{"id":7700,"date":"2019-08-06T13:49:52","date_gmt":"2019-08-06T12:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/?p=7700"},"modified":"2019-08-06T15:26:32","modified_gmt":"2019-08-06T14:26:32","slug":"using-microsoft-bookings-to-manage-pc-rollouts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markwilson.co.uk\/blog\/2019\/08\/using-microsoft-bookings-to-manage-pc-rollouts.htm","title":{"rendered":"Using Microsoft Bookings to manage device rollouts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\"Microsoft\n\n\n\n

End-user computing (EUC) refreshes can place significant logistical challenges on an organisation. Whilst technologies like Windows 10 Autopilot will take us to a place where users can self-provision, often there’s more involved and some training is required to help users to adopt the technology (and potentially associated business changes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last few years, I’ve worked on projects that have used a variety of systems to manage the allocation of training\/handover sessions to people but they’ve always been lacking in some way. We’ve tried using a PowerApps app, and a SharePoint calendar extension but then Microsoft made their Bookings app available on Office 365 Enterprise subscriptions (it was previously only available for Business subscriptions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft Bookings<\/a> is designed for small businesses and the example given in the Microsoft documentation is a pet grooming parlour. You could equally apply the app to other scenarios though: a hairdressing salon; bike repairs; or IT Services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can’t see Microsoft Bookings on my tenant!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

That’s because, by default, it’s not there for Enterprise customers. Most of my customers use an E3 or E5 subscription and I was able to successfully test on a trial E3 tenant. My E1 was no good though…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process to add the Business Apps (free) – including Bookings – to an Enterprise tenant will depend on whether it’s Credit Card (PAYG), Enterprise Agreement (EA) or Cloud Solutions Provider (CSP) licenced but it’s fully documented by Microsoft<\/a>. When I enabled it on my test tenant, I received an invoice for \u00a30.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do I configure Microsoft Bookings?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The app is built around a calendar on a website, with a number of services and assigned staff. Each “staff member” needs to have a valid email address but they don’t need to be a real person – all of the email messages could be directed to a single mailbox, which also reduces the number of licences needed to operate the solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took some thinking about how to do this for my End User Device Handover scenario but I set up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n