SmartReservation: 8-Step Guide to Setup

Category: eTASK.SmartReservation - Setup Last updated: March 31, 2026

Purpose of this guide

This guide walks you through 9 steps, from your first login to the eTASK FM Portal to successfully completing your first room booking—without a Microsoft Exchange connection. By the end, you and your employees will be able to conveniently book and manage rooms via the FM Portal.

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 administrator rights in the eTASK FM portal

• Email delivery via eTASK is configured (for notifications)

Note: These instructions are for environments without Microsoft Exchange Server.

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

1. Open your web browser and navigate to the URL of your eTASK installation

2. Log in with your credentials

3. Go to the "Room Reservation" module via the main menu

4. Check whether the module loads and no error message is displayed

5. If the module is not available, check the license activation in the system configuration under the license parameters

6. Familiarize yourself with the module structure (meeting rooms, booking wizard, room booking times)

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

Step 2: Create master data for the building structure

For room booking, the physical structures must first be created in eTASK:

1. Navigate to "Portfolio (BIM)" > "Property Cadastre" > "Locations"

2. Create all relevant locations (e.g., "Headquarters Munich," "Branch Office Hamburg")

3. Enter the full address and contact details for each location

4. Create a building and assign it to the previously created location

5. Under "Floors," create all floors of the building

6. Navigate to "Rooms" and enter all bookable rooms

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

Result: The basic structure of your properties is mapped in eTASK and rooms are entered.

Step 3: Configure meeting rooms for booking

Now the created rooms are activated and configured for booking:

1. Switch to the "Room Reservation" module

2. Navigate to "Meeting Rooms"

3. Create a new meeting room

4. Link the meeting room to the corresponding physical room from the master data

5. Enter the bookable capacity (may differ from the physical capacity)

6. Specify the room’s resources (e.g., projector, whiteboard, video conferencing, flipchart)

7. Specify whether the room requires approval

8. If approval is required: Assign the room managers (eTASK users with email addresses)

9. Optionally, upload images of the room for better visualization

10. Check the box next to "Room bookable" so that it appears in the booking view

Result: Your meeting rooms are now available for booking and fully configured.

Step 4: Configure users and permissions

Define which users are allowed to book, manage, and approve rooms:

1. Navigate to "Control Panel" > "Portal Options" > "Permissions Management" > "Groups and Permissions"

2. Ensure that all relevant employees are set up as eTASK users

3. Verify that each user has provided a valid email address

4. Create user groups for different roles:

   • "Room Booking - Booker" (can book rooms)

   • "Room Booking - Administrator" (can view and edit all bookings)

5. Assign users to the respective groups.

6. Room managers (Approvers) are defined for each meeting room

7. Test the permissions by logging in with different test users

Important: Users without the appropriate permissions cannot use the Room Reservation module.

Result: The permission structure is set up, and users can act according to their roles.

Step 5: Define booking parameters and rules

Customize room booking to meet your company’s requirements:

1. Navigate to System Configuration

2. Search for parameters with the prefix "RE" (Room Reservation)

3. Configure the following important parameters:

   • Maximum booking duration: How long can a room be booked at a time?

   • Short-term booking: How close to the start time can bookings be made?

   • Business hours: During what time period can rooms be booked regularly?

   • Automatic cancellation: Should unconfirmed bookings be automatically canceled?

4. Save the configuration

5. Document the established rules for communicating with employees

Tip: Start with moderate settings and adjust them based on operational experience.

Result: Room booking operates according to your company’s rules and guidelines.

Step 6: Set up notifications and email templates

Configure automatic notifications for booking transactions:

1. Check in the system configuration to ensure that email delivery is set up correctly

2. Test email delivery with a test email

3. Navigate to the configuration of email templates for room bookings

4. Customize the templates for the following scenarios:

   • Booking confirmation to the booker

   • Notification for approval requests

   • Approval of a booking

   • Rejection of a booking

   • Cancellation of a booking

   • Reminder of upcoming booking

   • Catering order to catering service

5. Use placeholders for dynamic content (room name, date, time, booker)

6. Define which user groups receive which notifications

7. Enable automatic notifications

8. Perform a test by creating a test booking

Important: Without a functioning email delivery system, users will not receive notifications about bookings.

