Practical guides for office managers building better hybrid workplaces. Learn how to optimize space utilization, automate operations, and support distributed teams.
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Office Insights
Open-Concept Office: Pros and cons, design, and modern concepts
An open-concept office is an open workspace where many employees work together without partition walls. Noise, a lack of private spaces, and constant interruptions are considered the biggest drawbacks of open-concept offices. However, you can solve these very problems through zoning, well-designed soundproofing, and skillful space planning.
Open-concept Office: The Most Important Points at a Glance
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An open-concept office refers to an open workspace for multiple teams without fixed partitions and is one of the most common office concepts in companies that adopt a hybrid work model.
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The biggest drawback of open-concept offices is the noise level: noise and acoustic distractions are among the most commonly cited causes of loss of concentration and declining productivity in open-concept offices.
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Zoning, acoustic partitions, and sound-absorbing materials solve the core problems in open-concept offices because they physically separate areas for concentration, communication, and relaxation.
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PULT makes it possible to plan open-concept offices: Through Desk Booking and Office Insights, the software shows which zones are actually being used and provides occupancy data for space planning tailored to actual needs.
What is an open-concept office?
An open-concept office (or open-plan office) is a contiguous office area in which more than ten employees work in an open space without floor-to-ceiling walls. It differs from a cubicle office in its open structure and from purely open-space areas in that it has clearly defined functional zones.
How does an open-concept office differ from a traditional office?
Office types can be classified based on how the space is divided. From cubicle offices with individual rooms to combination offices and open-concept offices, the openness of the space increases gradually.
A modern open-concept office combines open workspaces with activity zones—areas each designed for a specific task. It is precisely this zoning that distinguishes this well-thought-out concept from a simple desk arrangement.
For hybrid teams, an open floor plan makes particular sense. When part of your workforce is working from home, shared workspaces allow for much more efficient use of space than permanently assigned individual offices.
What are the pros and cons of open-concept offices?
Open-concept offices offer short lines of communication and high space efficiency, but their main drawbacks are noise and a lack of private spaces. The balance between these two factors determines whether the space is productive or stressful.
What are the advantages of an open-concept office?
The advantages of an open-concept office lie in collaboration and cost savings. Teams can easily coordinate with one another; these discussions take place without the need to schedule appointments, and new employees are able to integrate more quickly.
Added to this is the financial benefit. An open-concept office with shared workstations significantly reduces per-capita office costs, especially in companies where a high percentage of employees work from home.
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Short lines of communication: Teams coordinate with one another without organizational hurdles.
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Greater space efficiency: Shared workstations reduce costs per employee.
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Greater transparency and visibility: You can immediately see who is present and what people are working on.
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Faster onboarding: New colleagues learn the processes by working closely with the team.
What are the disadvantages of an open-concept office?
The biggest drawback of open-concept offices is the noise level. Conversations, phone calls, and keyboard clicks all blend together, and it is precisely this acoustic distraction that is one of the most common reasons why concentration suffers in an open-concept office.
In a controlled laboratory experiment, a research team at Bond University demonstrated that typical open-concept office noise increases negative mood by 25% and the physical stress response by 34%—as measured by heart rate and skin conductance—after just eight minutes of noise exposure. In real-world office settings, where employees are exposed to these noise levels for hours on end, these effects are correspondingly more pronounced. (Sander et al., Journal of Management & Organization, 2021)
Open-concept office layouts also significantly reduce face-to-face communication. In two field studies conducted with Fortune 500 companies, the volume of face-to-face interaction dropped by about 70% after the transition to an open-concept layout, while email and instant messaging traffic increased sharply. People who are constantly visible to everyone tend to withdraw inwardly and turn to digital channels. (Bernstein & Turban, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, Harvard Business School, 2018). The availability of private spaces is therefore an important factor in well-being.
How do I design a modern open-concept office?
A productive and employee-friendly open-concept office is created through spatial zoning based on activity, effective soundproofing, and space planning based on actual usage data. However, furniture and rules alone are not enough if the basic layout of the space does not suit the way people work.
How does zoning work in an open-concept office?
Zoning divides the open space into areas for different activities. This principle stems from the activity-based working concept, in which each type of work is assigned its own appropriate space:
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Quiet areas for concentration and quiet, independent work.
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Opportunities for collaboration.
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Customizable project areas for teamwork and time-bound projects.
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Quiet, secluded areas for breaks and relaxation.
This allows employees to choose a workspace that suits their current task and ensures they have the best possible conditions there.
What type of soundproofing is suitable for an open-concept office?
Effective soundproofing in an open-concept office is achieved through sound-absorbing materials and physical barriers. The combination of elements on the ceiling, on the floor, as well as room dividers and large plants reduces the noise level.
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Acoustic partitions between workstations block sound directly at the source.
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Large plants with lush foliage also act as natural sound barriers.
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Upholstered furniture and upholstered room dividers absorb sound.
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Floor-to-ceiling partitions in an open-concept office separate zones from one another both acoustically and visually.
Acoustic panels on the ceiling and walls, sound-absorbing carpeting and rugs, and enclosed phone booths for video calls significantly reduce noise levels.
In cases where noise levels remain high despite these measures, the cause usually lies in the use of the space itself.
How does Desk Booking help optimize space in an open-concept office?
Desk Booking provides the data needed to plan an open-concept office according to actual needs. Rather than relying on assumptions, booking and occupancy data show which areas are regularly in use and which, by contrast, remain empty.
