Coworking spaces and their communities rely on management software to streamline processes for all involved. Fortunately, the solution to their needs lies in a single leading software, containing all the tools required to run a successful coworking environment: Cobot. With a single white-labelled platform to take care of all daily administrative tasks, Cobot enables you to onboard new members, streamline your billing, manage bookings and more, in one easy and intuitive interface.

As our KS Connect Partner, Cobot automates access control for coworking spaces; granting mobile access to members via Android and iPhone smartphones, defining access areas, and opening compatible smart locks and wall readers.

We decided to catch up with the Cobot team themselves to find out more about their journey and insights into their experience of scaling coworking spaces. Read ahead to hear from Kristina Schneider, co-founder of Cobot, current CPO, responsible for all things product.

Kristina shares her thoughts with us in the first to a two-part interview series with Cobot below!

Hi Kristina! Could you please introduce the company to our readers?

Cobot lives and breathes coworking—and we happen to build software for it! We started developing tools to automate coworking spaces over ten years ago, right as ‘coworking’ was starting to become a movement. Back then we ran our own coworking/event space in Berlin, Germany, and developed Cobot to help manage our own day-to-day operations. Today, Cobot is used by tens of thousands of coworkers around the globe, and our former coworking space is now our team’s main office.

Could you please explain in your own words, the integration of Cobot with SALTO KS and its significance?

One of the key worries of every coworking manager is to offer seamless access to their space, while at the same time, making sure the space is secure. SALTO KS offers one of the most advanced solutions to controlling access for members and guests. It’s also among the most frequently requested solutions from our customers! Using our integration, space managers can connect their Cobot plans and membership management directly to SALTO KS’s access control and rest easy knowing that access is handled seamlessly and that software takes care of the work.

With your expertise, what do you feel is essential for coworking spaces, office hubs, and flexible workspaces management software and how does Cobot accommodate this or these need(s).

Every workspace is unique. The software must be as flexible as our work, while at the same time, offer an absolutely reliable and robust set of core business features. At Cobot, we do both. Our software’s core functionality manages billing, payments, memberships, bookings, and even events.

Beyond that, we strive to empower spaces to fulfil their specific needs. We have a wide range of integrations, a build-your-own add-on toolbox, and for complete control: an extensive and well-documented open API.

Every workspace is unique. The software must be as flexible as our work, while at the same time, offer an absolutely reliable and robust set of core business features.” - Kristina Schneider, Co-founder and CPO of Cobot

How can coworking spaces scale by using the integration with Cobot and SALTO KS?

With our secure integrated access control solution, it’s simple to scale effectively. Organizations can reduce or even entirely skip staff hours that would otherwise have been spent managing member and guest access. Instead of worrying about who has the right keys and checking their calendar to see who needs access to what spaces, they have extra time to analyze and optimize resource usage and spend time interacting with the community.

It’s a clear example of how Cobot and SALTO KS enable growth while minimizing costs and maintaining the high standards of quality our customer’s prize.

What are the most valuable lessons Cobot acquired within the 10 years of experience helping spaces of all sizes grow their community?

Automate as much as you can—except human connections!

The most impressive success stories we hear from our customers are those where spaces lead with an honest mission to grow and foster a community. Spaces that put their heart into the people who use their spaces are the ones that we see succeed in the long run; we advise and support them in developing smart automation strategies so they can spend more time on accomplishing their mission.

Automate as much as you can—except human connections!

Thank you, Kristina and the team at Cobot, for sharing your insights and experience with our readers. We couldn’t agree more that human connections should lie at the heart of smart solutions, especially when it comes to collaborative spaces such as coworking.

Keep an eye out for the second part of this conversation, where we continue our talk with Kristina on the integration with KS, freelancing, and adjusting to a remote world.

For more on Cobot, you can visit their website here, read their blog, and learn more about their integrations.