Microsoft Places is poised to transform workplace management by enhancing flexibility, collaboration, and space utilization. However, preparing for its full rollout requires thoughtful planning. Missing maps or manual errors can create significant roadblocks—this guide ensures you’re ready when the time comes.
Here, we’ll provide a step-by-step approach to help you set your workplace up for success. Based on current information and best practices, you’ll find actionable tips, common pitfalls to avoid, and key advice to navigate the implementation process effectively. Follow this guide to hit the ground running when Microsoft Places becomes widely available.
TL;DR: Common Pitfalls and Pro Tips to Avoid Them
Pitfall |
Pro Tip |
Unclear Objectives and Misalignment |
Define clear goals (ex: hybrid work, navigation) and align stakeholders across IT, facilities, and management early. |
Outdated or Incomplete Spatial Data |
Verify current floor plans and resolve discrepancies before starting. Leverage expert tools like MapsIndoors for compliant IMDF files. |
Errors in User Roles and Organizational Data |
Audit employee lists and org charts to ensure user roles are accurate, enabling key features like colleague-specific hybrid planning. |
Incomplete Testing Before Launch |
Simulate real-world scenarios (ex: booking a room, navigating floors) and test across devices and user roles for consistency. |
Neglecting Map Maintenance |
Establish a process for regular updates or use automated tools (like MapsIndoors Map Update Automation) to keep maps current. |
1. Preparation and Planning
Start by identifying your organization’s needs and objectives. Here are a few examples:
- Hybrid work enablement: Include desk booking and real-time availability to support employees alternating between home and office.
- Navigation for complex campuses: Ensure wayfinding supports employees and visitors across multi-floor layouts.
- Collaboration spaces: Highlight shared areas, such as meeting rooms and lounges, with integrated booking capabilities.
These needs will determine the level of complexity required. A single office might get away with a simpler setup, while a multi-campus organization benefits from advanced tools like automated updates and dynamic resource management.
❓ Key Questions:
- What specific workplace challenges are we solving with Microsoft Places?
- Do we need advanced features, such as automated map updates, or will basic functionality suffice?
- How will Microsoft Places align with existing tools like room booking systems or hybrid scheduling software?
⭐ Pro Tip: Involve stakeholders from IT, facilities, and management early to ensure the system meets the needs of all departments.
❌ Roadblock: Failing to define clear objectives can result in misaligned priorities and underutilization of features.
Checklist for Success:
✅ Define the top challenges Microsoft Places should address.
✅ Identify core features like navigation or desk booking.
✅ Ensure your Microsoft 365 subscription includes Microsoft Places. Some advanced features may require additional licensing.
2. Configuring buildings and floors
Data collection
Gather accurate and up-to-date floor plans. Here’s how to approach it:
- Locate existing floor plans: Contact your facilities team for CAD files, PDFs, or even physical blueprints.
- Verify data accuracy: Ensure plans reflect current layouts, including renovations or desk reconfigurations.
❗ What if plans are missing? If no floor plans exist, you will need to collaborate with an external vendor to create CAD or PDF files.
Hand it off to the experts
Converting your floor plan drawings into Indoor Mapping Data Format (IMDF) is a critical step for Microsoft Places integration. Microsoft even recommends partnering with a third-party expert for this process, as IMDF creation requires technical precision. Errors in formatting or georeferencing can render maps inaccurate, disrupt navigation and undermine key platform features. MapsIndoors takes this complexity off your hands, delivering IMDF files tailored to Microsoft Places’ specifications.
Defining hierarchy
For Microsoft Places to deliver efficient navigation, buildings must be organized into a clear, logical structure. Precision is critical for IMDF, and this is where MapsIndoors comes in. Using CAD files or floor plan drawings as a foundation, MapsIndoors structures and organizes this data into IMDF files that align with Microsoft Places’ specifications. This hierarchy includes:
- Building: Define the outline of each building.
- Floor: Separate each floor into its own level (e.g., ground floor, first floor).
- Unit: Identify specific meeting rooms, workstations, restrooms, or shared areas.
❓ Key Questions:
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Where are our floor plans stored, and are they up-to-date?
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Who in our organization is responsible for maintaining accurate spatial data?
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What naming conventions can we establish now to ensure consistency across buildings and floors?
⭐ Pro Tip: Use consistent naming conventions, like "HQ-F1-ConferenceRoomA," to simplify integration with booking tools. Structured names— for example: building (HQ), floor (F1), and room (ConferenceRoomA)—prevent user confusion, duplicate entries, and system integration errors caused by imprecise, inconsistent labels like "ConfRm1" or "Meeting Room 1."
❌ Roadblock: Outdated or incomplete floor plans lead to errors during IMDF creation, causing delays and revisions. Ensure CAD files are accurate, up-to-date, and reflect all current spaces to streamline the process.
Checklist for success:
✅ Ensure floor plans are current and accurate.
✅ Organize spaces using clear naming conventions.
✅ Resolve discrepancies before moving to the next step.
3. Creating and Importing IMDF Files
To enable Microsoft Places, you’ll need to convert your workplace layouts into IMDF files (Indoor Mapping Data Format). IMDF is a standardized format that represents indoor spaces digitally and powers features like navigation and room booking.
Understanding IMDF
Microsoft Places requires a specific subset of IMDF files—footprint, building, level, and unit—to display and navigate your workplace maps effectively.
The Challenge of IMDF Creation
Generating IMDF files is a technically complex process that includes:
- Formatting: Ensuring data aligns with Microsoft Places’ precise standards.
