eTASK Room Booking: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In this article
General Questions
What is eTASK.SmartReservation?
eTASK.SmartReservation is the module for professional management and booking of rooms and resources in eTASK. It enables centralized planning of meetings and events, as well as the management of bookable resources such as vehicles or equipment.
What are the requirements for use?
To use room booking, you need:
An eTASK installation with an activated license for eTASK.SmartReservation
Created master data (locations, buildings, floors, rooms)
Configured meeting rooms in the Room Reservation module
Appropriate user rights for room booking
Optional: Microsoft Exchange for Outlook integration
Can I book rooms without Outlook?
Yes, room booking works entirely through the eTASK FM portal even without Microsoft Outlook or Exchange. Outlook integration is an optional extension for greater convenience and better integration into your existing workflow.
See also: 📄 SmartReservation: 8-Schritte-Anleitung zur Inbetriebnahme IC8311
What is the difference between a room and a meeting room?
A room is a physical space in the master data (space management) that is part of the building structure. A meeting room is a booking configuration in the Room Reservation module that references a physical room and makes it available for booking. Only meeting rooms can be booked.
This distinction allows not all rooms to be automatically bookable and enables specific booking rules and equipment features to be defined for bookable rooms.
Questions about booking
How do I book a room?
There are several options:
In the FM Portal:
Open the "Room Reservation" module
Select "Booking Assistant" or "Quick Booking: Meeting Room"
Enter the date, time, and desired criteria
Search for available rooms
Select a room from the list
Optionally, add resources and catering
Complete the booking
With Outlook (with Exchange connection):
Create an appointment in Outlook
Open the eTASK add-in
Search for available rooms
Select a room
Optionally, add catering and resources
Save the appointment
Detailed instructions: 📄 SmartReservation: 8-Schritte-Anleitung zur Inbetriebnahme IC8311
How far in advance can I book rooms?
The maximum lead time is set in the system configuration and varies by organization. Typical values are 3–6 months. You can find the exact setting by asking your administrator or checking the room reservation parameters in the configuration.
Can I book a room for several consecutive days?
Yes, when booking, you can set the start and end dates independently of each other. The maximum booking duration is set in the configuration. For longer periods or recurring appointments, you can also use recurring bookings.
What are recurring bookings and how do they work?
Recurring bookings are bookings that repeat according to a set pattern (daily, weekly, monthly). When creating a recurring booking, a separate booking is created internally for each date. This allows individual dates in the series to be edited or canceled independently of one another.
Possible recurring patterns:
Daily (every business day, every day)
Weekly (e.g., every Monday)
Monthly (e.g., every first Tuesday of the month)
Annually
Are holidays taken into account for recurring bookings?
Yes, eTASK can account for federal and state-specific holidays in recurring bookings. Appointments on holidays are then automatically skipped. The exact handling of holidays is defined in the system configuration.
Can I book multiple rooms at the same time?
Simultaneous booking of multiple rooms in a single transaction is not supported by default. You must create a separate booking for each room. For larger events, however, you can use the same booking title to indicate that they belong together, or link the bookings internally.
Tip: For larger events involving multiple rooms, a coordinated approach with a central coordinator is recommended.
How can I book resources (projector, flipchart, etc.) at the same time?
When booking a room, you can select additional resources:
First, select your desired room
In the booking dialog, you’ll find the “Resources” or “Equipment” section
Click on "Add Resources"
Select the desired resources from the list
Availability is checked automatically
The resources are reserved with the booking
Note: Some resources are permanently installed in rooms (e.g., projectors) and are automatically included in the booking. Other resources are portable and must be added explicitly.
How does the catering order work?
If catering is available for a room:
Select "Add Catering" during booking or open the catering section
Select the desired catering type (e.g., coffee & cake, lunch)
Specify the number of people
Optional: Specify any special requests or allergies
The responsible catering service will automatically receive a notification
The catering order is linked to the room booking
Note: The available catering options and lead times vary by room.
Questions about changes and cancellations
How can I change a booking?
