We're looking for a way to set up a system for our employees to reserve company cars easily, using Microsoft 365 tools if possible. We have a small fleet and would like to allow reservations by date and duration. Ideally, each car would have an accessible web calendar, so we can generate a QR code that links to it for posting inside the vehicle. Many of our employees aren't very tech-savvy and mainly use tablets, so we want the process to be as simple as possible. Has anyone implemented a similar system? I'd love to hear about the tools you used, any challenges you faced, and whether the calendar and QR code setup is feasible.
4 Answers
You might also think about creating a custom app using Microsoft Power Apps. That way you can tailor the booking process to exactly what your users need. I’ve seen it work really well for other types of resources, and it keeps everything in the M365 ecosystem!
Using a resource mailbox for each vehicle would be great. We have a similar setup for our cars and trailers, and it’s been smooth sailing! I just make a meeting in Outlook and select the vehicle I need. Makes it super easy to manage reservations. And syncing calendars to a TV in the office is a bonus!
Microsoft Bookings could be an option if you want a dedicated booking page, but it might be limited for your needs. It didn't work out for us because it offered fewer options for duration than we needed. But it’s worth testing if you’re set on finding a simple interface for your users.
I had a similar experience with Bookings. I think a resource mailbox setup might be more flexible in the long run.
You can treat the cars like room resources in Outlook or Teams. I've seen setups where users can book a car easily from their calendars, and if you set up a resource mailbox for each vehicle, it works pretty well. You might not have a straightforward way to book outside of Outlook, but once it's set up, it's almost seamless! And for QR codes, consider putting them on the key box for quick access.
That’s a good idea! I’ve done something similar with equipment rentals. Managers could track who had what and when. Plus, I made it easy to book through simple instructions posted nearby, to help those who aren’t tech-savvy.
How exactly do you sync the calendars to the TV? Sounds awesome!