Room Booking: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
IC Number: [Assigned by the Support Center] Category: eTASK.SmartReservation - FAQ Last Updated: March 31, 2026
General Questions
What is eTASK.SmartReservation?
eTASK.SmartReservation is the module for the professional management and booking of rooms and resources in eTASK. It enables the centralized planning of meetings and events, as well as the management of bookable resources such as vehicles or equipment.
Further information: [LINK: What does eTASK Room Booking offer?]
What are the requirements for using this feature?
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 feature for added convenience.
See also: [LINK: SmartReservation 9-Step Guide without Exchange]
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.
Questions about booking
How do I book a room?
There are several options:
In the FM Portal:
Open the MyFM > Order Service module
Select "Meeting Room Quick Booking" or "Meeting Room Booking Wizard"
Enter the date, time, and desired criteria
Search for available rooms
Select a room and complete the booking
With Outlook (for Exchange connection):
Create an appointment in Outlook
Open the eTASK add-in
Search for and select a room
Save the appointment
See also: [LINK: SmartReservation 9-Step Guide with Exchange]
How far in advance can I book rooms?
In eTASK, there is generally no time limit on how far in advance you can book a room. When using the Exchange integration, the maximum lead time is determined by Microsoft Exchange.
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 defined in the configuration. For longer periods, you can also use recurring bookings (series bookings).
Note: Series bookings are not supported via Outlook. These must be made in the FM Portal using the Meeting Room Booking Wizard.
What are recurring bookings and how do they work?
Series bookings are recurring bookings following a set pattern (daily, weekly, monthly). When creating a series booking, a separate booking is created internally for each appointment. This allows individual appointments in the series to be edited or canceled independently of one another.
See also: [LINK: Recurring bookings in eTASK.Outlook room booking]
Are holidays taken into account for recurring bookings?
Yes, eTASK can account for state-specific holidays in recurring bookings. Appointments on holidays are then automatically skipped or must be canceled separately, depending on the configuration.
Can I book multiple rooms at the same time?
Booking multiple rooms simultaneously 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.
How can I book resources (projector, flipchart, etc.) at the same time?
Resources are taken into account via search filters during room booking:
In the booking wizard, you can set resource filters using checkboxes (e.g., projector, flipchart)
Only rooms where these resources are available or can be delivered there are displayed
The selected resources are automatically reserved with the room booking
Resource availability is taken into account during the room search
How does the catering order work?
There are two types of catering orders:
Standard Catering: Here, catering is specified by the room (configurable). The order is placed automatically based on the number of participants.
Example: "Coffee" is set as the standard catering option. When booking for 10 participants, a catering order for 10 cups of coffee is automatically triggered.
Custom Catering: The person making the booking can specify the catering quantities themselves:
Catering items are defined for the room
For catering types (e.g., coffee, cake), the type is selected and the quantity is determined by the number of participants
For catering items, the number of items can be freely defined
In both cases, the responsible catering service automatically receives a notification about the order.
Questions about changes and cancellations
How can I change a booking?
In the FM Portal:
Navigate to "Infrastructural Building Management" > "Room Reservation" > "Booking Overview" (Alternatively: Open the appointment via the service list)
Find your booking
Click on "Edit Booking"
Make the changes
Save the booking
In Outlook (with Exchange connection):
Open the appointment in Outlook
Change the details
Save the appointment
The change is automatically synchronized
See also: [LINK: Reschedule a room reservation]
How do I cancel a booking?
In the FM Portal:
Navigate to "Infrastructural Building Management" > "Room Reservation" > "Reservation Overview" (Alternatively: Open the appointment via the service list)
Click on "Cancel booking"
Confirm the cancellation
All parties involved will be notified
In Outlook (with Exchange connection):
Delete the appointment in Outlook
The booking is automatically canceled
The cancellation is synchronized with eTASK
See also: [LINK: Cancel room booking]
What happens if I cancel a recurring booking?
Recurring bookings are created as individual appointments. Each appointment in the series is a separate booking and must be deleted individually. There is no function to delete all appointments in a series at once.
Can I move a booking to a different room?
It is not possible to move a booking directly to another room. You must:
Cancel the existing booking
Create a new booking for the desired room
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
Please contact your eTASK administrator to clarify the permissions.
What does "room requiring approval" mean?
Certain rooms (e.g., large conference rooms, VIP rooms) can be configured to require approval. For these rooms:
A booking is initially created as "Requested"
A designated approver receives a notification
The approver can approve or reject the booking
You receive a notification of the decision
The room is only definitively booked after approval
See also: [LINK: Rooms Requiring Approval (OAI)]
Who can see my bookings?
You can see all of your own bookings
Administrators and room managers can see all bookings
Other users can only see whether a room is occupied, but not necessarily all the details
Exact visibility depends on the permission settings
Can I book on behalf of someone else?
By default, you always book for yourself. Booking on behalf of others depends on permissions and is usually reserved for administrators. Talk to your administrator about specific requirements.