- Georeferencing: Aligning building layouts with real-world coordinates.
- Structuring: Defining data layers like rooms, pathways, and facilities.
DEEP DIVE: Read more about the challenges of creating IMDF files and why many teams find this step a bottleneck in our blog post A Practical Guide for Maps in Microsoft Places (and Why IMDF is Key).
How MapsIndoors can help: By outsourcing IMDF file creation to MapsIndoors, you reduce the risk of errors and delays. Our tailored IMDF packages are formatted to Microsoft’s specifications and provide a strong foundation for your workplace maps.
Want perfectly compliant IMDF files?
Import IMDF Files
Once IMDF files are ready, use the New-Map PowerShell cmdlet to upload them into Microsoft Places. Details on the configuration process can be found on Microsoft Places’ configuration page.
❓ Key Questions:
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Do we have the technical expertise to create IMDF files internally, or do we need external support?
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Are we prepared to troubleshoot potential import errors, such as misaligned IMDF files or incomplete data?
⭐ Pro Tip: Microsoft recommends partnering with external experts for IMDF creation due to its complexity.
❌ Roadblock: Errors in georeferencing or formatting can lead to import failures, delay deployment, and disrupt key features.
Checklist for success:
✅ Verify all IMDF files meet Microsoft’s requirements.
✅ Confirm the folder structure (one zip file, no subfolders) is correct before importing.
✅ Test the import process with a sample file to catch errors early.
4. Verifying and Testing
Map verification: After importing, verify that:
- Meeting rooms, desks, and facilities are labeled correctly.
- The layout reflects real-world dimensions, ensuring consistency.
Functionality testing: Simulate real-world scenarios to validate features:
- Room booking: Check that availability updates correctly.
- Navigation: Test paths from entry points to destinations, ensuring multi-floor routing works.
- Occupancy analytics: Confirm desk usage metrics are accurate.
❓ Key Questions:
- What real-world scenarios should we simulate to test the functionality of our maps?
- How can we ensure the system works seamlessly across all devices and user roles?
- What benchmarks will we use to determine whether the implementation meets our organization’s needs?
⭐ Pro Tip: Test on multiple devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) and for different user roles (employees, administrators).
❌ Roadblock: Overlooking edge cases during testing, like accessible navigation or peak usage scenarios, can result in user frustration.
Checklist for success:
✅ Verify maps reflect physical spaces accurately.
✅ Test all core features in real-world scenarios.
✅ Gather feedback from a cross-functional test group.
5. Training and Launch
Proper training ensures employees and administrators can use Microsoft Places effectively, addressing the challenges and goals identified during the planning phase. Tailor your training to focus on your previously identified specific needs of your organization, keeping in mind diverse roles and technical familiarity. For example:
Hybrid work enablement
- Employees: Train on checking real-time availability, booking workspaces, and managing reservations. Create step-by-step demos for less tech-savvy users.
- Administrators: Focus on configuring desk booking systems to align with hybrid policies (ex: assigned vs. hot desks), managing availability windows, and analyzing booking trends to balance office capacity and employee demand.
Navigation for complex campuses
- Employees and visitors: Provide clear guidance on using wayfinding tools to locate rooms, restrooms, and shared spaces, especially for first-time users.
- Administrators: Focus on updating navigation routes, managing multi-floor maps, and maintaining map accuracy across locations.
Collaboration spaces
- Employees: Demonstrate locating and booking shared spaces like meeting rooms or collaboration zones, with a focus on calendar integration and availability tracking.
- Administrators: Train on prioritization rules (recurring meetings vs. ad hoc), and how to monitor usage data by identifying underutilized or overbooked spaces.
❓ Key Questions:
- How will employees access and use Microsoft Places for their daily needs (ex: navigation, desk booking)?
- What steps will administrators take to ensure maps and wayfinding tools remain accurate and effective?
- How should we tailor training for employees in different locations or with varying technical familiarity?
⭐ Pro Tip: Know your audience. Tech-savvy employees may benefit from interactive demos and self-guided tools, while others may prefer hands-on walkthroughs or printed cheat sheets.
❌ Roadblock: Failing to provide role-specific training can result in low adoption rates.
Checklist for success:
✅ Develop role-specific training resources.
✅ Conduct hands-on demonstrations for core features.
✅ Provide ongoing support through FAQs and reference materials.
6. Ongoing maintenance
Keeping maps accurate and functional requires regular updates:
- Scheduled reviews: Conduct quarterly checks to verify that maps reflect current layouts.
- Regular updates: Capture changes like desk moves, room splits, or departmental shifts.
❓ Key Questions:
- How often should we review and update our maps to keep pace with office changes?
- Who will oversee regular updates, and what tools or processes will they need?
- How will we collect and incorporate user feedback to improve the mapping experience over time?
⭐ Pro Tip: Implement an automated update process to minimize manual work and reduce errors.
❌ Roadblock: Neglecting updates can lead to user confusion and diminished trust in the system.
Checklist for success:
✅ Schedule periodic map reviews.
✅ Assign responsibility for map updates.
✅ Use automation tools to simplify the process.
Successfully implementing Microsoft Places will require the right strategy and tools. By addressing common challenges and leveraging solutions like MapsIndoors, you can create a scalable, efficient mapping system synchronized with MS Places.
Want to be set up for success with Microsoft Places? Schedule a quick demo today to see how easy MapsIndoors makes IMDF integration for Microsoft Places.
January 17, 2025