Google Workspace (Synchronize Calendar Resources)

Synchronize bookings of calendar resources, such as meeting rooms, with objects in Flexopus via the Google Calendar API

Integrating Flexopus with Google Workspace is a convenient way to synchronize your Google Workspace calendar resources and objects such as Flexopus meeting rooms using the Google Calendar API. You can then see your Google Workspace calendar resource appointments in Flexopus. In addition, once linked, the bookings will be displayed in your Google Calendar if you have created a booking with a linked object.

How are the bookings synchronized "bidirectionally"?

Flexopus is a tool for booking resources. The bookings of meeting rooms, for example, can be synchronized. However, the following attributes of an appointment cannot be managed by Flexopus: Name of the appointment, invited persons and the description of the appointment. Accordingly, the management of appointments remains with Google. Flexopus focuses on the booking of meeting rooms.

Once you have configured the interface, users have the following booking options:

Direction: Google → Flexopus

• New booking in Google Calendar
  The user can create a new booking in Google Calendar as usual. Thanks to the configured Google interface, this booking is also displayed in Flexopus. The bookings also appear on the live schedule. In Flexopus, other users can see who has booked a meeting room and when. All types of appointments are supported (single appointments, recurring appointments).
• Edit booking in Google Calendar
  Changes in the Google calendar are also synchronized via the interface. The usual changes are adopted: Move appointment, select another meeting room or invite multiple meeting rooms.
• Cancel bookings
  In the event of a cancellation, either the entire appointment can be canceled or only the meeting room can be uninvited. Both cases are supported and synchronized.

Direction: Flexopus → Google

• New booking in Flexopus
  New bookings can be made as usual through the booking process in Flexopus. The availability of the calendar resources has already been synchronized with Google Calendar in advance, so Flexopus displays the objects that are actually available. In the final step, Flexopus sends an API request to Google to book the calendar resource. As both databases (Flexopus and Google Calendar) are synchronized, this request is accepted. After a successful booking, the booking appears in the calendar of the respective user. The calendar entry is created by Google. The user can edit the booking in Google Calendar as usual.
  As Flexopus does not yet manage the usual attributes of an appointment (appointment name, participants, description and video call), we recommend this booking option primarily for spontaneous ad-hoc bookings if a user needs a meeting room at short notice.   
• Edit or delete booking at Flexopus
  The bookings are listed in Flexopus, but these bookings are no longer processed by Flexopus. Meetings are managed in Google Calendar.
  Cancellations can be made via Google Calendar as well as via Flexopus.
  In the booking overview, all externally managed bookings are marked with a Google Calendar logo:

External booking in the booking list in the admin area

 

External booking in the booking list in the user area

You can only create bookings for the connected resource calendars in Flexopus. If you want to edit event dates, you must do this via your calendar application. The "Check-in" function is also deactivated for these bookings!

Google Calendar event page with the linked Flexopus object

• Ad-hoc booking of meeting rooms (calendar resources)
• Evaluation of meeting room occupancy (calendar resources)
• Digital signage display for meeting rooms (calendar resources) 
• Additional services and catering service - in the future

What are Google calendar resources and how are they configured?

You can find Google's documentation on calendar resources here. To get a list of available resource mailboxes, open the administration panel or follow this URL. 

 

How can I activate the interface?

To activate the integration, go to the administration area in Flexopus. Click on "Settings" and then select "Integrations". Please note that this function is only displayed if you have also booked the module. If you do not see the option, please contact us at support@flexopus.com.

Make sure that you are an administrator of your Google organization before you click the "Connect" button.

This authorization gives Flexopus the required permissions to read data via the Google Calendar interface. You can see the requested authorizations below:

As soon as you have accepted the required authorizations, the status of the integration is displayed:

Here you can see the current status of the integration at any time:

• Connected organization: Domain of the connected organization.
• Connected objects in Flexopus: The number of objects with an external resource email address.
• Last update of the bookings: Date and time of the last booking update you received from the integration.
• Not found in Google Calendar or not yet synchronized: The number and listing of bookings where the resource email address has not yet been validated, or the validation has failed.

Optionally, you can allow owners of a booking and administrators to reject bookings of objects that are linked to Google Calendar. Deleting a booking in Flexopus will only reject the booking in the resource calendar and will not change the organizer's appointment. The booking will be deleted from Flexopus.

How can I link calendar resources with Flexopus?

To connect a bookable object to a resource calendar, navigate to the Flexopus location editor. Select an object, e.g. a meeting room, and add the "External connection email address" from Google Workspace under Google Calendar in the "Extensions" tab and save it.

After saving, Flexopus will attempt to link the booking to the resource calendar. Wait about 20 seconds and then refresh the page. If the e-mail address is valid, a verified checkmark should be visible directly below the e-mail address.

After connecting the object, you can see the changes in the overview in the integration settings:

Once the connection has been established, you can:

• View linked objects: You can list and view all linked objects.
• Synchronize bookings: Start a manual synchronization in the background for each connected object to manually check for booking updates. The synchronization usually runs automatically. However, you can also start a synchronization manually.
• Disconnect: Flexopus no longer receives updates from Google. All externally managed bookings are deleted from Flexopus.

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