This leads to specific ways to adapt the space that allow for the redistribution and management of its use. For example, if the area designated for quiet work is consistently overbooked while spaces for collaboration remain empty, this is a measurable indicator that the layout needs to be redesigned.
PULT provides the necessary occupancy data: This allows you to analyze the use of your office space, and employees can reserve their seats in the appropriate zone.
How to Turn Your Open-Concept Office Into a Productive Workplace
An open-concept office becomes productive through zoning based on activity, effective soundproofing, and space planning based on actual usage data. The open space is preserved, and its weaknesses are eliminated through the right structure.
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With PULT Office Insights, you can see which areas of your space are actually being used and plan renovations based on real data.
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Your employees can reserve a workspace in the appropriate zone and see where their colleagues are already seated.
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You manage capacity and attendance all in one place.
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Hybrid Work
Hybrid working trends 2026 in Germany and the EU
Hybrid work has established itself as a stable model. Data from Germany, Europe, the United States and international comparison studies show a consistent picture. Most knowledge intensive industries work in hybrid setups with two to three days in the office each week.55
Hybrid work is one of the most common working models in Germany and across the EU. Employees work from home an average of two days per week and use office days for coordination and collaboration.
Two to three regular in office days have become standard. Teams set shared office days so colleagues can meet and projects can move forward.
Fully remote work is becoming less common. Hybrid work remains the preferred model because home office and office days support different types of tasks.
Companies use meeting windows and protected focus time to structure the day.
Office space is being redesigned. Individual desks are reduced and new zones are added for focused work, collaboration, video calls and breaks.
Desk sharing continues to grow because it creates space for these new zones and matches the irregular office attendance patterns of hybrid work.
Starting point: hybrid working trends 2025 and 2026
The use of hybrid work is far higher than before the pandemic and, after a short peak during the crisis years, has settled at a stable long term level.
The clear focus is on hybrid models that combine home office and office work with regular in office days. Fully remote work remains the exception.
Hybrid work in Germany
According to Statistisches Bundesamt, twenty four percent of employed people in Germany worked from home at least occasionally in 2024, almost identical to 2023.
Among those who used home office, twenty four percent worked exclusively from home, down from twenty six percent the year before. The sharp drop compared with 2021, when the figure was forty percent, shows that hybrid work rather than full remote work now dominates.
Findings from the ifo Institut confirm this stability. In February 2025, twenty four point five percent of employees in Germany worked from home at least part of the time. This share has remained consistently around twenty five percent for more than two years.
Context:
Germany is slightly above the EU average but below leading countries such as the Netherlands and the Nordic states.
Hybrid work has become standard in medium sized and large companies, while the share remains much lower in small and medium sized enterprises and in sectors where remote work is not feasible..
Trends in hybrid work
Hybrid work in Germany and across the EU will be shaped mainly by set in office days, coordinated team routines and well established workflows. Office days are used deliberately for tasks that require personal interaction.
Companies are adapting their office space to hybrid work, introducing clear guidelines and investing in technology that supports working from different locations.
Set in office requirements
Many companies are introducing two to three required office days per week. These guidelines are meant to create reliability and ensure that teams do not only meet by chance. The teams themselves decide which days make the most sense, for example for project coordination or planning sessions.
For example, a team might decide that Monday and Wednesday are their shared office days. Monday is used to align on tasks and Wednesday is dedicated to collaborative project work. The remaining days can be chosen freely.
Office days as collaboration days
Going to the office increasingly serves specific purposes:
project work
onboarding
in person meetings
joint planning
social connection
Employees come to the office because the team has scheduled workshops for that day or because a new colleague is being onboarded.
Guidelines for collaboration
Hybrid work makes it harder to sit together spontaneously and discuss plans, concepts or ideas. For many people a video call is not an adequate substitute.
set periods with no meetings
a clear requirement to document decisions
a structured approach to meetings to keep them short
guidelines for response times in chats and emails
A company might introduce daily focus hours from nine to twelve. During this time no meetings are allowed and no immediate chat responses are expected.
Changes to office space
Companies are redesigning their office space fundamentally under hybrid work conditions. Since many employees now come to the office only two or three days per week, fixed desks often remain unused.
This creates space for areas that match the type of work being done and give the office a clear advantage over the home office. The layout follows the activity based working principle.
Employees choose their work location based on the task at hand and may switch locations several times throughout the day. The main changes can be grouped into four areas.
Areas for focused work
Open plan offices often offer too little quiet. Companies therefore create zones intentionally designed for tasks that require concentration:
individual workstations with visual and acoustic shielding
use of sound absorbing materials such as textile surfaces, acoustic ceilings, partitions or large plants
phone booths and small soundproof rooms for video calls or confidential conversations
These areas ensure that employees can work without interruptions and that office days become genuinely productive.
Areas for collaboration and exchange
Many employees come to the office to coordinate in person or work together on projects. This makes collaborative spaces much more important.
open workshop areas with movable or wheeled tables, whiteboards and partition walls
meeting rooms in various sizes equipped with video technology for hybrid meetings
flexible team zones that can quickly adapt to different group sizes
Social and break areas
To keep the office an attractive place to work, companies are investing more in the overall quality of the environment.
lounges, kitchen and café areas for conversations and breaks
relaxation or movement zones such as fitness areas, quiet rooms or playful elements
improved catering options including canteens, snacks or drinks
Adapting the technical setup
Hybrid work functions best when the technology supports it. This includes hardware, software and room equipment. Many companies have introduced systems that make switching between home office and the office easier.
workplace, room, zone and parking space booking systems such as PULT
storage solutions like lockers, since fixed desks are no longer assigned
standardised ergonomic equipment at every workstation, for example height adjustable desks, docking stations and monitors
Hybrid work almost inevitably leads to unused individual desks and creates an opportunity to redesign office space so it offers employees more than before.