Questions about Outlook integration
How do I install the Outlook add-in?
The Outlook add-in can be installed in several ways:
Centrally by the administrator via the Exchange Admin Center
Via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center (central deployment)
Manually by the user (if permitted)
You can find detailed instructions here: [LINK: Install the Outlook add-in from eTASK.Outlook Room Booking]
The add-in isn’t showing up in Outlook. What can I do?
Check the following points:
Has the add-in been deployed/installed for you?
Are you in an appointment (the add-in only appears in appointments)?
Have you enabled Office add-ins in Outlook in general?
Have you configured the Exchange connection correctly?
Have you restarted Outlook?
If none of this helps, contact your IT support.
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. However, the eTASK add-in offers advanced features such as room search by criteria, resource booking, and catering, which are not available when inviting directly.
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
Bookings made via Outlook appear in eTASK
Changes and cancellations are transferred in both directions
What is the difference between manual and automatic room search?
Manual room search:
First, you enter all criteria (date, time, equipment)
Then the system searches for available rooms
You select from the list of results
Automatic room search:
You see all rooms immediately
Availability is displayed in real time
You can browse rooms on the fly
See also: [LINK: Room search modes in eTASK.Outlook room booking]
Technical Questions
Can I export or print room bookings?
Yes, in the Room Reservation module, you can view lists of bookings and export them using eTASK’s standard export functions (e.g., to Excel). You can also print booking lists.
Are deleted bookings archived?
Cancelled or deleted bookings are generally archived in the system and can be tracked via the booking history. The exact retention period depends on the system configuration.
Can I generate statistics on room utilization?
Yes, eTASK offers analysis options for room utilization. In the module, you can:
Filter and analyze booking histories
View utilization statistics by room
Generate reports on booking frequency
Export data for external analysis
What are InfoDisplays and how do they work?
InfoDisplays are screens at room entrances that display the current status of the room:
Is the room currently available or occupied?
When is the next booking?
Spontaneous booking possible directly on the display
InfoDisplays are an optional extension of eTASK.SmartReservation.
See also: [LINK: Extensions of eTASK.RoomReservation]
Does room booking support mobile devices?
Room booking via the FM portal is available on mobile devices via a browser. The interface adapts responsively to different screen sizes. The Outlook add-in is also available in Outlook Mobile, depending on the Exchange configuration.
Can I invite external participants to a room booking?
Participant management is limited within the eTASK FM portal itself. If you use the Outlook integration, you can invite participants (internal and external) via Outlook as usual. The room booking is then linked to the Outlook appointment.
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. The relevant parameters have the prefix "RE" (for room reservation).
See also: [LINK: Configuration parameters for eTASK Room Reservation]
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 requirement
Available resources
Available catering options
Visibility and bookability
How do I add a new room to a booking?
First, create the room in the master data (Portfolio (BIM) > Property Register > Rooms)
Switch to the Room Reservation module
Create a new meeting room
Link it to the physical room
Configure the equipment and properties
Activate the meeting room
See also: [LINK: SmartReservation 9-Step Guide without Exchange]
How do I set up catering for a room?
First, create catering types in the module
Define the contacts for catering
In the meeting room settings, specify which catering types are available
Make sure the email addresses of the catering contacts are correct
Test the feature with a test booking
Troubleshooting
A room isn't showing up in the search. What can I do?
Check:
Is the meeting room marked as "Active"?
Is the room available for the selected time period?
Does the room meet the search criteria (capacity, amenities)?
Do you have permission to view this room?
Is the room approved for your location/organizational unit?
I am not receiving email notifications. Why?
Possible causes:
Email delivery in eTASK is not configured correctly
Your email address is not entered in your user profile or is incorrect
Notifications are disabled for you
The emails are ending up in the spam folder
Email templates are not configured correctly
Please contact your administrator.
An entry appears "twice" (in eTASK and Outlook). Is this normal?
With Exchange integration, a booking should only appear 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
The approval process isn’t working. What can I do?
Check:
Is the room marked as "Requires Approval"?
Has a room manager been assigned?
Does the room manager have a valid email address?
Does the room manager have approval permissions?
Has the approval request been sent (check email delivery)?
I can't cancel a booking. Why?
Possible reasons:
The booking is in the past (cannot be changed depending on the configuration)
You do not have permission to cancel other people’s bookings
The booking has already been canceled
The booking is part of a series and must be managed through the series
Further information
[LINK: What eTASK Room Booking offers]
[LINK: SmartReservation 9-Step Guide with Exchange]
[LINK: SmartReservation 9-step guide without Exchange]
[LINK: Room Reservation Administration Guide]
[LINK: Administration Help for Outlook Room Booking]
[LINK: Configuration parameters for eTASK Room Reservation]
[LINK: Extensions for eTASK Room Reservation]
Further Help
If your question hasn’t been answered here:
Search the eTASK Support Center for additional articles
Contact your eTASK administrator
Contact the eTASK Hotline or Support
Check the release notes for new features