In the FM Portal:
Navigate to "Room Booking Times"
Find your booking in the list
Open the booking
Click on "Edit"
Make the desired changes (time, catering, resources, etc.)
Save the booking
All participants will automatically receive an email about the change
In Outlook (with Exchange connection):
Open the event in your Outlook calendar
Change the details (time, attendees, etc.)
For room changes: Open the eTASK add-in
Save the event
The change is automatically synchronized with the FM portal
How do I cancel a booking?
In the FM Portal:
Open the booking in "Room Booking Times"
Click on "Cancel" or "Delete"
Optional: Enter a reason for cancellation
Confirm the cancellation
All parties involved will be notified by email
In Outlook (with Exchange connection):
Delete the appointment in Outlook or send a cancellation
The booking is automatically canceled
The cancellation is synchronized with eTASK
All participants receive a cancellation notification
What happens if I cancel a recurring appointment?
When canceling a recurring booking, you are usually asked whether you:
Want to cancel only this appointment (the other appointments remain)
Want to cancel all appointments in the series
Each appointment in a series is a separate booking and can be managed independently. Select the option that best suits your needs.
Can I move a booking to a different room?
In most cases, it is not possible to move a booking directly to a different room. You must:
Cancel the existing booking
Create a new booking for the desired room
Optional: Use the same booking title for traceability
Tip: Check the availability of the new room beforehand to avoid conflicts.
Questions about permissions and approvals
Why can’t I see the Room Reservation module?
Possible causes:
The license for eTASK.SmartReservation is not activated
You do not have permission for the module
The module is not enabled for your user group
The license has expired or is invalid
Contact your eTASK administrator to clarify permissions and licenses.
What does "room requiring approval" mean?
Certain rooms (e.g., large conference rooms, VIP rooms, training rooms) can be configured to require approval. For these rooms:
A booking is initially created as "Requested" or "Pending"
A designated approver (room manager) receives an email notification
The approver can approve or reject the booking
If rejected, a reason can be provided
You will receive a notification regarding the decision
The room is only definitively booked after approval
Advantage: Control over the use of important or sensitive rooms.
Who can see my bookings?
The visibility of bookings depends on the permission settings:
You: Can see all your own bookings
Administrators and room managers: See all bookings
Other users: Typically only see whether a room is occupied (not all details)
Participants: Can see the details of the bookings they’ve been invited to
Exact visibility is defined in the system configuration and user permissions.
Can I book on behalf of someone else?
By default, you always book for yourself as the requester. Booking on behalf of others depends on permissions and is usually reserved for administrators or specifically authorized individuals (e.g., assistants).
Workaround: You can book a room and enter another person as a "user" or participant.
Talk to your administrator about special requirements.
Questions about Outlook integration
How do I install the Outlook add-in?
The Outlook add-in can be installed in several ways:
Central deployment (recommended):
By the administrator via the Exchange Admin Center
Via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (central deployment)
Automatic distribution to all authorized users
Manual installation:
By the user themselves (if permitted)
Via the Add-ins manager in Outlook
Via manifest URL
You can find detailed instructions here: [LINK: 9-Step Guide to Room Booking]
The add-in isn't showing up in Outlook. What can I do?
Check the following points:
Has the add-in been made available to you or installed?
Check under File → Manage Add-Ins
Are you in a meeting?
The add-in only appears for calendar entries/appointments
Are add-ins enabled in general?
Check the Outlook settings
Is the Exchange connection configured correctly?
Contact your administrator
Have you restarted the program?
Close Outlook completely and restart it
If none of this helps, contact your IT support or eTASK administrator.
Can I also invite rooms directly as participants in Outlook?
Yes, if the room mailboxes are set up correctly in Exchange, you can also add rooms directly as a resource to the appointment (without the eTASK add-in).
Disadvantages of direct invitations:
No advanced room search by criteria
No resource booking (projector, flipchart, etc.)
No catering orders
Limited synchronization with eTASK
Recommendation: Use the eTASK add-in for full functionality.
Are bookings synchronized between Outlook and eTASK?
