings
Choose recipients: You can choose if you or others should receive an email every time this room is booked or bookings are updated.
Send to resource owner: If you choose this option, all Facility managers will receive notifications.
Send to other recipients: It’s possible to enter other emails in this field, if relevant. This can be any email, also for people outside your organization.
Before booking starts: In this field, specify when you want to be notified about new bookings or changes made to an existing booking. It's recommended to set it to 365 days to ensure timely notifications. Notifications are only sent if bookings are created or updated within the chosen number of days prior to the booking.
Cancellation Notification
If you activate this feature:
An email will be sent to the meeting owner/contact prior to the start of the meeting to remind them about the booked room.
In the email, they can cancel the booking if not needed or ignore the email to keep the room for the meeting.
You must specify how many days in advance the users should receive this reminder.
Clients using this function typically see:
Users remember to cancel unnecessary bookings.
Rooms become available for others.
Avoidance of booked rooms that are unused.
Other Settings
Work processes
In Work process, you can activate an Approval for bookings of the room. Users can book the room as usual, but will be informed that it is awaiting approval.
Attention Message
Next option is the Attention message, which is a short text that will be shown at the bottom of the screen when a user books the room.
Booking Note Required
If you activate Booking note required, users will be required to provide a note as to why this room is booked. In Hint, you can add a text to help the user enter the correct information.
Combined Rooms
Combined rooms are used if you have two smaller rooms, which can be combined into one large room. Start by creating the two small rooms and then the large one. When creating the large room, select the two small rooms here.
For users, this will ensure that if 1 of the small rooms is booked, the large room will be blocked for bookings during the same period. If the large room is booked, the two small rooms will be blocked for the same period.
Required Categories
Required categories are used if there is a requirement that this item must be booked if you book another resource. Note that this is very rarely used.
Copy Resource
If you click Copy, this room is saved, and a copy is made with all the same settings. It’s a neat shortcut if you need to create multiple rooms with similar settings.