When people are in the office only two or three days per week, many desks remain empty. The number of individual workstations can therefore be reduced, and the team shares a smaller pool of desks.
This frees up space that can be repurposed to add real value to the working day: areas for quiet focus, for collaboration and exchange, for video calls and for relaxation.
For meetings and teamwork, there are open areas with movable tables, whiteboards and video equipment. For breaks and social interaction, companies create lounges, kitchens and café zones. All of this becomes possible because a permanently assigned desk for every employee is no longer necessary.
The foundation for this is desk sharing. Under this concept, all workstations, zones and rooms are available to everyone. A booking system ensures that everything is allocated fairly.
In the PULT booking system, your employees reserve the space they want in advance and it is then assigned to them reliably:
workstations, rooms and zones can be reserved reliably
attendance in the office becomes visible automatically
utilisation data shows how the office space is actually used
check in happens automatically through PULT Presence
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The top 6 tools for hybrid work
The frequent switch between home office and office days requires more coordination to distribute workspaces and rooms fairly. Tools designed for hybrid work help with this. These systems allow employees to book desks, rooms and parking spaces, show real time occupancy and comply with data protection requirements.
Which features matter in a hybrid work tool depends on how your organisation works and which processes you want to support. The following criteria will help you choose the right tool and show when each aspect becomes especially important.
Booking of workstations, rooms and other spaces: useful when desks, meeting rooms, zones or parking spaces need to be reserved reliably.
Digital floor plans and visual overviews: helpful when employees need to find their way around the office and choose specific areas such as team zones, quiet zones or project spaces.
Automation, check in and no show handling: important when spaces are often booked but not actually used, because tools with check in can release unused bookings automatically.
Integrations with calendar and collaboration tools: valuable when your organisation already works with Microsoft 365, Outlook, Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams or Slack.
Visitor management: relevant when customers, job candidates or other guests visit regularly.
Parking and resource management: important when parking spaces, charging stations or special resources, for example equipment or specialist workstations, also need to be booked.
Analytics, utilisation reports and space planning: very important if you want to improve and develop your office space, because dashboards with utilisation rates, booking patterns and no show data reveal which areas are well used and which remain empty.
Data protection, hosting and compliance with European privacy laws: essential for organisations based in Europe or handling data from European users.
The following information on features, prices and services is based on publicly available sources from the providers (as of November 2025). It is intended for general guidance only. Providers may change their offerings at any time, and no guarantee can be given for completeness or accuracy.
This article includes a presentation of PULT as part of a market overview. It is based on careful research but is not an objective test report. It is an editorial comparison that contains partially promotional elements.
All mentioned brands are the property of their respective owners and are listed for comparison purposes only. PULT has no business relationship with the providers named
The best tools for hybrid work
#1 PULT
PULT is a tool for hybrid work and workplace management. It allows employees to book and organise workstations, meeting rooms and other resources and includes additional features for visitor management, office analytics and attendance and utilisation insights.
The software integrates with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft 365, Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams and Slack. Rooms and workstations that were booked but not used are released automatically. PULT also provides analytics on actual usage and booking patterns, which makes it easier to plan rooms, zones and workstations.
Desk booking: booking desks through interactive floor plans with tags, equipment filters, QR check in and automatic Wi Fi based check in.
Room booking: booking meeting rooms with two way calendar synchronisation for Outlook and Google, resource management, invitations and optional catering.
Hybrid team planning: a clear overview of who is in the office, remote or unavailable, with options for favourites, recurring days, anonymous bookings and calendar matching.
Visitor management: digital visitor registration, custom sign in flows, documents and NDAs, an iPad reception mode, host notifications and badge printing.
Office analytics: utilisation reports, occupancy statistics, heatmaps and export functions to analyse space usage.
PULT Presence: automatic attendance detection through Wi Fi, configurable rules, logs and reports for return to office and compliance requirements.
Parking and additional resources: management and booking of parking spaces and other office resources.
Integrations: connections to Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Okta, various HRIS systems and Wi Fi, network and MDM systems.
Security and hosting: developed and hosted in Germany with GDPR compliant data processing and an ISO 27001 certified infrastructure.
Prices for PULT:
Pricing for PULT starts at 1.90 euros per user per month. Higher tier plans include additional features such as API access, single sign on and white label options. A free demo and product walkthrough are available.
Seatti is a hybrid work platform focused on desk and space booking. It integrates deeply with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Entra ID and brings together the booking of workstations, meeting rooms and parking spaces, along with team planning features and analytics on office usage.
Desk booking: booking workstations through interactive floor plans with minute precise reservations, reuse of previous week’s bookings and booking suggestions inside Microsoft Teams.
Meeting room booking: conference and meeting rooms can be booked within the same interface.
Parking and resource booking: parking spaces and other resources can be booked in the same system, and the Teams app supports bookings for desks, rooms and parking spaces.
Team and location overview: a clear view of where colleagues are working, which locations are used and when shared office days make sense.
Data analytics and utilisation reports: insights into office and workstation usage supported by data analysis.
Microsoft 365 integration and Teams app: native integration with Microsoft Teams, installation through the Teams App Store, use of Microsoft single sign on and connection to Microsoft Entra ID.