Yes, when the Exchange connection is enabled, bookings are synchronized bidirectionally:
✅ Bookings in the eTASK portal appear in Outlook calendars
✅ Appointments made via Outlook appear in eTASK
✅ Changes are transferred in both directions
✅ Cancellations are synchronized
Note: Synchronization usually takes place within a few minutes, but may vary depending on system load.
What is the difference between manual and automatic room search?
Manual room search:
First, you enter all criteria (date, time, capacity, amenities)
Then the system searches for available rooms
You select from the filtered list of results
Advantage: Focused search for only those rooms that meet all criteria
Automatic room search:
You see all rooms immediately in an overview
Availability is displayed in real time
You can browse rooms spontaneously
Advantage: Exploratory approach, all options visible
Both modes have their merits depending on the use case.
Technical Questions
Can I export or print room bookings?
Yes, in the Room Reservation module you can view and export lists of bookings:
Navigate to "Room Booking Times"
Filter the bookings by desired criteria
Use eTASK’s standard export functions:
Export to Excel
Export to PDF
Print function
Select the desired columns and format
Are deleted entries archived?
Cancelled or deleted entries are generally archived in the system and can be tracked via the transaction history. They remain in the database but are marked as "Cancelled."
The exact retention period and archiving rules depend on the system configuration. Talk to your administrator about specific data archiving requirements.
Can I generate statistics on room utilization?
Yes, eTASK offers various reporting options:
Booking histories: Filter and analyze based on various criteria
Utilization statistics: Percentage utilization per room over time periods
Usage reports: Which rooms are booked most frequently?
Cost analyses: Room costs and catering costs
Export: Data for external analysis (Excel, BI tools)
You can also use the eTASK reporting system for predefined and custom reports.
What are InfoDisplays and how do they work?
InfoDisplays are screens or tablets at room entrances that display the room’s current status in real time:
✅ Is the room currently available or occupied?
✅ When is the next booking?
✅ Who booked the room? (with privacy options)
✅ How long is the room still available?
✅ Spontaneous booking possible directly on the display
✅ Integration with digital door signage
InfoDisplays are an optional extension of eTASK.SmartReservation and require additional hardware (tablets/displays).
Does room booking support mobile devices?
Yes, room booking is available on mobile devices:
Browser access: The FM portal is responsive and adapts to mobile screens
Outlook Mobile: The eTASK add-in is also available in Outlook Mobile (with Exchange integration)
MyETASK app: Optional mobile app available for iOS and Android
Usability on mobile devices is optimized, but for complex bookings involving many resources, we recommend using the desktop version.
Can I invite external participants to a room booking?
In the eTASK FM portal itself, participant management is limited to internal users (in the personnel master).
If you use the Outlook integration:
You can invite participants (internal and external) via Outlook as usual
The room booking is linked to the Outlook appointment
External participants receive the Outlook invitation with room information
The participant list is documented in eTASK
Questions about configuration
How do I change the booking rules (lead times, maximum duration)?
These parameters are defined in the system configuration and can only be changed by administrators:
Navigate to System Configuration
Search for parameters with the prefix "RE" (Room Reservation)
Relevant parameters:
Maximum lead time
Minimum lead time
Maximum booking duration
Minimum booking duration
Working hours
Weekend rules
Important: Changes to these parameters require administrator rights and should be carefully considered.
Can I have different booking rules for different rooms?
Most booking rules apply globally to all rooms. However, some settings can be configured individually for each meeting room:
Approval Required: Yes/No per room
Available resources: Room-specific
Available catering options: Room-specific
Visibility: Which user groups can see the room
Bookability: Which user groups are allowed to book
Setup and teardown times: Room-specific times for setup and teardown
Costs: Individual hourly rates per room
How do I add a new room to a booking?