Result: Automatic email notifications inform all parties involved about booking processes.

Step 7: Make your first test booking via the FM portal

Everything is now ready for the first room booking:

Booking via the booking wizard:

1. Log in to the FM portal

2. Navigate to MyFM > Order Service

3. Select "Meeting Room Quick Booking" or "Meeting Room Booking Assistant"

4. Select the desired date for the booking

5. Enter the start and end times for the booking

6. Optional: Specify the number of people required

7. Optional: Filter by location, building, or resources

8. Click "Search for Available Rooms"

9. The system displays all available rooms that meet the criteria

10. Select a suitable room from the list

11. Enter a booking title/subject (e.g., "Marketing Team Meeting")

12. Optionally, add a description or agenda

13. Optionally, select resources (e.g., projector)

14. Optionally, add catering and specify the number of people

15. If the room requires approval, add a reason

16. Click "Create Booking" or "Send Booking Request"

17. You will receive a confirmation and an email notification

Result: Your first room booking has been successfully completed and is recorded in the system.

Step 8: Train users and provide documentation

Prepare your employees to use the room booking system:

1. Create a brief guide to room booking for end users (1–2 pages)

2. Document the most important features:

   • Where can I find the room booking feature?

   • How do I book a room?

   • How do I cancel a booking?

   • How do I book resources and catering?

   • Who should I contact if I have problems?

3. Conduct a training session or webinar for first-time users

4. Designate key users or power users in various departments as points of contact

5. Collect feedback during the first few weeks and optimize the configuration and documentation

6. Gradually increase the number of bookable rooms based on usage

7. Communicate the booking rules (lead times, maximum duration, etc.) to all employees

8. Set up a support channel (email, phone) for inquiries

9. Schedule regular reviews to optimize the process

Tip: Start with a pilot group and expand usage after a successful test phase.

Result: Your employees are trained and can use the room booking system independently.

Next steps after implementation

After successful setup, you can:

• Create additional rooms, locations, and resources

• Generate and analyze reports on room utilization

• Install InfoDisplays at room entrances (room signage with real-time status)

• Activate the quick booking feature for frequently used rooms

• Enable mobile use via a responsive browser interface

• Configure interfaces to other systems

• Perform regular maintenance and optimization of the configuration

Comparison to the Exchange version

This guide describes room booking without Microsoft Exchange. Differences from the Exchange version:

Without Exchange:

• Bookings are made exclusively via the eTASK FM portal

• No integration with Microsoft Outlook

• No automatic calendar synchronization

• Simpler technical setup

• Less administrative effort

• Independent of Microsoft infrastructure

With Exchange:

• Booking directly from Microsoft Outlook

• Automatic synchronization with Outlook calendars

• Outlook add-in for convenient operation

• Two-way booking information

• More complex setup

• Requires Exchange Server

The decision depends on your IT infrastructure and your organization’s requirements.

Troubleshooting

If problems occur, check the following:

• Module not visible: Check license activation and user permissions

• Rooms cannot be booked: Check that the meeting room status is set to "Active"

• No notifications: Check email delivery configuration and users' email addresses

• Approval not working: Check the approver’s email address and permissions

• Resources not available: Check resource activation and links to rooms

Further documentation

• [LINK: What eTASK Room Booking Offers]

• [LINK: Room Reservation Administration Guide]

• [LINK: Configuration parameters for eTASK Room Reservation]

• [LINK: Extensions for eTASK Room Reservation]

• [LINK: Room Booking FAQ]

• [LINK: Cancel room booking]

• [LINK: Reschedule a Room Booking]

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