Data protection, anonymisation and ISO certification: Seatti is certified under ISO 27001. Bookings can be made with names or anonymously. Usage reports are based on aggregated, anonymised data and, according to the provider, are not intended for employee monitoring.
Prices for Seatti:
Seatti offers three plans starting at 1.90 euros per user per month. Larger plans include additional features. All features are included in the Hybrid Enterprise plan, for which pricing is available on request. Booking conference rooms and ordering catering are paid add on modules.
#3 desk.ly
desk.ly is a workplace management platform designed for hybrid work. It allows organisations to manage workstations, rooms and parking spaces easily and offers additional features for analytics and administration.
Booking of individual workstations, meeting rooms and parking spaces: users reserve spaces and rooms through digital floor plans or calendar views. Reservations can be made in the browser or through the app.
Digital office floor plans: interactive maps show which spaces are available.
Calendar integration: synchronisation with Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar and Microsoft Teams.
Team overview: a clear view of who is in the office on which day.
Kiosk and attendance mode: through a terminal, tablet, laptop or smartphone, employees can register their attendance or book an available space on the spot.
Parking management: booking and managing parking spaces and charging points.
Analytics and utilisation reporting: dashboards show how often workstations and rooms are booked. These insights help plan office space more efficiently and avoid bottlenecks.
Data protection and hosting: hosted exclusively in German data centres (AWS Frankfurt), ISO 27001 certified and fully GDPR compliant. A data processing agreement can be requested directly.
Prices for desk.ly: The corporate plan starts at 1.65 euros per user per month, and the enterprise plan starts at 2.20 euros per user per month. A free version for small teams with up to fifteen users is also available.
#4 DEIN RAUM
DEIN RAUM is a cloud-based desk sharing and workspace booking platform from Germany. The tool lets companies reserve and manage desks, parking spaces and meeting rooms in one system and is designed for organisations working in hybrid models. Access is available via browser and mobile devices, with integrations for common office environments.
Desk booking with calendar view, favourites and equipment details, allowing employees to reserve desks flexibly and on specific days.
Parking space booking with visualised parking spots and indicators for EV charging stations.
Meeting room booking for reserving conference rooms in the same system used for desks and parking spaces.
Digital floor plans to display desks, parking spaces and rooms directly on the office layout.
Check-in functionality to confirm actual usage and automatically release unused bookings.
Occupancy analytics providing insights into the utilisation of desks, rooms and parking spaces.
Weekly rules and recurring bookings to support regular office days and repeating booking patterns.
Room display screens and meeting room add-ons to show availability and reservations directly at the room.
Equipment management and parking-space rental for booking additional items and managing rented parking spots.
Integrations such as single sign-on (SSO), Microsoft Teams integration and an Outlook add-in, with use across smartphone, laptop or tablet.
Data protection: According to the provider, the tool is fully GDPR compliant and hosted on servers in Germany.
Pricing for DEIN RAUM:
DEIN RAUM offers tiered plans with increasing functionality. The Basic plan is priced at €1.30 per user per month, while the Advanced plan costs €1.80 per user per month. All features are included in the Enterprise plan, with pricing available on request.
#5 Flexopus
Flexopus is a workplace management platform for hybrid teams. The software enables booking and managing desks, meeting rooms and parking spaces in one system and visualises office layouts through digital floor plans. The platform is developed and hosted in Germany and meets all relevant data protection and security requirements.
Desk and room booking: Reservation of desks, meeting rooms and zones via web or mobile app.
Digital floor plans: Interactive maps showing available and occupied spaces.
Check-in and check-out: Registration via QR code or workstation display, with automatic release if a booking is not used.
Room and desk displays: Flexopus provides its own hardware to show booking status and enable on-site check-ins.
Visitor management: Guests can be pre-registered and receive an email invitation with QR code for check-in at reception.
Analytics and reporting: Insights into workspace and room utilisation.
Integrations: Connections with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Google Calendar and a REST API for custom integrations.
Data protection and hosting: Hosted on servers in Germany (Hetzner in Nuremberg/Falkenstein), ISO 27001 certified. Flexopus provides a data processing agreement and documentation on subprocessors.
Prices for Flexopus: Flexopus uses a resource-based pricing model, meaning costs depend on the number of desks, rooms or other bookable resources. The software can be tested free of charge for 30 days. In the Starter plan, each resource starts at €1.59 per month, while the Business plan with additional features starts at €2.99 per resource per month.
#6 raum]für[raum
raum]für[raum is a software platform for booking and managing desks, rooms and additional resources. It supports desk sharing, meeting room booking, video conference planning and resource management, and can be integrated into existing IT environments. In addition to the cloud version, hosting in German data centres is available.
Desk booking and desk sharing: Booking for shared and assigned desks, including filters for equipment such as monitors or accessible workspaces, plus the option to book desks on behalf of colleagues.
Room booking: Booking for meeting rooms, training rooms and other spaces, with centralised management of all reservations.
Booking of additional resources: Booking for parking spaces, vehicles and extra services such as catering or technical equipment that can be added to a reservation.
Floor and building plans: Visual layouts of desks and rooms that can be configured via drag and drop.
Check-in functions and smart booking logic: Ensures that reserved spaces are actually used and reduces no-shows.
Video conferencing and Outlook integration: Enables meeting planning with room and equipment reservations directly from familiar tools.
Visitor and resource management: Management of visitor bookings and integration with related systems such as digital signage.
Mobile app: Booking desks, meeting rooms and parking spaces via smartphone.
Integrations: Outlook, video conferencing systems and digital signage solutions; available as a web app, desktop app and mobile app.