Follow these step-by-step instructions:
Create a physical room:
Master Data → Space Management → Rooms
Assign the room to a building and a floor
Configure a meeting room:
Room Reservation Module → Meeting Rooms
Create a new record
Link it to the physical room
Configure amenities:
Capacity, amenities, seating arrangements
Optional - Exchange connection:
Create a room mailbox in Exchange
Establish connection in the meeting room
Activate:
Mark room as "Active" and "Bookable"
Detailed instructions: 📄 SmartReservation: 8-Schritte-Anleitung zur Inbetriebnahme IC8311
How do I set up catering for a room?
Create catering types:
Room Reservation module → Catering types
Create types (Coffee & Cake, Lunch, etc.)
Define contact persons:
Assign responsible contacts for each catering type
Enter email addresses for automatic notifications
Enable catering for the room:
Open the meeting room
Enable "Catering available"
Assign the available catering types
Configure lead times:
Define how far in advance catering must be ordered
Test:
Perform a test booking with catering
Check whether the notification is received
Troubleshooting
A room isn't showing up in the search. What can I do?
Check the following:
Is the meeting room active?
Open the room in "Meeting Rooms"
Check whether it is marked as "Active" and "Bookable"
Is the room available?
Check the booking calendar
The room may already be booked for the selected time period
Does the room meet the search criteria?
Is there sufficient capacity?
Is the desired equipment available?
Is the location/building correct?
Do you have permission?
The room may not be visible to your user group
Contact your administrator
Is the room approved for your organizational unit?
Check for room-specific restrictions
I am not receiving email notifications. Why?
Possible causes and solutions:
Email delivery not configured:
Administrator must check SMTP settings
Email address not saved:
Check your user profile
Make sure a valid email address is entered
Notifications disabled:
Check your notification settings
Email templates may be disabled
Spam filter:
Check your spam/junk folder
Add the eTASK sender to your whitelist
Email templates are faulty:
Administrator must check templates
An entry appears "twice" (in eTASK and Outlook). Is this normal?
No, with proper Exchange integration, a booking should only exist once and be synchronized between eTASK and Outlook.
If duplicates occur:
Check the Exchange synchronization settings
Avoid making manual bookings directly via the Exchange room mailbox
Consistently use either:
The FM Portal OR
The Outlook add-in
Delete duplicates manually
Contact your administrator for troubleshooting
Cause: Usually a faulty synchronization configuration or parallel manual entries.
The approval process isn’t working. What can I do?
Check the following points:
Is the room marked as requiring approval?
Open the meeting room
Check "Approval Required"
Is an approver assigned?
At least one person must be listed as an approver
Does the approver have a valid email address?
Check the approver's user profile
Does the approver have the necessary permissions?
Approvers require special permissions
Was the approval request sent?
Check the email delivery logs
Test the SMTP delivery
Is the email template correct?
The administrator must check the template for the approval request
I can't cancel a booking. Why?
Possible reasons:
The booking is in the past:
Depending on the configuration, past bookings can no longer be modified
No permission:
You can only cancel your own bookings (unless you are an administrator)
The booking has already been canceled:
Check the status of the booking
Part of a series:
Recurring bookings may need to be managed via the series
Booking is locked:
The approval process is still in progress, or the booking is locked for other reasons
Solution: Contact your administrator if you need to cancel the booking.
Exchange synchronization is not working. What can I do?
Run IdentifyChecker:
Control Panel → Portal Maintenance → eTASK.IdentifyChecker
Check the error messages
Test the Exchange connection:
Open the meeting room
Click "Test Exchange Connection"
Check credentials:
Is the machine user correct?
Is the password up to date?
For Office 365: Is the client ID correct?
Network/Firewall:
Can the Exchange server be reached from the eTASK server?
Are the required ports open?
Check permissions:
Does the machine user have "Send As" permissions?
Are the EWS permissions correct?
If nothing helps: Contact eTASK Support with the error messages from the IdentifyChecker.
Further information
More help
If your question wasn’t answered here:
Search the eTASK Support Center for additional articles
Contact your eTASK administrator
Contact the eTASK Hotline: +49 (2203) 92538-38
Email: support@etask.de
Check the release notes for new features
Note: This FAQ is continuously updated. For the latest version, please consult the eTASK Support Center.