infsoft Workplace Experience
Diverse solutions and applications in intelligent offices lead to a more pleasant and productive working day for employees. From a business perspective, the main potential lies in saving costs and optimizing processes. In addition, it increases employee satisfaction and leads to higher productivity and lower fluctuation.
It is also possible to integrate the technology into existing applications via SDK (Software Development Kit). In the following, the possibilities that a digital employee app offers and how it can enrich everyday life in the company are described. In addition, the product infsoft Room Environment can be integrated into the app.
Required Hardware
Impressions of infsoft Workplace Experience App
Impressions of infsoft Workplace Experience Desktop Version
Product sheet infsoft Workplace Experience
Mobility and Travel Information
Overview of Available Parking Spaces
The user can search for free parking spaces and be navigated to the parking lot (depending on the level of detail provided by the parking guidance system via interfaces). Guidance within the app is supported by a context-related turn-by-turn navigation.
Visitor Parking Spaces with Travel Information
Within the infsoft backend, visitor parking spaces can be defined and displayed in the app. Visitors/guests can register in the application via a visitor voucher, which is automatically generated when meeting invitations are sent to users outside the organization. The exact meeting room is thus known and can be used as a suggestion for available visitor parking spaces nearby. The visitor is provided with a route to the meeting room.
Book Parking Slots
The infsoft LocAware platform® can access APIs of various parking management systems. Available parking spaces can be booked via a user interface within the application.
Commuter Options
The visualization of travel options with “door-to-door” navigation is enabled within the app and supports transfer points to external route providers. The display of route information based on infsoft’s route network as well as the content of external route providers is done without any visible media breaks for the user. The user interface for navigation provides the app user with various travel modes that influence the displayed route to the selected destination. Booking and payment can be realized via an interface to different providers.
Travel Planner
The infsoft LocAware Platform® implements APIs to external route providers (e.g. Google Maps or Nokia Here Maps) in order to use global navigation information for pedestrians, cyclists, motorized private transport, public transport, etc. At defined transfer points, navigation seamlessly switches from external route information to the route network provided by infsoft. All navigation information is displayed in the app (without external call). This enables door-to-door navigation to and from any point on the company premises.
Carpooling Options
Interfaces to carpooling providers such as BlaBlaCar can be implemented within the infsoft LocAware platform®. The Employee Experience App visualizes the carpooling options in a user interface with further information.
Shuttle Service
Shuttle schedules and real-time information are integrated into the infsoft LocAware platform® via an interface. The app provides timetables and information in a user interface with a live tracker (list view with departures in minutes and map view) for the shuttles based on infsoft Tracking. If the physical position of the shuttle is not yet tracked by a third-party system, infsoft can also provide tracking hardware (GPS) including occupancy information (via WiFi and additional sensors) for the various shuttles.
Purchasing Tickets for Public Transport
The possibility to buy public transport tickets directly in the app is implemented via an interface to the ordering system of the public transport provider. By including positioning and push messages, users can be reminded to buy tickets when they select certain travel options or enter areas such as bus stops.
E-bike Stations and Availabilities
The display of e-bike parking spaces and charging facilities is realized as a special destination within the map (including further detailed information) of the app.
Wayfinding
Navigation and Colleague Finder on Campus
In addition to classic navigation solutions, the integration of a Colleague Finder function is also possible. Here, the own location can be shared with colleagues (e.g. via SMS, e-mail or release link) to simplify meetings on the campus area.
The Colleague Finder also offers the possibility to request the position of colleagues. The position release/request can be limited in time (one-time sharing, 1h, 2h, … until deactivation) or in location (release of position sharing only on campus via geofence). Navigation to the released location is also possible. Since in this case both the user’s position and the destination (the colleague’s position) can change, automatic recalculations (also in case of route deviations) are performed within the app.
Turn-by-Turn Navigation
Indoor navigation provides step-by-step route information along the route graph and includes Points of Interest (POIs), turns and floor changes to make orientation easier for the user.
The infsoft Routes Library within the app offers multi-stop route planning, similar to what is known from Google Maps, for example.