Data protection and hosting: According to the provider, raum]für[raum is GDPR-compliant and hosted in Germany.
Prices for raum]für[raum:
The offering is modular, allowing features to be combined as needed. Pricing is available on request.
What makes PULT a popular tool for hybrid work?
With PULT Presence, employee attendance is automatically detected the moment their laptop or phone connects to the company WiFi. No check in action or additional hardware is required because the WiFi connection alone is enough.
Inside PULT, you can see both the booking data and the actual usage of desks, rooms, zones and parking spaces.
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The 6 best desk booking systems
Desk booking systems usually combine the reservation of desks, meeting rooms, office zones and other workplace resources in a single platform. Many providers also offer integrations with calendar and chat tools.
The best system for your team depends on how you work and what processes you want to support. The criteria below help you evaluate the options and show when each point matters most.
Booking of desks and rooms: relevant when desks, meeting rooms and office zones need to be used flexibly and you require binding reservations.
Floor plans and visual office overview: important when employees want to choose specific seats or when you operate across multiple floors or locations.
Automation and check in (no show handling): relevant when booked but unused spaces are a recurring problem. Automatic release after a set time ensures that resources are not blocked.
Calendar synchronisation (Outlook / Google Calendar): important when meetings and office attendance should be managed in the same calendar. A two way sync ensures that bookings match in both the booking system and the calendar.
Integrations with Microsoft 365, MS Teams, Slack and similar tools: especially relevant when your daily collaboration already takes place in Teams, Outlook, Slack or Google Workspace.
Team and attendance overview (hybrid planner): useful for hybrid teams that coordinate in office days. Seeing who will be in the office on which day makes planning much easier.
Parking and resource booking: relevant when you also need to book parking spaces, visitor spots or additional equipment such as monitors or technical devices.
Visitor management: important if you regularly host guests, candidates or service providers. Digital pre registration, check in, host notifications and visitor logs streamline the reception process.
Analytics and occupancy reports: especially relevant when you want to optimise office space. Dashboards showing occupancy levels, booking frequency, peak times and no shows reveal which spaces are truly used.
Data protection, hosting and compliance with GDPR and local privacy regulations: essential for companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The information on features, pricing and services is based on publicly available sources from the providers (as of November 2025). It is intended for general orientation only. Providers may change their offerings at any time, and no guarantee can be given for completeness or accuracy.
This article includes a presentation of PULT as part of a broader market overview. It is based on careful research, but it is not an objective test report. It is an editorial comparison that includes some promotional elements.
All mentioned brands are the property of their respective owners and are listed for comparison purposes only. PULT has no business relationship with the providers referenced here.
The 6 best desk booking systems
#1 PULT
PULT is a cloud based desk booking system developed in Germany. It combines all major features needed to organise modern office spaces. The platform supports the booking of desks and meeting rooms and also includes visitor management, attendance overviews, parking, hybrid team planning and detailed analytics on office utilisation.
The software integrates with Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft 365, Google Calendar, MS Teams and Slack. Booked but unused rooms and desks are automatically released again. In addition, PULT provides insights into actual usage and booking behaviour, making it easier to plan and optimise rooms, spaces and workstations.
Desk booking (Desk Booking): Booking desks through interactive floor plans with tags, equipment filters, QR check in and automatic check in via WiFi.
Room booking (Room Booking): Booking meeting rooms with two way calendar sync for Outlook and Google, resource management, invitation options and optional catering.
Hybrid team planning: Clear overview of who is in the office, remote or unavailable on each day. Options include favourites, recurring days, anonymous bookings and calendar synchronisation.
Visitor management: Digital visitor registration, custom sign in flows, documents and NDAs, iPad reception mode, host notifications and badge printing.
Office analytics: Utilisation reports, occupancy statistics, heatmaps and export functions to analyse how space is used.
PULT Presence: Automatic attendance detection through company WiFi, with configurable rules, logs and reports for RTO and compliance.
Parking and additional resources: Booking and administration of parking spaces and other office resources.
Integrations: Connections with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, MS Teams, Okta, HRIS systems and WiFi or network based systems.
Security and hosting: Developed and hosted in Germany with GDPR compliant data processing and ISO 27001 certified infrastructure.
Pricing for PULT:
Pricing for PULT starts at 1.90 euros per user per month. Higher tier plans include additional features such as API access, single sign on and white label options. A free demo and product walkthrough are available.
Flexopus is a booking system for desks and meeting rooms that brings the core functions of desk booking together in one platform. The software is developed and hosted in Germany and meets strict requirements for data protection and security.
Desk and room booking: Reserve desks, rooms and zones through the web or the mobile app.
Digital floor plans: Interactive office maps that show available and occupied spaces.
Check in and check out: Arrival and departure via QR code or the desk display, with automatic release if a booking is not used.
Room and desk displays: Flexopus offers its own hardware to show booking status and support check ins directly on site.
Visitor management: Guests can be registered in advance with invitation emails and QR code check in at reception.
Analytics and reporting: Insights into how desks and rooms are used across the office.
Integrations: Works with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Google Calendar and provides a REST API for custom integrations.
Data protection and hosting: Hosted on German servers (Hetzner in Nürnberg and Falkenstein), ISO 27001 certified. Flexopus also provides a data processing agreement and details on its subprocessors.
Pricing for Flexopus Flexopus uses a resource-based pricing model, meaning the cost depends on the number of desks, rooms or other items you want to manage. You can try the software free for 30 days.
In the Starter plan, each resource begins at 1.59 € per month.
