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Ealing Council Returns to Office with Crimson Desk Booking App

Ealing Council Building

Industry

Local & Regional Government

Challenge

Following the Covid-19 lockdowns, Ealing Council faced the urgent need to manage workspace occupancy and ensure staff safety as they planned a return to office-based operations. The council needed to track which employees were in the office, their seating locations, and to enable social distancing in compliance with health and safety regulations. Existing manual processes were inefficient, lacked visibility, and could not support enhanced cleaning regimes or track-and-trace requirements, creating a barrier to a safe, scalable return to the workplace.

Results

By partnering with Crimson, Ealing Council co-developed and rolled out the Crimson Desk Booking App within two weeks. The solution provided secure, user-friendly workspace reservation capabilities, integrated with Office 365, and full support for multiple offices. The app empowered staff to book desks safely, enabled cleaning teams to target areas for sanitation, and ensured compliance with evolving health protocols. This rapid deployment helped facilitate a smooth, safe return to the office for Ealing Council’s workforce and supported ongoing workplace management.

Key Product

Microsoft Power Platform

www.ealing.gov.uk

Crimson quickly completed the desk booking app, providing everything they offered and more. The no-code configuration makes the most out of the current technology we’ve got, keeping line with our IT strategy.

Nigel Prior

Operations Manager, ICT @ Ealing Council

Ealing Town Hall

About

Ealing Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Ealing, serving over 342,000 residents and providing a wide range of public services.

The Challenge

As Covid-19 restrictions eased, Ealing Council needed a reliable, scalable way to coordinate the return of its workforce to office environments serving over 342,000 residents. Managing which staff were present, their seating, and supporting social distancing was critical to meeting government health and safety standards. Manual tracking methods were slow, error-prone, and could not deliver the necessary visibility or compliance for track-and-trace and enhanced cleaning requirements. The council required a robust solution to manage workspace allocation and ensure staff wellbeing.

The Solution

Ealing Council evaluated digital solutions capable of managing desk bookings, supporting compliance, and integrating seamlessly with existing Microsoft systems. The Crimson Desk Booking App, built on Microsoft Power Apps, was chosen for its rapid deployment capability, no-code configuration, and alignment with the council's IT strategy. As Operations Manager Nigel Prior reflected, "Crimson quickly completed the desk booking app, providing everything they offered and more. The no-code configuration makes the most out of the current technology we’ve got, keeping in line with our IT strategy." The council collaborated closely with Crimson, enabling a tailored deployment across multiple offices within two weeks. Staff accessed the app securely via Office 365, reserving desks in advance and enabling cleaning and facilities teams to operate more efficiently.

The Results

The Crimson Desk Booking App delivered immediate benefits to Ealing Council. With rapid configuration and deployment, the council enabled a safe, controlled return to office environments, supporting multiple office locations and hundreds of staff. The app empowered cleaning teams to target sanitation efforts, improved compliance with health and safety protocols, and provided ongoing flexibility for workspace management. Key metrics include support for over 342,000 residents, deployment across multiple offices, and a launch completed within just two weeks. The project’s success is further underlined by strong feedback from stakeholders and seamless integration with Ealing’s IT infrastructure.

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