What Problem Is Desk Booking Solving?

Jon and Adam explore the evolution of desk booking software, from its pre-pandemic origins managing hot-desks for roaming sales teams, through its post-pandemic adoption as a hybrid work tool, to its current limitations.

Through real client stories, they reveal why most desk booking rollouts fail: the software solves an office management problem, but the real challenge is a people problem. The conversation unpacks why focusing on where people sit misses the bigger question of how, when and why they work best.

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Show Notes

The origins of desk booking software

• Pre-pandemic, desk booking was designed for teams who weren't in the office full-time (sales, maintenance, visiting staff)
• Primary purpose: reduce redundant office space and manage hot-desking
• Simple concept: look at a floor plan, find a green desk, book it

What the pandemic changed

• Post-pandemic, desk booking was repurposed to manage hybrid return-to-office policies
• Many companies followed large organisations' decisions without having their own data
• The office shifted from a default workplace to a productivity tool competing with home, coffee shops and co-working spaces

Why most desk booking rollouts fail

• Only 2.5% of IT rollouts meet all success criteria, according to a Gallup survey
• Real client example: a 100-person company saw just 10% desk booking usage, downsized to a 20-person office, then immediately became oversubscribed every day
• A multinational law firm spent nearly a year onboarding desk booking software, only to find staff wouldn't use it
• Core issue: if the software doesn't solve a problem the individual actually has, they won't use it

The data problem

• Companies fell back on Excel spreadsheets or access card swipe data
• Swipe data raises serious data protection concerns, particularly when used to enforce attendance policies employees weren't told about
• Tailgating, buddy-clocking and incomplete records make access data unreliable

The real problem desk booking can't solve

• The challenge isn't managing desks. It's understanding people: their tasks, personal circumstances and team needs
• Jon's Venn diagram framework: team requirements, personal circumstances and tasks all intersect differently for every individual
• Power has shifted towards employees who proved they could be productive outside the office

What needs to change

• Solutions need to be location-agnostic, not tied to a single building
• Tools must be flexible enough to adapt as circumstances change (seasonally, personally, by role)
• All stakeholders need input: facilities, HR, IT, managers and employees themselves
• The focus should be on where people are and how they work best, not just whether a desk is booked