In the Business plan, which includes additional features, each resource begins at 2.99 € per month.
#3 desk.ly
desk.ly ist ein deutsches Arbeitsplatz-Buchungssystem. Die Plattform ermöglicht eine einfache Organisation von Arbeitsplätzen, Räumen und Parkplätzen und bietet darüber hinaus Funktionen für Auswertung und Administration.
Booking of individual workstations, meeting rooms and parking spaces: Users reserve desks and rooms through digital floor plans or calendar views. Bookings can be made in the browser or via the app.
Digital office floor plans: Interactive maps show all available spaces.
Calendar integration: Synchronisation with Outlook, Google Calendar and MS Teams.
Team overview: Shows who will be in the office on which day.
Kiosk and attendance mode: Employees can record their attendance in the office or book available spaces spontaneously using a terminal, tablet, laptop or smartphone.
Parking management: Booking and administration of parking spaces and charging points.
Analytics and utilisation: Dashboards show how often desks and rooms are booked and help optimise the use of office space.
Data protection and hosting: Operated in German data centres (AWS Frankfurt), ISO 27001 certified and fully GDPR compliant. A data processing agreement can be requested.
Pricing for desk.ly: The Corporate plan starts at €1.65 per user per month, and the Enterprise plan starts at €2.20 per user per month. A free version is available for small teams with up to 15 users.
#4 Seatti
Seatti is a cloud based desk booking system designed for companies with hybrid work models, especially those working heavily with Microsoft 365. The software is tightly integrated with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Entra ID and brings together desk booking, room booking and parking reservations, along with team planning and analytics on office usage.
Desk booking: Booking desks through interactive floor plans with minute level reservation, reuse of last week’s bookings and booking suggestions directly inside Microsoft Teams.
Room booking: Conference and meeting rooms can be booked in the same interface.
Parking and resource booking: Option to book parking spaces and other resources in the same system, with the Teams app supporting bookings for desks, rooms and parking.
Team and location overview: Overview of where colleagues are working, which locations are being used and when shared office days make sense.
Analytics and occupancy reports: Insights into space usage and workplace occupancy with data analytics.
Microsoft 365 integration and Teams app: Native integration in Microsoft Teams, installation through the Teams App Store, Microsoft SSO support and connection to Microsoft Entra ID.
Data protection, anonymisation and ISO certification: Seatti is ISO 27001 certified. Bookings can be named or anonymous. Usage reports are based on anonymised, aggregated data and are not intended for employee monitoring according to the provider.
Pricing for Seatti:
Seatti offers three plans starting at 1.90 € per user per month. Higher tier plans include additional features. All features are included in the Hybrid Enterprise plan, with pricing available on request. Booking conference rooms and catering is offered as an add on module with an additional fee.
#5 anny
anny is a cloud based desk booking system from Germany that brings together the management of workspaces, meeting rooms, parking spaces and other office resources in one platform. The software is used for workspace management in hybrid offices, room bookings, visitor management and event or resource calendars.
Workspace and desk booking: Booking workspaces through a single interface. Workspaces can be managed as individual child resources and can be controlled with rules, quotas and access permissions.
Meeting room and space booking: Booking meeting rooms and other spaces with a calendar view, calendar synchronisation with Outlook and Google Calendar, plus optional add ons such as catering or equipment.
Parking and resource management: Management and reservation of parking spaces, equipment and other resources in the same system used for desks and rooms, including detailed booking rules.
3D maps: Visualisation of locations, floors, rooms and workspaces on an interactive three dimensional map that allows direct booking.
Communities, permissions and booking rules: Control over which users can book which resources through communities (groups), roles and permission systems, booking quotas and extended booking rules.
Planner and calendar features: Planning office attendance and bookings with calendar, planner and map views, including two way synchronisation with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
Visitor management: Digital visitor registration with check in, collection of contact details, digital signatures and optional badge printing.
Analytics and occupancy reports: Insights and heatmaps showing the utilisation of rooms and workspaces, helping to assess and optimise space usage.
Integrations (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, smart locks, HR): Connections to Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, smart lock systems and third party tools such as Personio, plus API and webhook access in higher tier plans.
Data protection and hosting: According to the provider, anny is fully GDPR compliant, developed in Germany and hosted on servers located in Germany.
Pricing for anny
Pricing is based on the number of managed resources and the chosen plan. In the Essential plan, one resource costs 5 dollars per month. In the Professional and Business plans, the price per resource increases to 10 and 15 dollars per month, and each plan includes a broader set of features.
#6 deskbird
Desk and room booking: Booking desks, meeting rooms and parking spaces via web, app or Microsoft Teams.
Weekly planning: Teams plan their office days together, see who will be onsite on which days and coordinate shared office time.
Automatic release for no shows: Unused bookings are cancelled after a set period, making desks available again.
Visitor management: Guests can be registered in advance and checked in digitally when they arrive.
Analytics and reporting: Insights into occupancy rates, usage frequency and desk availability.
Integrations: Connections to Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Slack and Google Calendar. The platform also provides API, SCIM and SAML interfaces for larger organisations.
Data protection and hosting: GDPR compliant. Data is processed in the Google Cloud region in Frankfurt, Germany. ISO 27001 certified. Personal booking data can be anonymised automatically, by default after six months.
Pricing for deskbird
Licensing is based on the number of users. The Starter plan begins at €2.80 per user per month, and the Business plan starts at €3.80 per user per month, with reduced pricing available for larger user numbers. Enterprise plans are available for larger organisations.
What makes PULT a popular desk booking system?
