SmartReservation: 9-Step Guide to Getting Started with Exchange

Purpose of this guide

This guide walks you through 9 steps, from your first login to the eTASK FM portal to successfully making your first room reservation using Microsoft Outlook integration. By the end, you and your employees will be able to conveniently book rooms directly from Outlook.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure that:

You have access to an eTASK installation (on-premises or hosted)
The license for eTASK.SmartReservation has been purchased and activated
You have a Microsoft Exchange Server
You have administrator rights in the eTASK FM portal
You have access to Exchange Server administration or a designated contact person

Step 1: Log in to the FM Portal and check the module

Open your web browser and navigate to the URL of your eTASK installation
Log in with your credentials
Go to the "Room Reservation" module via the main menu
Check whether the module loads and no error message is displayed
If the module is not available, check the license activation in the system configuration

Result: You now have access to the Room Reservation module and can begin configuration.

Step 2: Create master data for the building structure

To book a room, you must first create the physical structures in eTASK:

Navigate to "Portfolio (BIM)" > "Property Cadastre" > "Locations"
Create all relevant locations (e.g., "Munich Headquarters," "Hamburg Branch")
Create a building and assign it to the previously created location
Under "Floors," create all floors of the building
Navigate to "Rooms" and enter all bookable rooms

Tip: Start with one building and a few rooms to test the process. Additional rooms can be added later.

Result: The basic structure of your properties is mapped in eTASK and rooms have been created.

Step 3: Configure meeting rooms for booking

Now the created rooms are prepared for booking:

Switch to the "Room Reservation" module
Navigate to "Meeting Rooms"
Create a meeting room and link it to the physical room from the master data
Specify the resources for the meeting room (e.g., projector, whiteboard, video conferencing)
Specify whether the room requires approval and assign the room manager
Optionally, upload images of the room for a better overview
Configure seating arrangements if different layouts are possible
Enable the meeting room for booking

Result: Your meeting rooms are bookable and include all relevant information.

Step 4: Configure resources and catering

In addition to rooms, you can set up additional resources and catering options:

Set up resources:

Navigate to "Resources" > "Resource Types" in the Room Reservation module
Create types such as "Mobile Presentation Technology," "Vehicles," "Equipment"
Go to "Bookable Resources"
Enter individual resources and assign them to the types (e.g., "Portable Projector 1," "Company Car")
Define which resources should be booked automatically with rooms

Further information: [LINK: Resources in eTASK.Room Reservation]

Set up catering:

Navigate to "Catering" in the Room Reservation module
Create catering types (e.g., "Coffee & Cake," "Lunch," "Beverages")
Assign the responsible contacts for catering orders
Configure which catering types are available for which rooms

Result: Resources and catering services can be booked along with room reservations.

Step 5: Set up Exchange room mailboxes

For Outlook integration, each bookable room requires an Exchange room mailbox:

Create a room mailbox for each meeting room

New-Mailbox -Room -Name "Besprechungsraum-1-OG" -DisplayName "Besprechungsraum 1.OG Links"

Name the room mailboxes uniquely (e.g., "Meeting Room 1, 1st Floor, Left")

Configure the room mailboxes so that booking requests are processed automatically

Set-CalendarProcessing -Identity "Besprechungsraum-1-OG" -AutomateProcessing AutoAccept

Create a room list and add the room mailboxes (required):

New-DistributionGroup -Name "Raumliste" -RoomList
Add-DistributionGroupMember -Identity "Raumliste" -Member "Besprechungsraum-1-OG"

Important: Rooms must be assigned to a room list. The room list is used later in eTASK to display available rooms.

Tip: Use a consistent naming convention for room mailboxes that reflects the actual room names.

Result: Exchange room mailboxes are created and assigned to a room list.