Map view / list view of POIs
The app allows the visualization of POIs in different formats (map display, list views, POI detail entries) with customizable attributes depending on the type of POI (departure times, space capacities, opening hours, descriptions, etc.). The controller is part of the infsoft Software Development Kit implemented in the app. All contents can be edited at any time via infsoft CMS.
Notifications about Upcoming Meetings
Based on the app login (e.g. OAuth), which allows access to the employee’s personal calendar, the app informs the user in time about the next scheduled meeting.
The push notification takes into account the user’s current position, the distance to the meeting location (all data such as floor plans, POIs and route information is geo-referenced and WGS84-compliant) as well as typical walking speed, prioritized travel modes and floor changes. Navigation to the meeting room can be started directly from the push message.
Evacuation Scenarios
By implementing an interface to a BIS, emergency information becomes available within the infsoft LocAware platform®. People in the immediate vicinity of the incident can be informed via push notification of evacuation routes that are not affected by the incident. The identification of persons affected by the emergency and their available evacuation routes is managed by the infsoft LocAware platform®.
In the event that no BIS is available, emergencies, but also temporary route closures due to elevator maintenance or similar can be set up within the platform and immediately published to the live system.
Building Plans
Many web mapping applications deliver map data as images (raster map). This involves loading a series of tiles, which are loaded based on the respective section and zoom factor and generate large amounts of data to be transferred. At high zoom levels, raster maps can have a pixelated appearance.
The infsoft mapping engine is based on vector-based maps that store information about lines, points and polygons instead of pixels, so the file is much smaller.
Vector maps offer maximum precision – regardless of the zoom level. The need to reload more tiles when zooming in and out is eliminated, making the entire data set smaller and more suitable for offline use.
Offline-enabled maps are especially useful for indoor navigation applications where users may expect to navigate through areas with limited data connectivity.
Using the Open Graphics Library (OpenGL), the rendering of 2D and 3D vector graphics is enabled. The visibility of text and graphic elements can be defined depending on the zoom level, which ensures a high degree of clarity at all times. When tilting and rotating the map, symbols and text are also rotated so that they are always aligned according to the viewing angle. This significantly improves readability.
Information on Room Occupancy
Through the integration of calendar information (Outlook, Google, …), occupancy sensors in meeting rooms and room booking systems, both room availability and current occupancy become available within the infsoft LocAware platform®. The app informs the user about the current options: available meeting rooms and workstations, sorting of (available) meeting rooms/workstations nearby, by capacity, availability, etc.
Automatic Map Updates via CAFM System
The infsoft LocAware platform® offers various integrations with third-party CAFM systems and can exchange information via XML, SVG, GML, GeoJSON, DWG, DXF, Shapefile, IMDF and other data formats.
Meetings and Room Booking
Occupancy Information
Occupancy information and real-time availabilities are managed within the infsoft LocAware platform® by infsoft Analytics and infsoft Sensors. The app offers the user information about available rooms via a color code system in the map, list views with booking information at a glance (available to / booked to) and sorting functions.
Alert in Case of no Room Reservation
Automatic user notifications are managed by infsoft Automation. If there is no associated room booking for a meeting, the user receives a notification that links the available room options with the time span of the meeting. Other sorting options, such as nearby, can be applied.
Finding Available Rooms
Filtering and sorting functions including real-time information on occupancy are displayed in an intuitive interface. Included information such as size, capacity, furnishings and equipment are provided with appropriate filter options and search options.
Room Booking
The app provides the user with suggestions for rooms that match the meeting criteria (information available via the interface based on the user login).
Pictures of Meeting Rooms and Equipment
The content of the POI detailed entries including capacities, room equipment, descriptions, pictures, video clips etc. is displayed in the app and managed within the infsoft CMS.
Remote Check-In & Room Control
In the run-up to a booked meeting, the organizer can be informed about the possibilities of Remote Check-In. After check-in, the user can be presented with a room control in the application, with which he can switch lights on and off, set the room temperature, open/close shutters, activate/deactivate the air conditioning, etc. The functionality is provided with a native user interface that addresses a third-party room control management system.
