You probably recognize it: you go to the office to be able to consult with your colleagues more easily, but when you arrive it turns out that you were the only one with this idea, because your colleagues are all working from home today. The flexibility of the hybrid work environment can be very nice, but for these kinds of situations a solution would come in handy. Imagine if you always knew exactly where your colleagues were working, so that you would no longer be faced with these kinds of surprises. With Microsoft Places this is now possible! In this blog you can read what Microsoft Places exactly is and how it can improve your working days.
What is Microsoft Places?
Microsoft Places is a platform that makes it easy to plan when, where and with whom you work. The platform integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Teams, allowing you to plan your office days as efficiently as possible. For example, you can see when your colleagues are in the office and via an interactive map of your office you can immediately see which meeting rooms and flex desks are available. Do you need to consult with your team about that one project? Microsoft Places helps you choose the best day by showing you when your colleagues are in the office. While you’re there, you can also book a meeting room!
Copilot makes it even easier
Since 2024, Copilot has made using Microsoft Places even easier. This AI solution from Microsoft helps you determine when it is best to come to the office, based on your colleagues’ agendas. Copilot also supports you in booking meeting rooms. Microsoft Places also indicates the maximum number of people per meeting room, so you never book a room that is too small or too large for your meeting. Do you need a whiteboard for a brainstorm with your team? The availability of whiteboards and other facilities is also displayed in Microsoft Places, so that Copilot can select the most suitable meeting room for you. The tool also helps you find your colleagues in the office building, including the floor they are on and the desk they are working at.
The benefits of Microsoft Places for your organization
- Enhanced collaboration: Microsoft Places helps you plan the best days to work based on your colleagues’ presence. By suggesting the ideal days to come to the office, Copilot helps you collaborate and schedule meetings with colleagues at the most convenient times. No more missing each other in the office!
- Optimal use of space: Microsoft Places provides insight into the use of workstations and meeting rooms. Copilot analyses this data and makes suggestions to optimise the layout of your office, so that the available office space is used optimally.
- Automation: Copilot in Microsoft Places saves you a lot of manual work. The AI assistant chooses the best office days for you, helps you find colleagues in the office building and arranges the booking of meeting rooms. This way you have less to plan yourself and can focus on more important tasks.
With Microsoft Places, you can optimize your organization’s office occupancy and make hybrid working even more flexible. Do you also want to organize your working week efficiently by choosing the best office days? We are happy to help you with the implementation of the complete Microsoft 365 environment, including Microsoft Places. Feel free to contact us for free advice!
