Accruent EMS vs. Concept3D Room Reservation

Concept3D is purpose-built to meet the needs of modern higher ed institutions. Designed with accessibility and user experience in mind, our room reservation software makes scheduling straightforward for everyone. Students can quickly find and book workspaces that match their needs, while administrators can easily review, approve, or deny requests. 

In addition to simplifying reservations, the platform supports smart space management by preventing double bookings and capturing setup requirements through a brief questionnaire.

Integrated features like event calendars and interactive campus maps provide added context, helping users not only book spaces but also understand what’s happening and where across campus. 

Accruent EMS is a capable meeting room booking system that allows users to reserve and cancel rooms with ease. Its interactive floor plans help them preview room layouts and choose the most suitable space for their requirements. 

The platform also includes digital signage features, which enable schools to display schedules, monitor space usage, and coordinate services like cleaning or setup.

That said, Accruent EMS is designed for resource management across a wide range of industries, from real estate to healthcare, so it’s not designed specifically for higher education. Its broad functionality can feel overwhelming, especially for teams seeking a more student-focused or campus-specific solution.

Concept3D offers a user-friendly interface on both the front and back end, reducing the need for extensive training. Its streamlined design includes a simple room request form, automated notifications for requestees, and built-in service assignments, making it easy to book spaces, communicate needs, and coordinate events.

There’s no cap on the number of users who can access the platform. Schools can configure access based on preference, restricting event scheduling to admins or allowing a broader group of users, like students and club organizers, to submit and manage bookings directly. This flexibility supports more efficient workflows and helps streamline operations across campus.

Accruent EMS is feature-rich, but its complexity can make daily tasks challenging, especially for students or staff without technical expertise. Multiple reviewers on platforms like G2 and Capterra note that the system can be hard to learn and cumbersome for the average user.

One G2 reviewer noted that the platform “is not intuitive,” while another described it as “a bit clunky,” citing frustration over the number of steps required for simple tasks. 

Additional reviews highlight similar concerns:

• “The interface is difficult to navigate, and reporting has a steep learning curve. We publish reports to support staff every morning because the interface is too difficult for them to navigate.”
• “Navigation can be a bit tricky and needs some practice.”

So, while Accruent’s resource scheduling software offers deep functionality, it may require more training and internal support than some higher ed teams have capacity for.

Concept3D’s room reservation software integrates seamlessly with Localist, an easy-to-use event management system that supports planning from start to finish. 

Event organizers can reserve spaces, add events to the campus calendar, promote those events, and manage ticket registrations—all within the same platform. This streamlined workflow eliminates the need to manually push data between disconnected systems, which is a common pain point with EMS.

Concept3D is also developing a map integration to enhance both wayfinding and space planning. Campus guests and event attendees will be able to find their way around more easily, while organizers can better visualize specific spaces to plan events with specific accessibility, parking, and layout requirements.

Accruent EMS has several operational integrations that support general business workflows, including compatibility with Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Outlook, Webex by Cisco, and Zoom. 

These tools can help simplify event planning and scheduling in corporate environments. However, they aren’t tailored to the unique needs of higher education. Features like student-focused event promotion, campus-wide visibility, and integration with academic calendars are often missing, which limits their usefulness for schools seeking a more immersive campus experience.

Concept3D is built to be accessible for both technical and non-technical campus teams, making deployment straightforward and manageable from the start. 

Our support team is known for being highly responsive and ready to help with everything from initial setup to ongoing system consolidation and integration. Each customer is paired with a dedicated U.S.-based client success manager, so there’s always a knowledgeable partner looking out for your needs. 

Our reviews on G2 and Capterra speak to the strength of our support:

• “Everything in the admin area was very intuitive and just worked as you’d expect it to. Nothing required the manual, however, Nikki was always there to give us tips or support articles.”
• “Customer service has been great through our years with Concept3D, and I can definitely say the tool has only improved in that time. An eye for design pairs well with the solid functionality.”

And for early adopters, there’s an added benefit: the opportunity to share feedback that helps shape future product development. While we can’t guarantee every idea will be implemented, we’re always listening.

Accruent EMS is a robust space management solution with plenty of features, which is an advantage for large institutions with technical teams who can manage complex deployments internally. For these schools, the flexibility and depth of the system can be an asset.

However, smaller institutions with limited IT resources may find the platform harder to implement and maintain. The system’s complexity, combined with less responsive customer support, can create barriers for non-technical users.

Reviews on TrustRadius and Capterra frequently highlight challenges with Accruent EMS’s customer support:

• “Support has not been as quick as we’d like when we’ve needed to reach out.”
• “Customer Service has not been easy to work with (at least for us as web-based clients) and usually can not fix our issues. We have to fix them ourselves.”
• “Not always easy to contact support when needed.”
• “The response time from the technical support team can be improved.”

For schools seeking a more hands-on support experience, this could be a critical consideration, especially during setup or system changes.