D2V: Developing Cobot Add-ons for Member Safety

Note: These add-ons were not developed by the Cobot team and we do not maintain them or guarantee compatibility with your space.

D2V, a startup founded right here in Berlin, is developing add-ons for the Cobot ecosystem that keep members safe and free up time for admins by automating their tasks. And nothing’s more exciting to us than an origin story that brings together tech and coworking communities. Founder Sebastian Krieger, a member of betahaus’ Berlin coworking community since 2019, has developed two apps using the Cobot API that have proven invaluable to betahaus, MotionLab, and juggleHUB: Berlin-based spaces that have been beta-testing D2V’s apps.

D2V Corona Check-In streamlines contact tracing in coworking spaces by providing QR codes that can be used to create an attendance registry. Members scan their codes upon arrival and are then automatically added to a secure database that complies with Germany’s contact tracing protocols.

With D2V Delivery, admins use their smartphone to scan letters and packages that arrive in the space, automatically alerting members of their post’s arrival. That means fewer folks dropping by to check if something has arrived, and timely notifications—even for postcards!

We’re excited to be adding these apps to the list of available add-ons for Cobot in the near future.

Sebastian Krieger tells us more about the apps, and the circumstances that inspired them, in his own words below.

From the Founder

When the Corona pandemic hit Berlin, coworking spaces were faced with an unprecedented challenge. A Berlin senate mandate ordered local businesses to start tracking their guests’ presence on their premises in order to detect COVID-19 infection chains. What followed was general confusion, a mess of paperwork, and a lack of understanding what needed to be done to follow the sudden change in senate law.

Sebastian Krieger, CEO of Data2Visual (D2V), noticed these struggles while visiting local restaurants and witnessing the growing discontent of their owners and guests. He decided to develop a smart, automatic solution with no contact needed to simplify this process for coworking spaces. He knew that he had to convince the coworking owners with a simple, easy to understand concept, since any more confusion piled on top of the ever-changing laws could inhibit their willingness to adopt a new approach.

Corona Check-In

This system—named D2V Corona Check-In—allows users to register their attendance according to the new COVID-19 requirements simply by scanning a QR code with their smartphone. Through a customizable form, that captures all senate mandated information, the data is sent to a database and stored for four weeks. This approach frees users from the need for paper lists and bureaucracy. Originally launched as a test project in MotionLab, it was an immediate hit with both owners and members and has since been expanded to juggleHub, another coworking space in the heart of Berlin.

From the Cobot dashboard, admins can quickly see which members entered when. In the event of a COVID-19 infection, admins can use Cobot to print a member registry that can be handed over to health offices. It prevents the usual data security issues—and possible infections—that manually handling contact with pen and paper entails.

Delivery

D2V Corona Check-In isn’t the first app Sebastian developed to cater to the needs of coworking spaces. D2V Delivery, also a Cobot-based system, was developed for the betahaus community in mid 2018. This system, using advanced deep-learning text-recognition, matches arriving parcels to the recipient member in the Cobot database. A quick scan of the parcel label is enough to send an automatic notification to the corresponding member via email.

D2V Delivery was a widespread success. It vastly simplified the task of front desk workers, who no longer had to manually keep track of all the arriving packages. Members were also satisfied, since they now got notifications for all their deliveries the instant they arrived at the front desk, ensuring no more time was wasted and a quick collection of the items.

Recounting her experience with D2V Delivery, Nina Kraus, Head of Coworking & Community at betahaus, said:

“...since the start of the COVID-19 precautions, our members could also get updated easily about their letters—the automated notifications, sending once we snap a picture of the label, gave them peace of mind and gave us an easy and fast way to provide them with the info they needed.”

What’s next?

The future looks promising for Data2Visual and its Cobot-based systems and coworking partnerships. They are currently developing new features to their systems as well as a new Locker CMS, expected to arrive soon and also feature an intricate Cobot integration.

“We are curious to see which other processes they will simplify next!” Silvia Steude, a happy customer and co-founder of juggleHub said. Thanks to the newly developed systems they are currently “streamlining our front desk tasks and making our lives a lot easier.”

Ready to see if these coworking add-ons could be useful solutions for your space? The app can already be used, and will soon be available from the integrations page and the Cobot dashboard.

If you aren’t already using Cobot as your coworking management software, give it a go! You’ll find that our features can help you run your coworking space more effectively and grow your community. Just sign up for a free trial or a live demo session. And if you have questions, our support team is all ears!

Happy Coworking!