5 Benefits of Using Coworking Management Software

It’s undeniable — coworking is experiencing an explosive period of growth. By 2020, Emergent Research estimates that we’ll have 26,000 coworking spaces and 3.8 million members worldwide. And we’re well on our way. DeskMag expects that we’ll have 10,000 coworking venues in operation by the end of the year, with one in three coworking spaces planning to open an additional location. As coworking grows, the attention of the coworking manager gets stretched thinner and thinner. Are you a coworking manager searching for ways to maximize your time? It’s probably time to streamline your coworking space’s operations by adopting a coworking management software.

1. Launch your own mobile app

Since first impressions are everything, one of the most exciting features of our coworking management software is your very own branded mobile app. Members can download your venue’s app directly from the app store, under your coworking venue’s name. This professional client-facing app creates efficiency for both clients and managers alike. Members can book meeting rooms, upload their payment methods, enjoy member-to-member messaging, and much more. All the amazing mobile features for members are available on iOS and Android!

When members register for your app, Optix (with the help of the phone’s GPS) recognizes when their phone enters your building. This makes check-ins automatic and instant, registering specific members as present the moment they step in the door.

2. Analyze your space utilization in real time

Stop guessing and start analyzing. Managing a coworking space means more than placing members into desks. The right coworking management software should provide tools for helping both your members and your management team to be more productive. When your members use your app, you gain granular data about how your space is being used in real time. This lets you identify opportunities for improvement as well as scale and upgrade your offerings.

Group together certain types of zones in your venue, for example ‘Focus’ vs. ‘Social’ space, to gain granular insights based on space category. This data will help you drive change within your space. As a result of this data, keep your coworking space cutting edge and forward-thinking. Space category designations are fully customizable.

3. Manage meeting room bookings

Are the systems you’re currently using to manage your meeting rooms designed with coworking management in mind? If not, you’re probably missing out on a lot of cutting edge features. Maybe it’s time to finally ditch the complicated third party systems. Make your double-booking paranoia a thing of the past. Another feature we love is our meeting room booking management. Step into the future with a booking system controlled and managed by your members. Our mobile-first booking experience means members can verify meeting room availability instantly. Additionally, members can book a meeting room with a few simple taps, invite their colleagues, and even pre-schedule meetings in advance.

Inviting attendees to a meeting who aren’t a member of your coworking space? Members of your space simply enter their email address and they’ll receive a beautiful notification email with an option to sync to their calendar.

4. Allow desk bookings

In the coworking space, desks have traditionally fallen into one of two categories: flexible hot desks or permanent dedicated desks. Optix includes a feature that falls in the middle of the spectrum: desk reservation. This means your members will have the ability to book into a specific desk on-demand or even reserve one ahead of time. Desk booking gives your members the assurance that their chosen desk will be waiting for them when you arrive.

This also lets you as the venue manager better track which areas of your coworking space are the most popular. Additionally, you can ensure that you’re not accepting more drop-in members than your venue allows with minimal oversight. Can you say win/win?

5. Make payment collection an easy and pain-free process

Invoices directly integrated into your coworking management software makes life easy because Optix allows members to register their credit cards through Stripe. Invoicing your members for their one-off and ongoing bookings has never been simpler. Register members as individuals or a part of a team account. For your regulars, establish new recurring bills with a few clicks of a button. Your members can manage tasks related to payments & billing (i.e. linking a credit card, reviewing invoices, and setting up auto pay) from within the mobile app.

And the list goes on….

Finally, be sure to take a scroll through the Optix features page for more information on how we use coworking management software to transform spaces into truly smart offices.