Step 6: Set up the Exchange connection in eTASK

The Exchange connection enables synchronization between eTASK and Outlook:

Enable Exchange booking in the system configuration: Set the "ACTIVATEEXCHANGEBOOKING" parameter to 1
In the system configuration, navigate to the "EXCHANGEWEBSERVICEURL" parameter
Enter the Exchange server URL (e.g., https://exchange.ihrefirma.de/EWS/Exchange.asmx)
Go to the meeting room and enter the Exchange login credentials there
In the meeting room, check the box next to "Booking in Exchange Server enabled"
Select the room list you created earlier—all rooms in the room list will then be displayed
Select the appropriate room mailbox for this meeting room

Important: The Exchange connection requires specific permissions in Exchange Server. The service account needs the "ApplicationImpersonation" permission in Exchange. Consult your IT administrator.

Result: eTASK can communicate with the Exchange Server, and room bookings are synchronized.

Step 7: Deploy the Outlook Add-In

The eTASK Outlook add-in enables convenient room booking directly from Outlook:

Download the manifest file for the eTASK Outlook add-in from your eTASK installation
Open the Exchange Admin Center and navigate to "Add-Ins"
Select "Add Add-in" and upload the manifest file
Alternatively: Use the central deployment via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center
Configure which user groups the add-in should be available to
Enable the add-in for all relevant users
Notify your employees about the availability of the add-in
Provide brief instructions on how to use it

Note: Depending on your organization, users may also install the add-in themselves if central deployment is not possible.

Detailed instructions: [LINK: Install the eTASK.Outlook room booking add-in]

Result: The eTASK Outlook add-in is available and users can use it in Outlook.

Step 8: Configure permissions and user roles

Define which users are allowed to book and manage rooms:

In eTASK, navigate to "Administration" > "Users and Permissions"
Create user groups for different roles (e.g., "Room Bookers," "Room Administrators," "Room Managers")
Assign the "Room Booker" group the right to create bookings and manage their own bookings
Assign extended permissions to the "Room Manager" group (view and cancel all bookings)
Room managers (approvers) are defined for each meeting room
Assign the eTASK users to the corresponding groups
Ensure that the eTASK user accounts match the Exchange mailboxes
Test the permissions by logging in with various test users

Important: The email addresses of the eTASK users must match the Outlook email addresses for correct assignment.

Result: Permissions are configured and users can act according to their role.

Step 9: Perform the first test booking

Everything is now ready for the first room booking via Outlook:

Open Microsoft Outlook on your workstation
Create a new appointment or a new meeting request
Click the eTASK add-in icon in the ribbon (appears for appointments)
The add-in opens on the side and displays available rooms
Filter by desired criteria (location, capacity, amenities)
Select an available room from the list
Optional: Add resources (e.g., projector) and catering
Click "Book"—the room will be added to the Outlook appointment
Save and send the meeting request

Alternative test without the add-in:

Go to the eTASK FM portal
Navigate to MyFM > Order Service
Select "Meeting Room Quick Booking" or "Meeting Room Booking Wizard"
Select the date, time, and duration of the booking
Search for available rooms
Select a room and complete the booking
Check whether the booking appears in the Outlook calendar of the room mailbox

Result: Your first room booking has been successfully completed and synchronized between eTASK and Outlook.

Next steps after setup

After successful setup, you can:

Create additional rooms and resources
Customize configuration parameters for your company
Conduct training for employees on how to use the system
Install and configure InfoDisplays at room entrances
Generate analyses and reports on room utilization
Enable advanced features such as quick booking

Troubleshooting

If problems arise, check the following:

Booking does not appear in Outlook: Check Exchange synchronization and service account permissions
Add-in is not displayed: Check the add-in installation and user permissions in Exchange
Rooms cannot be found: Check the assignment of room mailboxes to meeting rooms
Approval does not work: Check approvers' email addresses and permissions

Further documentation

[LINK: What eTASK Room Booking does]
[LINK: Outlook Room Booking Administration Guide]
[LINK: Enable eTASK.Outlook Room Booking]
[LINK: Install the Outlook add-in for eTASK.Outlook Room Booking]
[LINK: Check the eTASK Exchange system environment]
[LINK: Configuration parameters for eTASK Room Reservation]
[LINK: Room Booking FAQ]

Support

If you have further questions or encounter any issues, please contact:

Your organization’s eTASK Support
The eTASK Hotline
The eTASK Support Center with additional help articles

9-step guide to commissioning room reservations with Exchange