Introducing BOWO: Book Online, Work from Office

In the early 2000s, Payless kicked off a naming trend that haunts inspires modern acronyms today. Of course, I’m referring to BOGO — their “buy one, get one” offer that was meant to get more people running to the nearest shoe store to get not one — but two — pairs of shoes, for the price of just one.

In more recent years, other equally fun acronyms have popped up to grab the attention of consumers — we do love our acronyms, don’t we? A whole host of BOPIS — which stands for “buy online, pick-up -in-store” — options have emerged. There’s also the rise in BNPL services, meaning “buy now, pay later”.

What’s behind the huge boom in solutions like BOPIS and BNPL? What do they offer that traditional experiences (and full sentences) don’t? And what do they have to do with desk booking in the workplace?

In three words: Convenience, convenience, convenience. Convenience is the key to why we find acronyms, automation, and desk booking solutions so appealing.

This is why I’d like to propose a modern solution for today’s woefully under-served workplace lexicon: BOWO: Book online, work from office.

Yes, yes. I know what you’re thinking — do I really need an acronym for my office desk booking system? But let me stop you right there because BOWO is going to be big.  There’s nothing people love more than combining ease of use with the convenience of getting things done anywhere and anytime.

When it comes to a great desk booking system, BOWO puts the fun in functional.

BOWO is the next big thing in desk booking

Fortunately, preparing for BOWO doesn’t need to be a big ordeal.

Of course, I’m assuming you already have a mobile employee experience app that allows your workforce to use your desk booking software for reserving desks and other spaces when they’re working from the office.

If so, then that functionality is already supported, and your employees are ready to hit the ground running and start BOWO’ing. They’ll be able to use their phones to investigate seat and room availability, create and manage their reservations, and other useful tasks such as seeing the location from your floorplan and looking into more specific details.

In other words, with desk booking solutions and conference room scheduling software, employees can RSVP to confirm their planned attendance at your office. Then, all of that data can be easily collected and shown in easily digestible dashboards and customizable reports.

It’s a real FYI system, if you will.

Stay on the cutting-edge of the desk booking revolution

To WFH or BOWO: That is the question

At this very moment, new technologies are being developed, life-changing events are underway, new acronyms are being introduced into casual conversation, and employees are experimenting with new combinations of work-from-home (WFH) and booking online to work from the office (BOWO).

The world as you know it is shifting ever-so-slightly with each passing second. Keeping up with such frequent change on your own would take every possible amount of energy you could muster up — and even that wouldn’t be enough to stay completely on top of things.

But adapt too slowly — or worse, not at all — and you’re all but guaranteeing yourself a spot in the museum of obsoletion.

Nobody wants to be that person. And you don’t have to be, as long as you have a way to capture, monitor, and meaningfully analyze data for insights on what’s happening, the ability to spot patterns, and forecasting likely trends.

Good news. If you have Teem, you’re covered on that front. Don’t you just love great SaaS?

Make your desk booking system better than ever

Okay, maybe the acronym won’t catch on (I’m still hopeful) but an office desk booking software that gives employees the power to reserve workspace from anywhere is already becoming one of the must-haves in the modern office. It drives engagement, delivers the ultimate convenience and efficiency, and gives leaders access to valuable information about how their employees are using and interacting with their office space.

Now, onto the reason you need BOWO desk booking technology to make your workplace worth returning to.

There’s a big revolution in the employee experience that seems inevitable in the aftermath of the pandemic. In a post-pandemic world, employees want to maintain the momentum that’s been made in terms of greater flexibility at work. And office desk booking software that supports BOWO gives them that.

Say your highly-organized employee, Tina, is preparing her schedule and wants to make sure she’s got everything taken care of in advance. She’s adjusting to her newly hybrid work arrangement and thankfully, your organization prioritized employee-focused solutions, including a user-friendly desk booking system.

Tina simply opens the app, selects which days she’s coming into the office, and — after looking over which spaces are free to reserve — quickly books her ideal desk. Thanks to your modern desk booking system, Tina is confident that when she makes it to the office, there will be a dedicated seat ready for her.

And when she needs a meeting room at the last minute, the day of, she can also locate and book a huddle space, mid-sized meeting room, or conference room to accommodate that, as well.

TL;DR: It’s time to give your desk booking process the upgrade your workforce deserves

Navigating the future of work is complicated but supporting your workforce throughout the return process doesn’t have to be. Whether you wind up adopting the BOWO acronym or not, Teem can help simplify your return to work by making the transition easy on employees and on leaders.

Our desk booking and room reservation systems have everything your workforce needs to book seats and spaces. The power of control over their workday is at your employees’ fingertips, and they feel more comfortable knowing they can choose the perfect space for work anywhere and anytime.

Can the other desk booking solutions do that?

Not quite like Teem. Teem is designed for employees.

That’s because we understand that if users don’t see the benefit in the technology their employers insist on them using, implementation and adoption will be a nightmare.

Isn’t there a way to just, you know…invest in a tool that employees can use so seamlessly that they practically forget they’re even using it? Is anything like that possible? With Teem, you better believe it! Fast implementation. Lighting fast integrations. It’s almost too easy.

Don’t worry, you can learn more workplace acronyms with all the time we’ll save you.

Here are some additional workplace acronyms to incorporate into your daily workplace conversations.

• FOMTO (Fear of missing the office) — A term employees will use when they hear how much fun their office-based colleagues are having in your newly improved office.
• OOO (Out of office) — An oldy, but a goody. And its modern counterpart: OOH (Out of the house).
• TFW (That feeling when) — As in: TFW technology works the way it’s meant to — the first time. Ah.

Look, there’s a lot happening these days. We’ve been supporting workplace leaders like you through the years, helping them overcome all their biggest challenges and navigate every disruption. And we’re here to help you make it through every twist and turn, too.

When you’re ready to see it for yourself, book a demo with our product experts. They’ll personalize your experience so you can see first-hand how Teem can help solve your organization’s needs. 

It’s all part of our plan to make your life better and easier. Take advantage of the complimentary demo!