Proximity calculation when browsing near a person

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Proximity calculation when browsing near a person

    This feature in the Workplace Reservation Management application enables employees to find and reserve spaces near a specified colleague by calculating proximity based on several location factors. When an employee uses the "Browse near a person" option, the system prioritizes displaying workplace locations closest to the colleague’s location, enhancing convenience and collaboration.

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    Proximity Calculation Flow

    • Floor plan: The system first checks if the colleague’s location has an associated floor plan. If so, floor map coordinates determine the nearest available spaces.
    • Area: If no floor plan is defined, the system checks if the location belongs to an area. Available spaces are then shown based on area configuration, limited to the floor where the employee is searching.
    • Tag: If neither floor plan nor area applies, the system checks for location tags. Spaces with matching tags on the employee’s floor are displayed.
    • No area or tag: If none of the above apply, all available spaces on the colleague’s floor are displayed.

    If no spaces are available on the relevant floor, the employee receives a notification that no matching spaces are found.

    Sorting and Display Behavior

    • By default, when searching using "Browse near a person," spaces are displayed based on closest proximity.
    • The "My favorites first" sort option can be selected, which prioritizes the employee’s favorite spaces closest to the colleague.
    • For other browsing options like "Browse all" or "Browse by area," the default sort is "My favorites first."

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    This proximity-based approach helps employees efficiently find available spaces near colleagues, improving workplace collaboration and space utilization. Customers can expect a logical, location-aware search that respects floor plans, areas, tags, and user preferences, ensuring relevant and convenient booking options.

    When an employee searches for a space near a person using the Browse near a person option, the workplace locations are displayed based on the closest proximity.

    Proximity calculation flow

    The factors that influence the proximity based search are explained below:
    1. Floor plan: After the employee specifies the colleague near whom they want to reserve a space, the application checks if the colleague's location has a floor plan defined.
      • If there is a floor plan, then the floor map coordinates are used to find the nearest space.
      • If there is no floor plan, then the next step is performed.
    2. Area: If there are no floor plans defined for the colleague's location, then the application checks if the location is part of an area.
      • If the location is part of an area, then the available spaces are displayed based on the area configuration.
      • Only available spaces on the floor where the employee is located are displayed.
      • If the location is not part of any area, then the next step is performed.
    3. Tag: If the location is not part of any area, then the application checks if the colleague's location has any tags.
      • If the location has a tag, then all the available spaces with the same tag value are displayed.
      • Only available spaces on the floor where the employee is located are displayed.
      • If the location does not have a tag, then all the available spaces of the floor where the colleague is located are displayed.
    • For proximity based search that involves area and tag, only the available spaces on the floor where the employee is located are displayed.
    • If there are is no area or tag defined, then the available spaces of that floor are displayed. If there are no available spaces on that, then a message is displayed that there no matching spaces found.
    • By default the My favorites first sort option is selected when an employee searches for spaces using the Browse all or Browse by area option.
    • If an employee searches for a space using the Browse near a person option, then the spaces are displayed based on the closest proximity. If the employee selects the My favorites first sort option, then the favorite spaces of that employee which have the closest proximity are displayed first.

    By default, all the available spaces are displayed based on the above proximity calculations. In case the employee has set favorite locations and has selected the My favorites first sort option, then the favorite locations are displayed at first.