In PULT you see both booking data and the real occupancy of desks, rooms, zones and parking spaces.
With PULT Presence the actual presence of your employees is recorded as soon as their laptop or smartphone connects to the company WiFi. Check in happens automatically and does not depend on any sensors. Your WiFi is all that is required.
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Hybrid Work
How companies can make their workplace more sustainable
Germany has already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by around forty eight percent compared to 1990 and aims to reach climate neutrality by 2045. Yet sectors such as buildings, transportation, and parts of the wider economy still offer significant untapped potential, including how workplaces themselves can be made more sustainable.
Sustainability in the office comes from using energy and materials responsibly, creating healthy working conditions, and designing spaces that match what employees actually need.
Simple actions you can implement immediately such as switching off devices, printing on both sides, or choosing video calls instead of short trips reduce consumption right away.
Buildings account for the largest share of energy use. Every hour without heating, cooling, or lighting lowers resource demand.
Ergonomic workstations, good air quality, and zones designed according to real needs reduce strain on employees and improve their ability to work.
Desk sharingreduces resource use because it prevents unused space from being maintained and frees up areas that can be turned into functional work zones.
Sustainable space planning relies on accurate usage data so that the number and types of workspaces fit actual demand.
What makes a workplace sustainable?
A sustainable workplace is built on three pillars: using resources responsibly, creating healthy working conditions, and ensuring processes that make economic sense.
In practice, this means using energy and materials carefully, shaping everyday work in a way that supports employee health, and establishing structures in the company that help people work effectively.
Ecological Dimension
The ecological dimension of workplace sustainability includes everything that influences resource consumption in the office:
electricity for lighting and IT
heating and cooling
paper use
waste
commuting and mobility
Buildings in Germany are among the largest energy users and account for roughly 35% to 40% of final energy consumption. Every improvement, whether more efficient lighting, reduced paper use, or better mobility planning, has a direct impact.
Social Dimension
The focus here is on how the workplace and its surrounding environment affect employee health. A large share of absences is caused by musculoskeletal issues and mental stress.
Ergonomic furniture, enough movement throughout the day, good air quality, and a calm working environment help maintain and improve performance. Sustainability also means creating a workplace that supports employees in a lasting and meaningful way.
Economic Dimension
This dimension relates to the economic efficiency of daily work. Electricity costs, material consumption, device lifespan, and the use of office space all have a direct impact on the budget.
At the same time, new EU requirements such as the CSRD (Corporate sustainability reporting) demand more comprehensive sustainability reporting. Measures that save resources and establish clear processes support companies on both the operational and regulatory level.
How can energy and resource use in the office be reduced?
Most energy and resource consumption in the office comes from heating, cooling, lighting, IT equipment, and material use. With a few technical adjustments and clear behavioural guidelines, these levels can be reduced significantly.
Adjust building technology
Adjust heating and cooling temperatures: Lowering the room temperature by one degree in winter reduces heating demand by about six percent. Raising the cooling temperature by one degree in summer leads to similar savings.
Ventilate rooms properly: Short, complete air exchanges lower carbon dioxide levels and prevent unnecessary heat or cold loss. Tilted windows keep rooms open for long periods and significantly increase energy use.
Improve lighting: Replacing older bulbs with LEDs noticeably reduces electricity consumption. Motion sensors prevent lights from staying on in unused rooms, and zone based lighting prevents entire floors from being lit when only a few areas are used.
Set clear operating guidelines:
Energy settings for workstations: Terminals, laptops and monitors should switch to energy saving mode after defined periods and power down at the end of the working day.
Reduce the number of devices: One large multifunction printer uses less energy than several small machines spread across different offices.
Check additional devices: Portable heaters, personal fridges or desk fans increase consumption disproportionately. Companies should define which extra devices are allowed and which are not.
Adjust behaviour in the office:
Switch devices off completely: Computers, monitors and peripherals should be turned off at the end of the working day. High standby consumption mainly comes from devices running overnight or through the weekend.
Keep doors closed: When heating or cooling is in use, energy demand rises sharply if warm or cold air escapes. Closed doors reduce this loss.
Use office materials carefully: Supplies should only be taken when needed. A shared supply station prevents stockpiling in different rooms and reduces waste.
Reduce resource consumption:
Lower paper usage: Digital workflows replace printed documents. When printing is necessary, double sided and black and white settings should be the default.
Use recycled paper: Recycled paper with environmental certification saves up to seventy eight percent water and about sixty eight percent energy compared to fresh fibre paper.
Centralise consumables: Storing supplies in one place prevents duplicate orders and gives a clear picture of actual usage.
How do I set up my office in a sustainable way?
A sustainable office setup follows three core principles: materials that require few resources and do not pollute indoor air, furniture that can be used and repaired for many years, and workstations that minimise physical strain. In addition, spaces should be arranged and used in a way that reflects what employees actually need.
Choose materials that are gentle on the environment and indoor air:
When it comes to furniture and equipment, the choice of materials affects both the environmental footprint of production and the air quality in the workspace.
Wood with FSC or PEFC certification: This confirms that the wood comes from responsibly managed forests.
Furniture with tested emissions: Products carrying environmental labels such as the Blue Angel release fewer volatile substances into the air.
Modular furniture: Individual parts such as tabletops, wheels or fittings can be replaced without having to dispose of the entire piece
Choose furniture that will last:
Durable furniture reduces resource use because replacements are needed less often.
Solid construction: Sturdy table frames, hard wearing surfaces and reliable mechanisms mean fewer repairs.
