This article guides teams on setting their offices up with shared desks. The process includes instructions about:

• Filling out the “Booking tool data template”
• The desk stickers
• What to do in preparation for the booking system to be released.

Process

Step 1 – Watch the following videos introducing how to set up a shared office

Video 1 -  “Setting up a shared desk environment from scratch"

The video “Setting up a shared desk environment from scratch” is relevant to those who are currently have allocated desks and would like to move to shared desks.

This video is essential for the organiser to watch.

Video 2 - Completing the information required to set up shared desks in Outlook

The video “Completing the information required to set up shared desks in Outlook” gives you an overview of:

• The process of setting up shared desks in Outlook
• What information will be needed
• The considerations surrounding it.

This video is essential for the organiser to watch.

Video 3: Communicating the Change - Setting Up Shared Desks in Outlook

The video “Communicating the change - Setting up shared desks in Outlook” gives you an overview of:

• How to communicate the change
• The templates and resources available for your ease

This video is essential for the organiser to watch.

 

Step 2 - Download the “Booking tool data template”

iSolutions designed the Outlook Booking Tool Data Template Spreadsheet to make the process as smooth as possible. Use it to collect the information needed to set up the shared office.

Download the “Booking tool data template spreadsheet” from the "Attachments" area of this article. You can download the version up to 40 desks or the one up to 100 desks.

 

Step 3 – Talk to your team and number the desks

Introducing the changes

Talk to your team about the new process, confirming what is needed and share:

• The knowledge base article "How to book standard meeting rooms or shared desks using Room Finder". 
• The Knowledge Base article and tutorial "Shared desks - How to see where your team and colleagues are sitting". 

 

Numbering the desks

At this stage you need to take a decision on the desk numbers.

Decide on which desk will start as number 1 and then determine a logical order for the desks to be labelled. For example, you can start from the desk nearest the entrance and go on from the bottom to the top or from the left to the right. Having a clear order will help colleagues to locate the desks booked online.

Please remember to number the first 9 desks from 01 to 09 as follow: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09. Each new room will follow this order. 

Please draw a map or temporarily label the desks with the numbers. This will help you filling in the spreadsheet with the appropriate equipment or booking details for every desk.

Desk stickers will be produced automatically as part of the process, and these can then replace the temporary ones/map.

 

Step 4 - Fill in the “Booking tool data template”

Once you have downloaded the file, you can start filling in the template. This file is divided into 2 sections.

The video “Completing the information required to set up shared desks in Outlook” gives you an overview of the process:

 

Section 1

On the top, a section about the requester asking for information about:

1. The name of the department / faculty
2. A local contact name
3. The total number of desks
4. The current desk booking method

Section 2

The second section focuses on the desks and the equipment options.

Every field contains instructions about how to enter the right information into the cells.

Template structure:

• Columns C to E: Building and Room information
• Column F: Desk numbers
• Column G: Type of desk
• Column H: Maximum occurrences - This field says how far into the future the desk can be booked.
• Columns I and J: Moderator options and name
• Column K: Specific information to be provided at the time of booking
• Column L: Specific information to be in the confirmation email
• Column N to W: Equipment options
• Columns X to AH: Additional information

Naming and saving your template

Once you have filled in your template, please name it adding  your department / faculty’s name, your name, and your surname in the files's name as shown in the following example: Department-Name-Surname (for example: FEPS-Name-Surname)

Please save it as .csv (Comma-separated values) file. You can do that by using the desktop version of Excel (not the web version you access from any browser) and following the steps below:

1. Select File

2. Select Export

3. Select Change File Type

4. Select CSV (Comma delimited)

5. Select OK to confirm

6. Select where to save your file

7. Select Save

 

Step 5 – Fill out the form and attach your template

Once you have filled out your template, please complete and submit the form “Setting up a Shared Office in Outlook”. This form will create a ticket sent to the Incident Response Team (IRT).

IRT will receive your form and support you during the process. IRT will check the information provided, and eventually contact you if there’s something missing or incorrect. Please use the ticket for any comments or requests.

Once the spreadsheet is approved, it will be imported to Exchange / Outlook and the stickers will be printed.

 

Step 6 – Let your staff know well in advance

Send staff a reminder of the upcoming changes and any proposed dates for transfer.

Please download the "Guidance on Setting up shared desks in Outlook and communicating the change" from the "Attachments" area of this article and use it to update your team.

This guidance contains email / Teams templates that you can use to communicate to your team saving your time.

The video “Communicating the change - Setting up shared desks in Outlook” gives you an overview of the process:

 

Step 7 - Stickers

How they will appear

Stickers will size 94 x 140 mm and will contain the following information:

1. The University logo (on the top-left corner)
2. “Shared desk” (on the top-right corner)
3. A white background labelled with the information related to the specific desk. Every label will contain the following information:
   1. Number of the building (for example, B35)
   2. Number of the room (for example, 4009)
   3. Number of the desk (Desk 18)
4. A QR code (on the bottom-right corner) linked to the knowledge base article “Shared desks etiquette”

 

Receiving and applying your stickers on the desks

Stickers will be delivered in person by an Incident Response Team (IRT) technician. During the delivery the technician will be available for any clarifications or support.   

We recommend pasting your stickers in the bottom-right corner of any shared desk.

Step 8 – Data import and go live

Data import

Once everything is ready to go live, the spreadsheet will be imported into Outlook. The data takes about 24 to 48 hours to synchronise.

 

Review the imported data

Once imported, IRT will notify you though your ticket. You will need to check whether the imported data is as expected. Please report any issues or changes required so that IRT can fix them. At the end of the review, you will need to confirm that everything is fine.

 

What’s next

The process is now finish and:

• You can confirm your team the booking system is live
• Your team can start booking their shared desks
• The ticket will be closed in a couple of days

Please note: you can report any future issues by raising a new ticket to ServiceLine.

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"How to" guides to prepare staff for using the Outlook booking system 

How to book a shared desk

Now that your shared office is available in Outlook, members of staff can book their desks and check their availability. 
Find guidance on booking a shared desk in the knowledge base article “How to book standard meeting rooms or shared desks using Room Finder” under the sections:

• Booking a shared desk
• Adding the desks available in a room to your calendar and checking their availabilities
• How to view your bookings on your calendar and on the Desk (Resource) calendar
• Check where other colleagues are sitting and check their calendars 

Video tutorial: Shared desk and room booking

 

How to see where your team is sitting

You can see where your team or your colleagues are sitting by just adding the list of shared desks to your calendar.

Find guidance on the knowledge base article “Shared desks - How to see where your team and colleagues are sitting”.

Video tutorial: Shared Desks - How to see where your team and colleagues are sitting 

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What to do if you need further desks or changes

You can request to set up further desks or to make changes by raising a new ticket to ServiceLine.

One of our technicians will get in touch with you and collect all the information needed.

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Video tutorials

1. Setting up a shared desk environment from scratch
2. Completing the information required to set up shared desks in Outlook
3. Communicating the change - Setting up shared desks in Outlook
4. How to book standard meeting rooms or shared desks using Room Finder
5. Shared desks: how to see where your team and colleagues are sitting

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Related content

Setting up a Shared Office in Outlook (form)

Shared desks etiquette

How to book standard meeting rooms or shared desks using Room Finder