DeskFlex and Robin both streamline hybrid work. However, they have different strengths. While Robin focuses on straightforward booking, DeskFlex leans toward more robust resource management and additional features.
Here’s how they compare.
1. Desk Booking & Workspace Management
DeskFlex: DeskFlex offers a highly robust desk hoteling solution that can support multiple types of bookings (hot desking, fixed desk booking, etc.). While providing users with the option to make recurring bookings, automatically cancel unused bookings, view a map of available workspaces in real-time, and set custom rules based on department, team, or other criteria.
DeskFlex allows managers to fully automate their workflow for approving desk assignments and will work across a user’s mobile application, web browser, or a kiosk at the office.
Robin: Robin offers a much simpler experience for checking into a desk using an application or a QR code with a simple user interface; however, it does not offer as many options for automating workflows or creating custom booking rules.
2. Room Scheduling & Conference Management
DeskFlex: DeskFlex provides an array of room booking tools to help you manage your meeting spaces, including calendar integration with Google and Outlook.
Additionally, it allows for display-mounted room signs, automatic in/out checking, and the attachment of resources (such as equipment or catering) to meetings, as well as resolving meeting conflicts.
Robin: Robin offers standard room reservation and calendar synchronization functionality, but lacks the more advanced features such as auto-enforcement of occupancy and scheduling of shared resources.
3. Contact Tracing & Workplace Safety
DeskFlex: DeskFlex has all the contact tracing elements built into it, allowing you to track user access (logins) at your workstations. It also works with both IoT devices and Bluetooth beacons, enabling you to track team member movement.
Users can use a QR code to check in, and if a team member reports they are ill, you will receive a real-time alert regarding any employees who may have been exposed.
DeskFlex also offers tools to ensure compliance with health regulations, including team member surveys, vaccination status tracking, and customizable safety policies. Additionally, it provides notifications when specific areas reach maximum capacity based on occupancy levels.
Robin: Robin does not have native contact tracing capabilities, nor does it have workflows for exposure or any automation for enforcing safety policies. DeskFlex has a massive advantage by a wide margin.
4. Visitor Management
DeskFlex: DeskFlex offers a robust, enterprise-ready visitor management solution featuring customizable check-in forms and health screening options, among other key features, all of which are critical for hospitals, government agencies, and large organizations.
Robin: Robin provides basic visitor registration and check-in functions; however, it lacks advanced routing, security controls, and enterprise configuration capabilities.
5. IoT Integrations & Occupancy Sensors
DeskFlex: DeskFlex incorporates a range of devices, such as smart occupancy sensors, heat and motion detectors, and Bluetooth beacons, to confirm employees’ actual work locations in real-time.
This integration is done while providing a wide range of detailed information regarding the use of their assigned space.
The results can then assist companies to identify common trends among their employees’ movements within the office, determine how best to allocate available resources, and demonstrate compliance.
Robin: Robin has a minimal array of devices integrated into its platform and therefore relies primarily upon users checking in via an application, which is often inaccurate and easily circumvented.
6. Analytics & Reporting
DeskFlex: DeskFlex offers comprehensive analysis capabilities, including custom reports, real-time dashboard views, and utilization summaries of all types of spaces (e.g., desks, rooms, etc.).
It also includes equipment, cross-organization comparison data, exportable compliance data, and real-time “heat maps” that display the current flow of people and usage trends.
Robin: Robin’s analytical capabilities include some of the same general-use data; however, they provide access to this data only through several pre-defined dashboards that do not allow users to customize the format of the presentation.
7. Integrations & Customization
DeskFlex: DeskFlex has been developed for companies that require high levels of customisation in terms of their booking policies, workflows, automated events, resource usage restrictions, and interdepartmental process workflows.
The company supports a wide variety of detailed API based integrations and can be integrated into all major HR systems, Active Directory, Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, and other security products.
Robin: Robin integrates with many typical office software applications, it provides users with much less ability to configure the product to meet the unique needs of each organisation.
8. Scalability & Industry Coverage
DeskFlex: DeskFlex has a scalable architecture that enables it to support the diverse needs of various industries, including hospital campuses and state government agencies, which rely heavily on the product’s advanced scheduling features.
Robin: Robin is primarily suitable for smaller to medium-sized corporate offices that require only basic desk and meeting space scheduling features, and have limited or no regulatory compliance or health-related issues.
9. Pricing & Value
DeskFlex: DeskFlex has a variety of price models (and scalable) to fit the size of your teams and locations, and bundles many of their products (desk booking, meeting room booking, visitors, contact tracking, and health/safety products).
These packages are affordable and, accordingly, less likely to require you to purchase other software.
Robin: Robin separates their prices for the different types of space (desks, meeting spaces, etc.) and also for advanced features. The result is a higher total price as a company grows.