Available spare parts: Items such as gas lifts, armrests or caster wheels should be easy to order separately.
Refurbished furniture: Restored pieces can offer the same functionality while using far fewer materials.
Set up workstations ergonomically:
An ergonomic layout reduces back, neck and shoulder strain and therefore helps prevent common causes of absences.
Height adjustable desks: Switching between sitting and standing eases the load on the spine.
Adjustable chairs: Seat height, seat depth, backrest and armrests should all be adjustable.
Position screens correctly: The top edge of the monitor should be roughly at eye level and glare from windows or lamps should be avoided.
Set up spaces according to actual needs:
In many companies, the increase in home office days means that parts of the office remain empty at times and overall occupancy drops. Instead of maintaining permanently assigned desks, this creates an opportunity to rethink how the entire space is used.
Share workstations: When employees are not on site every day, fewer individual desks are needed.
Define zones: Quiet areas for focused work, areas for collaboration and calls, break areas and additional zones for movement and balance.
Use booking software: This makes it clear when specific office resources are in use. Heating, cooling, ventilation, cleaning and maintenance can be managed more efficiently.
Tip: With a booking tool, your employees can reserve a desk, a meeting room or a specific zone for their team day. This gives everyone fair access to all shared resources.
Improve indoor climate and lighting:
Add plants: They reduce noise and improve the perceived air quality.
Monitor carbon dioxide levels: A simple measuring device shows when it is time to ventilate.
Create even lighting: Glare free, daylight like lighting reduces eye strain and fatigue.
How can employees make their commute and business trips more sustainable?
Sustainable mobility at work means avoiding unnecessary journeys and choosing transport options that cause fewer emissions per kilometre when travel is required. The biggest impact comes from the choice of transport and the decision whether a meeting truly requires travel in the first place.
Plan commutes in a smarter way:
The daily commute is the biggest source of mobility related emissions in many organisations. The difference between transport options is significant.
Use a bike for short distances: For short routes in urban areas, a bike is often the fastest option. It produces no direct emissions and helps ease traffic.
Take public transport when possible: Buses and trains cause far fewer emissions per kilometre than a car. Many employees benefit from a subsidy for the Deutschlandticket because it makes switching to public transport easier.
Share rides: When several colleagues live in the same area, sharing one car reduces the number of daily trips.
Review business trips and appointments:
Use digital meetings: If a meeting does not require direct personal interaction, a video call is sufficient.
Combine several appointments: For on site visits, check whether additional client meetings or supplier visits can be arranged on the same day.
Assess distances carefully: Short business trips can often be done on foot or by bike as long as no materials need to be transported.
Align company offerings:
Some of the mobility measures mentioned only work when the company provides the right conditions.
Bike parking facilities: Covered parking and charging options for e bikes make switching to a bike much easier.
Changing rooms and storage: Space for helmets, wet clothing, backpacks, shoes and a change of clothes supports employees who cycle or walk.
Company bikes and JobRad style models: A good option for employees who do not want to use their own bike or who travel longer distances.
How can office nutrition be made more environmentally friendly?
Sustainable eating in the workplace depends on the choice of food, the handling of packaging and the way communal catering is organised. The biggest impact comes from deciding which meals are offered or brought to the office.
Benefits of communal catering:
A shared catering service through a canteen makes affordable meals possible in a way that individuals could not achieve on their own.
Lower food waste:
Caterers and canteens can plan portion sizes because they know guest numbers and eating habits.
Overproduction can be reduced and leftovers can be redistributed.
Waste does not accumulate at many individual desks but in one place where it can be monitored and reduced.
More control over meal composition:
Companies can increase the share of plant based dishes or make vegetarian options the standard.
Suppliers can be chosen deliberately with criteria such as regional, seasonal or certified sourcing.
The quality of ingredients can be defined consistently.
Fewer packaging materials:
Communal catering avoids the many single use packages that typically come with individual take away meals.
Large containers and reusable boxes replace disposable items.
Drinks can be provided through water dispensers or carafes.
Lower cost per portion:
Bulk quantities are cheaper than many single portions.
Plant based dishes are generally less expensive than meat based meals.
Lower waste volumes reduce disposal costs.
Better everyday nutrition:
Well planned menus support a more balanced diet.
Set meal times and a shared place to eat strengthen a sense of community and make breaks more restorative.
Employees need to shop less spontaneously, which usually leads to more sustainable choices.
What does sustainable use of office space look like?
A key part of sustainability comes from understanding how much office space is actually needed. Every square metre has to be heated, cooled, lit and cleaned, whether it is in use or standing empty.
In many companies, hybrid work means that a large share of desks remain unused on several days of the week. This creates vacant space that leads directly to unnecessary resource consumption.
Desk sharing reduces unused space:
When employees are not in the office every day, fewer permanent individual desks are needed. With desk sharing, the number of workstations is aligned with actual attendance. This lowers the amount of space that is maintained but not used.
The benefit is lower consumption per square metre:
less demand for heating and cooling
lower electricity use for lighting
reduced cleaning effort
fewer pieces of furniture and equipment that need to be provided
The space that becomes available when unused workstations are removed can be put to new use. You can turn it into rooms and zones that genuinely support the way your employees work.
Zones for focused work with acoustic shielding
Areas for collaboration and teamwork that can be adjusted freely
Phone booths and quiet rooms that are often missing in open offices
Social and break areas that improve the overall office experience
Spaces for exercise and options that support mental balance and play
These rooms and zones can be created and booked in the PULT booking software. Your employees can choose the place, room or zone that fits their task on any given day.
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