Meetings are an integral part of our working life, not only virtually but also personally in the office. The space for this is limited and in great demand. It is not uncommon for “space battles”, disruptions and other obstacles to productivity to occur. In order to plan efficiently and to be able to arrange the occupancy of conference, meeting rooms and lounges in a meaningful way, there are now a number of systems and solutions that support companies in this respect.
One of these solutions is JOAN. This manufacturer offers two different wireless room managers, JOAN 6 and JOAN 13, which help to optimise the meeting workflow in working environments.
The JOAN 6 can be used as an interactive digital display directly at the meeting room, for example to book or pre-reserve meetings spontaneously. JOAN 13 with its extended overview options, such as room or team grid, offers an optimal overview of the room occupancy and workload of colleagues. What JOAN products can do in detail and how they help to solve the problems described, we explain in our How-to.
Six functions – one clear technology and presentation
The JOAN products have six basic functions that make it easier to plan meetings. In particular, the functions of JOAN 6 and JOAN 13 are discussed:Joan 6 – Functions:
- Real-time Booking
- Meet now – Meet later
- Touchscreen
- Personalised display
Joan 13 – Functions:
- Room Grid
- Team Grid
- Schedule Board
- Personalised display
Real-time Booking – book meetings spontaneously and easily
The real-time booking function is available for the JOAN 6 device. This makes it possible to spontaneously book a time for a meeting directly at the meeting room and to get an overview of which time slots are still available. It is also no problem to book times directly on the device.
“Meet now” & “Meet later” – book or release rooms quickly on site
The “Meet now” and “Meet later” features are also exclusive JOAN 6 functionalities that allow you to easily book and reserve meeting rooms and lounges directly in the office. The function provides information on current availability and the possibility of direct booking. If you have already booked a room and then unexpectedly do not need it, you can release it again. The availability of the room until the next booking is also displayed and it is possible to reserve free times.
Room Grid – Everything at a glance
The Room Grid is a function for the JOAN 13 that allows you to see at a glance the availability of up to nine different rooms. Not only the occupancy times are visible, but also the current topic of the meeting. In addition, the location of the meeting room can also be displayed – this is particularly useful if the function is used in the reception lobby or the entrance area of a company, for example.
Team Grid – Knowing whether colleagues are available
The Team Grid, also a JOAN 13 function, mainly refers to the current status of colleagues. Team Grid makes visible what the individual team members are currently doing, in which meetings they are and at what times they are available for meetings and discussions. Especially in larger organisations, this function can save an enormous amount of planning effort and time.
Schedule Board – The most important information always at hand
Another asset of the JOAN 13 is the schedule board function. This provides detailed information about the current meeting/event and up to six follow-up meetings/events in the same room. This makes this function particularly suitable for highly frequented and booked rooms, as well as for training/classrooms and lecture/further education rooms. Available information includes meeting name, organiser and duration of the meeting.
Custom Content – Personalised displays
With both JOAN products, JOAN 6 and JOAN 13, it is also possible to show your own content. All you need to do is log in to the JOAN portal with your account and upload your content there. After activation and storage, your own content is displayed directly on the end devices. It is also possible to define the duration and frequency of the display of your own content.
Integration of common calendars and systems
In addition to the main functions, JOAN allows you to integrate your own calendar and various other systems. For example, the calendars of Office 365, G-Suite, Microsoft Exchange and iCalendar can be inserted into JOAN and the data from them can be used without any problems.
The same applies to the integration of Microsoft Teams, Slack, Cisco WebEx or Amazon Alexa. With these tools and the chatboat of JOAN, meetings can be booked, managed, sent and displayed directly. JOAN thus integrates seamlessly into existing workflows and ensures that the solution is also well accepted by the workforce.
JOAN 13 BLACK Room Manager
Besides the JOAN 6, the JOAN 13 Room Manager is the company’s “big solution”. This system is specialised in the management of meetings and conference rooms.The installation is wireless via Wi-Fi. As soon as JOAN 13 is connected to the Internet, integration with existing work calendars can begin. Neither IT knowledge nor training courses are necessary to use JOAN.
The battery life is up to 12 months on a single charge. The display of the device is 13.3 inch.
Using JOAN in different industries
The modern working world is changing rapidly. In order not to lose sight of important things and to keep teams up to date, meetings and discussions are a decisive constant. In order not to interrupt work too much, meetings must be planned smartly and efficiently. This is a particular challenge in our fast-paced and busy working environment, where meetings have to be set up quickly, are often postponed or rescheduled.
Whether in media houses, technology groups, logistics companies or IT service providers: Flexibility is becoming more and more important – which is why booking systems must also be able to keep up and adapt.
Tomorrow’s working world – on a display today
JOAN products support and promote the positive transformation of the modern working world. Where in the past, and even today, valuable time was and still is wasted through impure planning, JOAN ensures smooth planning and processes and thus also an increase in productivity and higher job satisfaction.
Due to the simplicity of operation and installation, JOAN can be used and profitably applied in any working environment.
