WALDO

Applicable plans:

The free version	The complete version	On-demand version

If you're looking for information about the lead time and workload to implement Waldo, you should refer to this documentation: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000109204-lead-time-and-workload

Part 1 - Be ready for the administrator training

Step 0 - Validating “Data and security”.

Before even testing Waldo, it is essential to ensure that Waldo complies with your security and data management policy. We do not store your last name, first name, or email address. Instead, data is encrypted “At Rest” and “In Transit” and is anonymized.

Quite often, our documentation alone will be enough to reassure your organization. We can also set up a “data and security” point if needed.

Here, you can find additional information regarding Waldo’s architecture and data management.  

Step 1 – Authorizing the Waldo app in your Microsoft 365 tenant.

Refer to this article to consent the Waldo app in your Microsoft 365 tenant: Need admin approval - Grant Admin Consent

Step 2 – Identify who will use the free or the complete version of Waldo.

To know more about the differences between the free and the complete version, you can refer to this documentation: Differences between the free version and the complete version

Step 3 - Order your licenses and assign them.

If you plan to test the complete version, it's now time to order your licenses. Refer to this forum for more details: How to subscribe to the complete version (with 30 days free trial).

The free version doesn't require any license.

Here's how to assign the licenses: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000098316-how-to-assign-licenses

Step 4 - Identify who will attend the Waldo administrator training.

During this step, identify who will attend the administrator training(s). We recommend you to invite:

• Office owners of the first group.
• IT people in charge of the Waldo set-up

Step 5 - Schedule the administrator training for the first group.

If there are more than 4 people to train, it is advisable to divide the administrator training between individuals with technical expertise and those who are not tech-savvy.

Usually, an administrator training last 60 minutes for IT People and 90 minutes for non-IT people.

You can also use our video learning center: https://learn.hellowaldo.app

Part 2 - What you will learn during the administrator training

(and some tips and advices)

Based on what you learned during the administrator training, you can now start setting up Waldo.

Still, if you'd like to configure Waldo right now or if you'd like to understand the logic behind Waldo, you can keep reading.

Step 6 - Identify the offices, the areas.

During this step, identify the offices and the areas you'd like to set up in Waldo.

You can find more information here: Set the number of desks and assign areas to users

An office is split into areas. An area is a geographical zone within your office. An area is always associated with an office. Users can see the occupancy of areas to which they've been assigned. Users cannot see the occupancy of an area they have not been assigned to. Areas contain desks.

You can choose to create a large number of small areas or a small number of large areas.

If you choose to create a small number of areas (with a lot of desks in each area), Waldo will have a large number of combinations to find the ideal desk. You're very flexible.

If you choose to create a large number of areas (with a few desks in each area), Waldo will not have many opportunities to find the ideal desk for a user. You're less flexible.

Usually, customers create areas as teams or departments: the IT area, the marketing area, the HR area, etc.

But if you want to be totally flexible, you can define agnotic areas: the blue zone, the green zone, etc.

Or if you want to be flexible and clear, you can also define geographical areas: the first floor, the south area, etc.

There's no good or bad choice. That really depends on your flexible approach.

If you don't know how to start, we recommend to create areas as teams or departements: the IT area, the marketing area, the HR area, etc.

No worries. If you can’t identify all the offices and areas now, that’s ok. Just try.

Step 7 - Create the desks and the desk tags.

Simply follow this guide to create the desks and the desk tags: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/support/solutions/articles/8000098007

A tag is a desk or parking spot characteristic. It could be "double screen" to specify a desk that is equipped with a double screen, or "EV" to specify a parking spot that is equipped with an EV charging station. 

If all your desks are identical, we recommend not to create desk tags. Keep it simple :).

Feel free to create desk tags such as "nearby a window" or "silent desk" or "beautiful view". 

Step 8 - Identify who can go where .

You can allow users to work everywhere or just in one or two areas. Again, that depends on your flex work approach.

If you want to offer a lot of flexibility, then you should allow users to work anywhere.

If you want to limit the flexibility, then you should reduce the number of areas assigned to users.

If you don't know how to start, we recommend to assign all areas to all users.

Here's how to assign areas to users: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/support/solutions/articles/8000093921-set-the-number-of-desks-and-assign-areas-to-users

Step 9 - Are there users with a disability?

Are there users with a disability?

We recommend to assign a high priority to users with a disability AND to assign them a fixed desk. You can also assign them a "must-have" equipment instead of a fixed desk. 

Very high priority users are usually given a priority of 1000.

Here's how to assign priorities to users: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/support/solutions/articles/8000098007-set-tags-priorities-and-favorite-desks

Step 10 - Are there users who should always get the same desk, and no one else can reserve this desk? (fixed desks users)

Who is supposed to have a dedicated fixed desk? (still, using Waldo is important to know when/where this user is at the office).

You can use the can only be reserved by feature for these users.
https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000097331--can-only-be-reserved-by-or-how-waldo-manages-non-flex-users

Step 11 - Are there users who should get the same desk when they go to the office, but their desk can be reserved by someone else when they're not at the office?

For users who should always get the same desk when they are at the office, but they're ok to share "their" desk to someone else when they're not at the office, you should:

1. Assign them a favorite desk.
2. Assign a high priority to the area where the favorite desk is located.
   
   

Thanks to their high priority, Waldo will always compute their reservation requests before others. They will always get their favorite desk when they go to the office. Still, when they are not at the office, their desk can be reserved by someone else.

before playing with priorities and favorite desks, you shoud read this interesting article about "safe reservation": https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000097844-how-waldo-prevents-safe-reservation

High priority users are usually given a priority of 700.

