Best practice to display floor/room layouts PNG in Workplace Reservation Management (without CAD)

[Abc 26]

Hello Experts,

We are working on Workplace Reservation Management (WSD) and would like to display an office room / floor layout provided as a PNG image during the reservation flow, so that users can visually understand the location of available workspaces and meeting rooms.

However, CAD data is not available, and we want to stay as close as possible to OOTB ServiceNow capabilities.

We are currently researching and would appreciate community guidance on the following:

1. Is it feasible to use ServiceNow’s built-in Indoor Map / Workplace map functionality with a static PNG image instead of CAD data?

2. Are there any recommended alternative approaches (OOTB or low-customization) to display a PNG floor layout in the Workplace Reservation UI (Employee Center )?
   
   Our goal is to help users visualize space locations during booking without heavy customization and while remaining upgrade-safe.

Any insights, examples, or references would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

[Matthew_13]

I would lean yes as with Workplace Reservation Management, especially when CAD data isnt available.

To set expectations up front: ServiceNow’s Indoor Map / Workplace Map capability is not designed to work with static PNG images. It relies on CAD or vector-based floor plans so spaces can be mapped, highlighted, and tied to coordinates. With only a PNG, you wont be able to use the Indoor Map functionality in a true OOTB way.

That said, there are still upgrade-safe, low-customization options that I think work well in your case:

• Use the PNG as a visual reference only
  Store the PNG as an attachment for example on a Building or Floor record and display it in tha Workplace Reservation flow or Employee Center using an image component or link like View Floor Layout. This gives users visual context without trying to make the image interactive.

• Rely on OOTB WSD data for booking
  Continue using the standard Building → Floor → Space / Workspace hierarchy for actual reservations. Users select workspaces from the list or filters and the PNG simply helps them understand where those spaces are located.

• I say keep it lightweight and aligned
  Label rooms or zones on the PNG so they match the workspace names in ServiceNow. This avoids scripting, coordinate mapping or custom logic and stays fully upgrade-safe.

What I would probably not recommend is trying to force PNGs into the indoor maps framework or adding custom click-mapping or overlays, as those approaches tend to be brittle and difficult to maintain over upgrades.

So basically if the goal is visual guidance without heavy customization, displaying the PNG as a reference image alongside the standard WSD reservation experience I would say is the most practical and supported approach today.

@Abc 26 - Please mark Accepted Solution and Thumbs Up if you found Helpful my Friend!

[Abc 26]

Hi @Matthew_13 ,

If we attach and display desk- or room-level PNG images in the Workplace Reservation flow, are there any known limitations or best practices for mobile devices (Employee Center on mobile) that we should be aware of while staying OOTB and upgrade-safe?

[Matthew_13]

Yes, this is definitely doable, but there are a few practical things to keep in mind—especially for Employee Center on mobile—if you want to stay OOTB and upgrade-safe.

From an OOTB standpoint, attaching PNG images (desk- or room-level) works fine. Employee Center, including mobile, will render attachments using the standard viewer, so you don’t need any custom UI or scripting.

Where teams usually run into issues is more around usability and performance on mobile:

• Image size matters a lot. Large or high-resolution PNGs (especially detailed floor plans) can be slow to load on phones and feel clunky over cellular connections. Compressing images and keeping them reasonably sized makes a big difference.

• Readability on small screens. Floor plans that look great on desktop can be hard to use on a phone. Small desk labels or dense text are often unreadable unless users zoom a lot.

• Zooming and navigation. Zoom works, but it’s not ideal for very detailed, single-image layouts. Splitting large floor plans into smaller, logical sections usually provides a better mobile experience.

• Where you attach the image matters. If images are only attached at a high level (like building or floor), mobile users may have to tap around to find them. Attaching images closer to the reservable object (room or desk) tends to work better.

To stay upgrade-safe, it’s best to:

• Stick with attachments and the OOTB image viewer

• Avoid custom widgets, scripts, or hardcoded attachment URLs

• Test early in Employee Center mobile (portrait and landscape)

Basically: images are supported and commonly used, but keeping them lightweight, simple, and well-placed is key to a good mobile experience without customization.

@Abc 26 - Please mark Accepted Solution and Thumbs Up if you found Helpful my Friend!