Room Sharing Based on User Location
Using the indoor positioning in the app, rooms can be automatically released if the user is too far away and has not named a substitute (short-term unavailability of the booker). The release is triggered via infsoft Automation. In addition, sensor information can also notify about no-show events.
Inventory
The use of infsoft Tracking enables the visualization of assets (e.g. presentation equipment) in the app and offers advanced search functions to identify relevant inventory. The user can filter assets by type, proximity and availability and use the implemented search for easy access to the relevant information.
Issue Reporting
Submitting tickets
Users can conveniently submit tickets within the Workplace Experience app. These can include repair and cleaning requests that become necessary, for example, when a printer is defective, a light bulb in a room needs to be replaced, or a meeting room requires unscheduled cleaning. To realize this, a third-party tool such as ServiceNow is integrated into the application.
Tasks with geo-reference
It is also possible to assign a geo-reference to the tickets. For this purpose, the user can either select an existing POI within the app or their current location. The position is determined directly within the app.
Notification of the responsible personnel
The responsible technicians or cleaning staff receive a notification after the ticket is submitted and can then address the problem. The notifications can be sent to internal staff as well as to external service providers. Once the problem has been solved, the task can be marked as completed.
More information on this topic:
Social
Announcements
General announcements and notifications are available through the infsoft LocAware platform®. The company can specify maintenance work on specific routes / escalators/lifts with a predefined validity period, which are managed in infsoft CMS for POIs and infsoft Route Tools for navigation paths. Building symbols are displayed on the app’s map and routes are automatically recalculated, bypassing the areas affected by the maintenance work during the above mentioned period. In addition to these map-related visualizations, notifications such as push messages and messages on the app’s home screen can be managed via the infsoft CMS.
Personalized Company News
Personalized news (for individuals, specific user groups, users present at a specific location, within a specific area on campus), but also general company news are managed by the infsoft CMS and can be imported into the live system at any time. In addition to the list view, important messages can be sent via push notification. Third party systems can be connected via interface.
Connect People with Common Interests
Based on position information and the personalized preferences associated with the user account, matchmaking functions are available that connect people with similar interests. Based on the underlying profiling, users must give their consent and are informed in detail about what data is stored for what purpose, how it is made available to others and how they can withdraw their consent (DSGVO conformity).
Skill Finder
Users can store and release skills in their profile if desired. App users can thus find colleagues who offer the skills they are looking for. Based on the underlying profiling, users must give their consent and are informed in detail about what data is stored for what purpose, how it is made available to others and how they can withdraw their consent (DSGVO conformity).
Presence Planning
The presence status of other employees can be viewed within the app. Employees can set their status to “on-site,” “remote,” or “absent,” for example. The function facilitates the planning of meetings and simplifies short-term consultations with colleagues.
Dining
Canteen Locations with Filter Options
Users specify their diet/preferences in the personal settings of the application associated with the user account. When searching for a canteen, filter options can be applied according to the user’s settings and the results can be displayed in ascending list form.
Nutrition Scores and Nutrition Styles
The app supports a healthy lifestyle by providing information such as nutritional styles (vegetarian, vegan, …), nutritional values, ingredients and health information for offers managed within the infsoft CMS. The menu information and related information is transferred via an API of the restaurant operator, but can also be entered manually into the infsoft CMS. Optional rating systems (5-star reviews) or Share-with-a-Friend functions are also possible.
Notification for favorite Dishes
Users can set favorites (culinary regions, specific meals) in their preferences and receive a notification when there are offers that match their criteria.
Overview of expenses
Within the app, the user also has the options to view the purchased meals and the corresponding expenses. In the application, the individual expenses of the current month and past billing periods are displayed.
Food vouchers
Optionally, it is possible to provide employees with food vouchers, for example to cater for customers during a meeting. The user can pay for the meals directly using a QR code that can be accessed in the app. The costs are then automatically assigned to the corresponding cost center.
