A Working Lab automates access with Parakey and Nexudus

Introduction 

A Working Lab wanted to reduce access administration and create a smoother experience for members and external users across its locations. By integrating Parakey with Nexudus and bringing mobile access into the A Working Lab app, booking and access now work together – automatically.

Key benefits

• Automated booking and access – digital keys are automatically connected to bookings and memberships.
• Less access administration – external users can book spaces and receive access without manual handling from the A Working Lab team.
• One app for members – booking and mobile access are brought together in the A Working Lab app.
• A consistent solution across locations – the same way of managing access can be used across A Working Lab sites.
• Greater control and security – access can be assigned based on who should have access to which spaces.
• More time for members – less time spent on access-related tasks means more time to focus on the facilities and member experience.

About A Working Lab

A Working Lab is Akademiska Hus' national concept for coworking and flexible meeting spaces, with five locations across Sweden. The concept brings together companies, researchers and startups, with environments ranging from coworking spaces and offices to labs and shared lab resources for the life science community.

We spoke with Satya Silcock, Lab Manager at A Working Lab, about how Parakey and Nexudus have helped simplify access for the team and its members.

Challenge

Multiple systems created administration and friction

Throughout the years, A Working Lab has worked with several different access solutions – both digital and analogue, sometimes simultaneously – which, as Satya describes it, created “quite a lot of chaos and a lot of administration.”

For members, the different systems also created a fragmented experience. They could book spaces and resources in the A Working Lab app, but needed another app to unlock the door.

External bookings created a different challenge. When an external company booked a meeting room, conference room or lab resource, the A Working Lab team had to manually provide temporary digital access or an entry code. This meant that every booking required direct contact with the customer.

A Working Lab wanted fewer systems, less manual administration and a smoother experience for everyone using their spaces.

As Satya puts it, the idea was simple:

“What if access just… worked?”

Solution

Connecting Nexudus, Parakey and the A Working Lab app

A key reason A Working Lab chose Parakey was the possibility to integrate access with Nexudus, the platform they already use for bookings and member management.

Members use the A Working Lab app – a white-label app powered by Nexudus – to book meeting rooms, lab resources and other services. Using Parakey's SDK, mobile access is embedded directly into the same app, bringing booking and access together in one place.

When a new member is invited to Nexudus and creates an account, the digital keys for the doors they are authorized to access are available directly in the app.

“Having access tied to this app creates a much more seamless experience for our members, not having to use several different apps.”

The integration also connects bookings with access. For example, an external user can book a meeting room or lab resource and automatically receive a digital key 15 minutes before the booking – without the A Working Lab team having to manually arrange access.

A smooth integration process

For Satya, who describes herself as “not being an IT expert”, setting up the integration between Nexudus and Parakey was relatively straightforward.

“The communication and the effort from Parakey together with us to work through this step was really good, which made it a very smooth process.” 

Result

From manual access to an automated flow

The integration has reduced the manual access administration required for both members and external bookings. For members, booking and access now happen in the same app, instead of booking in one app and using another to unlock the door.

For external bookings, A Working Lab no longer needs to manually arrange access for each customer. This reduces recurring administration and allows the team to make meeting rooms and lab resources available to external companies without adding the same level of access administration – freeing up more time to focus on their facilities and members.

Greater security and control

With offices, meeting rooms and shared lab resources, different users need access to different spaces. Parakey gives A Working Lab greater control over who can access what, while reducing the need for temporary codes and manually distributed access.

“It’s also made the building safer. All access is safer, and we can prioritize who has access to what.”

A consistent approach across locations

With five locations across Sweden, flexibility is important not only within each A Working Lab, but also across locations. A consistent approach to access supports A Working Lab as it grows across more members, spaces and locations – without creating separate ways of working for each site.

“This type of system being implemented on all sites means that our customers can easily stay at different locations when they are traveling, but also that we as a team have one system that we all can work through.”

Satya sums up the value:

“The biggest value that this integration of Parakey in Nexudus is that it helps create a seamless experience for our members while also cutting down on administration time for us so that we can help our members with other things.”