The world is still reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The reopening of offices has not been normalized due to several regulations and official guidelines that must be followed at workplaces. As a solution, many businesses tend to follow a hybrid workforce model, which encourages Working from Home (WFH). However, some employees are required to come to the office for urgent matters and complete assigned tasks. In such situations, facility executives must follow a tedious process of going through data sheets and excel files to track workspace availability and allocate resources accordingly. Thus, businesses need smart workplace optimization applications when reopening their companies, as these applications not only optimize the workspace allocation process but also allow managers and higher authorities to keep strict supervision on the workstations.

To address this need, we decided to implement a Smart Workspace Management System for Business Management and employees, enabling them to allocate their workspaces according to their requirements before coming to the office. Additionally, when a group of companies uses a shared workspace, this system will automatically allocate costs for each company based on their resource usage and generate detailed reports to ensure optimal utilization of business resources.

Nimbus Ventures Pvt Ltd, a provider of cloud-based solutions, focuses on developing software for GPS tracking, monitoring, and management of vehicles, assets, or fleet employees. With over ten years of experience in the sector, Nimbus Ventures is part of the MG Group of Companies. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the company management has decided to change policies and procedures to support and encourage Working from Home. However, for urgent matters (e.g., Customer Visits), some employees must come to the office to complete their tasks. Thus, the MG Group and Nimbus Ventures Pvt Ltd have decided to use shared cubicles and meeting rooms to support this initiative.

A Seat Allocation and Automatic Cost Allocation System will provide insights into meeting room usage, reservation patterns, and cancellations, helping management understand their workplace better and design office spaces for improved efficiency. This system will notify attendees of the location and time, and any modifications, allowing the company to focus on essential tasks by removing superfluous processes. Therefore, cubicles and meeting rooms must be allocated based on availability, and costs must be calculated automatically based on each company's usage.

1. Resources (Cubicles and Meeting Rooms) Allocation Process

   • This process involves seven separate MG Group companies: MG Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, Engineering Consultants (Pvt) Ltd, The Roughton Group, ECL Energy (Pvt) Ltd, ECL Property (Pvt) Ltd, Enterprise Technology (Pvt) Ltd, and Nimbus Ventures (Pvt) Ltd. Employees and Resource Managers of these companies can allocate cubicles and meeting rooms as needed. Resources can be shared, allowing one company to utilize another's resources. Resource allocation can be done through an online application or by speaking with the on-call system administrator directly.

2. Cost Allocation Process

   • Each resource in the system has a "rate card" containing information like rate card ID, resource type, rate per hour, and rate per extra hour. When a company user allocates a resource, the appropriate cost allocation occurs via the relevant rate card. If one company uses another company's resources, the cost will be calculated under the relevant company's name. Finally, the Administrator can compile a detailed report on each company's resource usage.

When a business (comprising a group of companies) uses a Manual Workspace Management System to manage its resources, it requires more time, effort, and physical space to keep track of paper documents. Additionally, if management needs to allocate costs for a particular company based on its resource usage, querying the data is difficult as the information is stored in different places. Manual systems cannot ensure optimal resource usage and efficient working environments, highlighting the need for proper Workspace Management Software to create a smart and premium workspace culture.

Develop a web application to allocate meeting rooms and cubicles based on availability and generate detailed reports, including costs for resource usage for each company in the MG group.

1. Provide a facility for company users (Employees, Resource Managers, and Group Administrators) to see the availability of resources (cubicles and meeting rooms) for a required date and time.
2. Facilitate company users (Employees, Resource Managers) to book resources for a required date and time.
3. Provide a facility for company users (Employees, Resource Managers) to cancel or change their bookings.
4. Enable the Group Administrator to view received resource booking requests on their dashboard.
5. Allow the Group Administrator to accept or reject resource booking requests and provide reasons for rejection.
6. Inform the resource requester and relevant manager about the request status (acceptance, rejection) and the cost allocation of their resource booking.
7. Enable the Group Administrator to generate detailed reports on the resource usage of each company.