Step 12 - Identify the preferred areas

If you've decided to create areas per teams or departments (the IT area, the HR area, etc.), it might be a good idea to give the IT users a higher priority when they decide to go to the IT area (same with the HR users, when they go to the HR area, etc.).

Preferred users are usually given a priority of 500 to their preferred area (and only to this area).

Step 13 - Are there users who must have a specific equipment?

A "must-have" equipment is an equipment you must have to work. If you don't have this equipment, you cannot work at all.  If Waldo can't find a desk with this equipment (because it's already reserved for example), Waldo will say "I'm sorry, there's no desk for you today")

Are there some users who must always get a specific equipment? (such as a high resolution screen when you are designer)

If yes, assign these users a high priority AND a must-have tag. Waldo will compute their request firsts and they will always get a desk with their "must-have" equipment.

https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000098007-set-tags-priorities-and-favorite-desks

"Must-haves" users are usually given a priority of 900.

Be careful: if Waldo can't find a desk with this "must-have", Waldo will consider there's no desk available for this user.

If this equipment is not really a "must-have", you should use the "nices-to-have" tags (see below).

We recommend not to use "must-haves" when you start with Waldo. Keep this for later.

To summarize:

Note: you can use negative numbers if needed.

Step 14 - Tell users to set their favorite desks and nice-to-haves

You can assign favorite desks and nice-to-haves to users.

Still, we recommend to let users specify their favorite desk(s) and their nice-to-haves. That makes everything easier for the Waldo administrator, and that gives more control and flexibility to users.

Step 15 - Get details about the Work from hom policies.

To make the configuration of your WFH policies easier, and to identify users' exceptions, here are some questions you should ask to your HR representatives.

• How many WFH days are allowed? is that per week, per month, or per year?
  
  
• Is there a limit on the number of days at the office? Is that per week, per month, or per year?
  
  
• Do you allow the overage or not?
  
  
• Is there a specific day when users should work from home?
  
  
• Is there a specific day when users should work at the office?
  
  
• Do you have one or multiple WFH policies?
  
  
• If many, which users should have which policy?
  
  
• Is there a Microsoft 365 group to identify these users?

Step 16 - Do you need the check-in feature?

Some users may be tempted to reserve a desk or a parking spot every day even if they don't come to the office. To prevent this behavior, Waldo requires users to check in every day to ensure they're actually at work.

Here's how to activate the check-in:

https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000100864-activate-or-deactivate-the-check-in

To start with Waldo, we recommend not activating the check-in. It makes things easier to start.

Step 17 - Do you need unnumbered areas?

By default, areas are numbered. Waldo reserves a desk for you with a specific number.

In unnumbered areas, users have the freedom to sit anywhere.

It's like the difference between a theater ticket with a seat number (your seat is saved for you) or a theater ticket with no seat number (you'd better arrive early or else risk getting a bad seat).

Here's how to set an area as unnumbered:

https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000100897-unnumbered-areas

Step 18 - Improve the Outlook Smart Sync feature

Does the HR system sync with Outlook for holidays?
(Waldo can sync automatically with Outlook: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000102797-outlook-smart-sync)

Is the event an "all-day event"?
(Waldo only syncs "all-day" events)

Step 19 - Identify the offices owners and the IT people in charge of the set-up.

During this step, identify who will manage offices and/or areas.

You can find more information about this step here: Set office, area, or license owners

No worries if you can’t identify all the office owners at this step. Just try.

Step 20 - Identify the first group who will use Waldo.

Ideally, this first group should:

• Previously have worked together.
• Be located on the same floor.
• Agree to provide their feedback.
• Should represent a “normal” group (they shouldn’t be specific in their use of Waldo).

The IT and the HR departments are usually the first groups to use Waldo.

Step 20 - Request the map creation.

After you order your licenses, you can ask for the map creation.

A map takes 2~3 days to create (on our side).

No worries if you make mistakes. It takes 1 day (on our side) to update a map.

Here's how to request a map design: 

https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000099672-how-to-request-a-map-design

Step 21 - Setup the office map.

In the Waldo administration portal, go to maps then place the desks on the map.

Here's how to do that: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000098004-set-up-the-office-map

Step 22 - inform the IT support team.

Schedule a quick meeting with the IT support team to explain what Waldo is and what they can do in case there’s a problem.

You can refer to this forum for more info regarding troubleshooting: Troubleshooting guide

Step 23 - Adapt your onboarding process for new employees.

When you hire a new employee, decide who should set-up his account:

Either the office or area owner, or the IT (when creating their Microsoft 365 account).

Step 24 - Communicating internally to the first group.

You can ask us to create a short video for you and then, email it or publish it to your users.

You can find more information here: What we need to create your personalized Waldo video

Step 25 - Adding Waldo to Microsoft Teams for the first group.

To add Waldo to Microsoft Teams, you can refer to this forum: Deploy Waldo with a Microsoft Teams policy

You'll review this during the administrator training.

Step 26 - Get feedback from the first group and adapt if necessary.

We recommend asking your first Waldo users for feedback. Depending on the feedback you got from the first group, decide if you’d like to deploy Waldo massively or gradually.

Step 2  - Repeat the previous steps until you reach the goal.

If you're looking for a project plan template, you should refer to this documentation: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000109238-project-plan-and-excel-template

If you're looking for information about the lead time and workload to implement Waldo, you should refer to this documentation: https://customer.hellowaldo.app/en/support/solutions/articles/8000109204-lead-time-and-workload