What is wayfinding software?
A robust wayfinding software – including digital signage and wayfinding kiosks – can help any corporate enterprise or higher education facility:
- Remain people-centric
- Ease the stress on visitors
- Enable seamless navigation of a property
It can even help you keep visitors informed about meeting updates, traffic updates, local news and more.
What is a wayfinding app?
A wayfinding app can be used in tandem with a space and meeting room reservation application to help people at work and on campus:
- Schedule meetings
- Add or remove participants
- Update calendars
- Find their way to meeting locations
What is a wayfinding kiosk?
A wayfinding kiosk is essentially a modern informational sign. Normally a tablet, these kiosks should be used primarily in atriums and entryways, and the right wayfinding kiosk software should provide information about the:
- Floor map
- Building
- Staff directory
- Directional information
What are features of a strong wayfinding software?
There are many features of a wayfinding software that can help visitors and employees effectively navigate their physical spaces. Both end users and facility managers should look for features like:
- Mobile capabilities: This refers to both mobile tools – like wayfinding kiosks and desk signs – and mobile wayfinding applications with tools like point-to-point navigation or SMS notifications. Overall, the right mobile support can improve usability and ensure both that wayfinding is effective and that people can access their navigational information directly at their point of need.
- Point-by-point directions: When it comes to wayfinding, the most important thing is that users can effectively and clearly navigate from point A to point B. Having this clear in the software using a tool like a smart pathway algorithm will help shorten travel time and improve ease of accessibility.
- SaaS applications: We live a multi-site, multi-device world, particularly in the wake of COVID-19. Having a cloud-based wayfinding application can help meet mobile needs. That way, users can easily access their information and navigate on-the-go.
- User-friendly interface: Consumers today expect to interact with intuitive, user-friendly interfaces – and this is certainly the case with wayfinding tools as well. That’s why it’s important to find a tool with features like 2D or 3D mapping, interactive directions, pinch and zoom functionalities, a “you are here” indicator and more. These software features can create a positive wayfinding experience and happy long-term users.
- Analytics and intelligence: Real-time intelligence can help you better understand your space utilization, make fast decisions and improve the experience on your campus or office space.
- Additional tools: Wayfinding “extras” like social media, news, weather and transit can help provide users with the all-in-one experience they’ve often become accustomed to.
- Pushed updates: On the technical side, you also want a wayfinding tool that will update automatically to avoid out-of-date or incorrect maps. This includes software updates and information updates like changing office names, changing area names, etc.
- Enhanced 3D map views: 3D design can help bring any wayfinding system to life, helping users navigate a multi-floor destination, providing 360-degree controls and more.
- Interactivity: The digital signage wayfinding software that you choose will have a user-friendly front-end component, including point-to-point navigation, a pop-up directory and interactive maps.
- Dynamic positioning: Dynamic positioning tools help capture a user’s exact location and display it on the wayfinding map, which can simplify navigation and orientation within the wayfinding software.
Want to learn more about Accruent’s EMS wayfinding software and how it can work in your environment? Schedule a demo today.
Wayfinding Software Use Cases
From sprawling campuses to multi-floor office buildings, Accruent’s Wayfinding Software provides intuitive, real-time navigation that supports both everyday users and facilities teams.
Corporate Offices
- Visitor & Employee Guidance: Interactive kiosks and room signs show floor maps, event listings, and directions from reception to meeting rooms—ease visitor stress and elevate the modern workplace experience.
- Desk & Room Hoteling: Employees can find and reserve nearby desks or collaboration zones through digital maps or badge swipe check-ins.
- Hybrid Wayfinding Integration: Wayfinding tied to desk and room bookings helps staff orient themselves in hybrid environments using mobile apps and kiosks.
Higher Education Campuses
- Student Navigation: Support class changes and campus events with turn-by-turn directions to lecture halls, labs, and libraries.
- Campus Tours: Provide prospective students and families with interactive, self-guided tours that highlight key campus landmarks.
- Event Management: Simplify traffic during orientation, commencement, or athletic events by guiding attendees to the right buildings and entry points.
Healthcare Facilities
- Patient & Staff Navigation: Wayfinding signage directs patients to clinics, labs, or elevators, while staff benefit from faster, route-aware movement across wings and floors.
- Emergency & Accessibility Routes: Kiosks can display ADA-compliant routes, emergency exits, and real-time alerts, promoting safety and efficiency in critical environments.
Retail Centers & Public Venues
- Mall & Venue Wayfinding: Map-based directories and interactive kiosks help shoppers locate stores, restrooms, event stages, and parking—all via a unified digital experience.
- Event Navigation: Display directional signage, schedules, and venue info on kiosks to support visitors during high-traffic events like trade shows or concerts.
Facilities & Operations
- Maintenance Routing: Facilities teams use wayfinding to locate asset rooms or equipment faster, triggered through room booking data and analytical insight.
- Operational Efficiency: Integrating wayfinding with room scheduling and HVAC systems enhances asset routing, space usage, and energy optimization.
Multi-Site Enterprises
- Unified Navigation Experience: Provide consistent wayfinding standards across all locations—ideal for distributed corporate offices, universities, or healthcare campus networks.
- Insight-Driven Planning: Analyze traffic and footfall data from kiosks and digital signage to optimize layouts, real estate allocation, and resource deployment.
See EMS in Action: Room & Desk Scheduling with Wayfinding Software
This demo highlights how EMS integrates room and desk scheduling with wayfinding software and interactive kiosks to deliver a seamless workplace experience. You’ll see how teams can:
- Book rooms and desks from any device
- Display real-time availability on digital signs
- Use touchscreen kiosks for walk-up reservations
- Prevent double bookings and no-shows with automation
- Capture usage analytics for smarter space planning
What are common wayfinding challenges that a robust wayfinding software can help with?
Many places – like school campuses, healthcare facilities and airports – are large, complex places that are difficult to navigate. Additionally, people at these locations are often rushing or under stress, both of which can make effective navigation even more difficult. An effective wayfinding systemcan help, providing easy-to-follow signage and clear directions that make navigating these places a breeze.
Learn What Our Customers Says
Financial Institution Praises EMS as an “Excellent” Solution
"Not only does EMS have a user-friendly platform but they also work with the customer to create solutions. In one word: excellent."
— Global Financial Leader
Read Global Financial Leader Case Study
Duke University Streamlines Campus-Wide Space Booking with EMS
“We always know that the product itself is functional, it’s easy to maneuver, and [...] group we’ve onboarded have always said, ‘This is easy to use.’ From an everyday user perspective, that’s what we want, we want positive feedback [...] [and for] the people actually booking the space we want to make it as easy as possible for them”
— Ryan Cakerice, EMS Administrator
Read Duke University Case Study
EMS helps Babson College with all their room and resource scheduling needs
"[EMS] Has endless opportunities… I’ve heard in some sessions where someone would say ‘I wish it could do that’ and a few of us would say ‘It does do that!"
— Therese Doyle, Director of Campus and Community Events
Read Babson College Case Study
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