How Integrations Help You Build a Cohesive Workplace Management Toolkit

We all want our teams to be more productive. However, even though most software tools market themselves as time-saving solutions, there are sometimes unwanted complications that come with logging into various systems throughout the day.

Namely, when software tools are siloed systems, it can be a headache for your workers to use them in tandem.

Say, for instance, that you have project management software for your product team—but there’s no way to send status updates to their chat or email. This means employees would have to constantly check important tickets rather than wait for an automated email or Slack message whenever the ticket is updated. 

That’s where integrations come in. Integrations save time, boost efficiency, and preserve sanity on the job for your employees. But what exactly are integrations, and how can they improve your team’s performance and efficiency?

What are integrations?

In software, integrations are when two or more tools that were developed independently are able to communicate with one another.

For example, workers can automatically have their Slack status update to “In a Meeting” whenever they have a calendar event, because Slack and Google Calendar are integrated. 

More generally, software integrations save time by helping workers access consistent data in one place, as well as use fewer platforms while leveraging the strongest features of multiple tools. 

When it comes to office management, your workplace management tool should have integrations in key areas like access control, single sign-on, notifications, and calendar management. That way, your tool will work alongside the other software you and the team rely on.

Integrations make a tech stack more manageable and ensure your team can derive the most value possible. 

Related content: 6 Essential Tools to Create a Great Hybrid Workplace

The best integrations for your workplace management software

Your workplace management platform needs to integrate with your existing toolkit. Here are some crucial areas to make sure your workplace management software has integrations in. 

Access control

Access control ensures that only the right individuals are able to gain access to certain places in your office. Through mechanisms like card-access door entry, your workplace, employees, and company data are kept safe.

Your access control solution needs to integrate with your workplace management tool due to one word: safety. Not only does it keep out people who have no business being in the office, but it also emphasizes hygiene. 

For example, with Eden Workplace’s integration with Openpath, you can set capacity limits for certain areas of your office to ensure social distancing requirements are met. Hybrid employees can book a hotel desk on a first-come, first-served basis through Eden, and only these workers will be given access to the office on that given day by Openpath.

The integration also makes for easier visitor management—ensuring visitors meet security standards for your office and register in advance of arrival. This integration keeps your staff working comfortably and safely in a communal setting. 

Single sign-on and directory sync

Single sign-on (SSO) allows employees to log into and access several apps with one set of credentials. It gives employees a one-stop shop for all the systems they need to do their jobs and manage their HR needs. 

When your workplace management software offers SSO with your directory, it opens up the door for you to sync employee details and automate (de)provisioning user accounts across multiple systems. Otherwise, systems managers would have to make changes to potentially dozens of accounts manually, which can slow the entire team down every time someone joins or departs the organization.  

Eden Workplace’s VP of Workplace Software, Camille Merritt, noted the impact that SSO has on the users of Eden’s workplace software, saying “we hear from a lot of folks that their tech stack is out of control, so having a tool that can talk to all of their core software solutions—like SSO—is really critical.”

Taking things a step further, integrations also tie into directory sync for businesses. While SSO simply enables a user to log into compatible systems using one set of credentials, a directory sync (or active directory) is a centralized database storing user permissions and settings across network tools. An active directory “allows administrators to assign policies, deploy, and update software,” which further improves the ease-of-use for both admins and users. 

Notifications

The average Slack user is logged on for nine hours at a time (in other words, the entire 8-5 workday). 

With notification integrations, employees automatically get notified when a desk booking request was approved, or are reminded of an upcoming room reservation. This way—even when they’re heads down—workers will get important notifications about their workplace experience. 

Workplace admins can also handle requests right in these platforms to keep these conversations centralized—as can all employees. For example, workers can use Slack or Teams to reserve a desk without having to log into their desk booking software. Reminders for employee engagement surveys can also come through these notification tools, sending a friendly nudge to get more feedback. 

Related content: Tips for Spring Cleaning Your HR Tech Stack

Calendars

In a hybrid office, it’s helpful to know who else is on-site for the day and where they’re sitting. That way, you get a conference room that’s big enough for everyone who is in the office and set up a separate Zoom link for those who aren’t.

With a workplace management calendar integration, these pieces of information can be viewed on one interface. Employees should be able to add their in-office status and location right to Outlook or Google Calendar. Additionally, calendar integrations can be used to schedule and book meetings with prospects in your sales software, but also ensure these meetings appear on all stakeholders’ calendars.   

This integration ensures a better use of office space and encourages more in-person discussions that office employees tend to appreciate. 

Making the most of your integrations

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts—and that’s why integrations are so important for employees, IT, and HR leadership alike. Integrations provide more insights, data, and ease-of-use to employees and systems managers.

That’s why using a workplace management software that comes with a growing list of integrations helps make the most out of your employees’ time and knowledge.