You can spend as long scheduling a meeting as you do actually attending the meeting.

In addition to finding a time that works for all participants, you need to secure the proper space. This process is often harder than it should be, as people may book rooms that they don’t end up using. According to research, 20 percent of meeting rooms are empty during times when they’re booked. So, while there is likely space available for your meeting, you might not find it.

Difficulties scheduling meetings stem from manual processes and inefficient systems. For example, employees often rely on siloed calendars. So, while a meeting may appear in participants’ calendars, someone else could still double-book the room.

This lack of communication can speak to a larger problem within a company – disengaged employees and a poor corporate culture. If employees can’t easily meet, they may also have trouble collaborating on projects and hitting deadlines. In fact, many employees think that meetings cause project delays.

65 Conference Rooms and No Space to Meet?

A leading Canadian consulting firm attributed much of its success to collaboration. Its employees held dozens of meetings each day where they worked together to solve their clients’ top challenges.

However, the firm didn’t have a set process for reserving space. Employees booked rooms manually, which led to double-bookings. They also locked in rooms on an extended basis – even if they didn’t need them. Frustrated employees would then roam the halls and wonder why they couldn’t get space even though they saw empty rooms everywhere.

The consulting firm responded by adding more meeting rooms. But, this didn’t help. The firm ended up with 65 meeting rooms and the same scheduling problems.

It got to the point where the firm realized that it needed to find a solution or risk losing employees. 

The Secret to Painless Scheduling

The consulting firm analyzed its meeting rooms and utilization rates by working with a partner who assessed the following:

  • How frequently meeting rooms were booked but remained unused
  • How often large spaces were reserved for small groups of people
  • Other scheduling problems that impacted the consulting firm’s productivity

The firm quickly saw the inefficiencies in its existing, manual processes. It purchased a room booking solution to improve the meeting room utilization throughout its headquarters.

Fewer Empty Rooms = Happier, More Productive Employees

Employees now use the room booking software to locate meeting space and book in just seconds. They can make reservations from their desktops, their mobile devices, and digital display screens that are located outside each meeting room. Since the room booking software integrates with Microsoft Outlook, employees can also schedule meetings and reserve space directly from their calendars.


After an employee books a room, the system updates in real time. This prevents double-bookings and improves meeting room utilization. And if a meeting doesn’t happen, the system automatically cancels the booking in real-time, freeing up the meeting space for someone else to use.

The new system maximizes internal resources, reduces employee frustration, and supports the impromptu collaborative conversations that drive projects forward. Plus, the consulting firm has happier employees, as they can spend more time collaborating and far less time scheduling meetings.

Next Steps

The right processes and tools not only make it easy for you to book meeting rooms. They help you get organized, boost collaboration, and strengthen your corporate culture.

Discover how other Canadian organizations are empowering their employees to be more productive and efficient. Visit:www.RicohChangeMakers.com