Understanding QReserve as the "Source of Truth" for Reservations

When integrating QReserve with other calendar systems like Google Calendar or Microsoft 365, it's crucial to understand why QReserve must always be the "source of truth" for all resource bookings and modifications. This means that all reservations should originate or be edited within the QReserve platform first.

Why is QReserve the Source of Truth?

QReserve is designed with powerful and highly customizable features that go beyond standard calendar capabilities. These include:

• Complex Booking Rules: Set up intricate rules based on user groups, resource availability, time constraints, buffer times, and more.
• Advanced Conflict Checking: Prevent double-bookings and ensure rules are enforced across multiple resources or dependencies.
• Resource Interactions: Define how different resources can or cannot be booked together.
• Custom User Permissions: Control who can book what, when, and under which conditions.
• Detailed Reporting & Analytics: Track usage patterns and gain insights specific to your resources.

Standard calendar platforms like Google Calendar or Microsoft 365 (including M365 Resources) are not built to handle this level of complexity. They cannot replicate or enforce the sophisticated rules you configure within QReserve.

How Does Integration Work?

If reservations were made directly in an external calendar (like Outlook) and then synced to QReserve, there would be no way to guarantee that QReserve's critical rules were followed. This could lead to booking conflicts, unauthorized usage, and inaccurate availability.

Therefore, the correct integration flow is:

1. Create/Modify Reservations in QReserve: All bookings and changes happen here first, ensuring all rules are applied correctly.
2. Push Data to External Calendars: QReserve then pushes this confirmed reservation information out to connected Google Calendars or Microsoft 365 calendars. This can be done via:
3. • Direct Integrations: QReserve supports direct near instant integrations with Google Calendar and Microsoft 365.
   • iCal Feeds: A simple way to display QReserve bookings in external calendars that support reading iCal feed URLs.
   • API Integrations (Advanced): A more robust method allowing third-party applications to actively pull and update events in external calendars.
   • Browser Add-ons: Our add-ons for Google Calendar and Outlook embed the QReserve interface directly within those applications, allowing users to make QReserve bookings without leaving their familiar calendar view, while still ensuring QReserve remains the source of truth.
3. Pull Data from External Calendars: You may want to pull data from third-party calendar systems into QReserve to block off dates or display events alongside QReserve bookings. This can be done via:
4. • iCal Feeds: QReserve resources can be configured to periodically refresh external calendars via iCal feeds you provide.
   • API Integrations (Advanced): A more robust method allowing third-party applications to actively push and update events in QReserve calendars.

What About Systems Using Microsoft 365 Resources as the Source?

Some booking tools are designed to use Microsoft 365 resources directly as their source of truth. This model can work for simpler scheduling needs where advanced rules and customization are not required. However, if your organization leverages the powerful features of QReserve, attempting to use Microsoft 365 as the source would bypass essential controls and lead to operational issues.

In Summary

For seamless and accurate resource management, always initiate and manage your bookings through the QReserve platform. Our integrations are designed to share this validated information with your other calendars, keeping everyone informed while maintaining the integrity of your scheduling rules.