Connecting Cobot to Sensorberg

Optimize access to your space using the Cobot to Sensorberg smart lock integration.

Amanda avatar
Written by Amanda
Updated over a week ago

We have partnered with Sensorberg to help you manage access to your space. This guide will show you how to set up the integration, best practices, and how your members interact with your space. We will cover:


BEFORE GETTING STARTED:

To use the Sensorberg integration with Cobot, you need to be an Admin for the entire Sensorberg installation. Not just for the locks in your space.

  • For example, if you are a space manager who only has access to the coworking space locks and not the locks of the entire building, you will not be able to manage the integration.


STEP 1: Set up Your Plans in Cobot

  • Before connecting your accounts, set up your membership plans in Cobot. It is essential to do this first, as the Sensorberg team will ask you which plans in Cobot should be associated with locks in Sensorberg. Make a list of all plans and their access times & points before getting in touch with Sensorberg.

    • For example, You may wish to give 'Drop In' members access to the front door, Monday to Friday, but 'Full Time' members access to all doors in your space 24/7.


Step 2: Sign up with Sensorberg

Head over to Sensorberg here and register for your account. Their team is always ready to help!

💡 Pro tip: It is best if the email you use to set up your Sensorberg account is a fixed or permanent admin in Cobot, like the account owner or CEO of your space. Once an admin is removed in Cobot, the sync to Sensorberg will stop working as the accounts are tied to that email address.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you need to change the account owner, make sure they are an admin in Cobot, then reconnect the sync using their login. Be sure to do this before deleting the existing admin in Cobot; otherwise, your members will not be able to access your doors if the integration stops working.


Step 3: Connect your accounts

  • Log in to the admin side of your Cobot account. In another tab, log in to your Sensorberg account.

  • From your Sensorberg dashboard, click on 'Cobot Integration' and then the + symbol at the top right-hand corner of the screen.

  • Name your installation and add your Cobot subdomain. This is the section of your cobot URL before .cobot.me.

  • Check 'Enable access management based on individual access rights' » Create Installation.

    💡 Pro tip: name your Installation in Sensorberg the same as your Cobot space to keep things clear:

  • Click on 'Installations' from the menu on the left and authenticate your Cobot space by clicking on the plug icon.

  • You will then be prompted by Cobot to approve the Sensorberg applications request to access your account.


STEP 4: Syncing your existing memberships

The next step is to sync your existing plans in Cobot with Sensorberg. This is how you will manage your member's access to your space.

Members who are not connected to their member portal in Cobot will not be synced to your Sensorberg account.

  • From your Sensorberg 'Installations' Dashboard, click the sync button.

    • After the initial sync, the sync will run every 30 minutes automatically. This will pull any future plan changes over from Cobot. If you update a plan in Cobot and wish to force the sync to happen immediately, go back to your dashboard in Sensorberg » Cobot Integration » sync.

  • Connect your plans to Group assignments by going back to your main dashboard in Sensorberg » Groups' » click on the + » name the Group the same as your plan name in Cobot » add the external identifier with the same name but in lower case » Create Group.

    • If a space is needed, use an underscore instead. For example, if your plan name is 'Full Time,' make the external identifier 'full_time.'

  • Now that groups are set up, give members in that group access to specific doors in your space:

  • Go back to your main dashboard in Sensorberg » Units » click on door or root unit » click on + next to 'Unit Permissions' » select group you wish to give access » select permissions » create Unit Permission.

  • Get in touch with Sensorberg support if you would like more in-depth info on your doors and access permissions.

    Now map your Cobot plans to Sensorberg:

  • Go back to your main dashboard in Sensorberg » Cobot integration » Plans » click on 'Full Time' » click on the + next to 'Group Assignment' » select corresponding plan name from 'Name of plan at Cobot' dropdown » select corresponding plan name from 'Name of user group in SmartSpace' dropdown » Create Group Assignment.

  • You will now be able to see which of your members are synced to your Sensorberg account by clicking on 'Memberships.'

IMPORTANT NOTE:

This sync will only pull the plans that appear in Cobot under Setup » Plans and the memberships associated with those specific plans. Any members on a plan that is not in this section will need to be manually synced as explained under 'Troubleshooting' below.

Troubleshooting

If members appear with the error code 'plan.parent_plan.id not given or incorrect,' it is because the member is on a plan that was not imported.

This may be because they are on a plan you no longer offer and have removed it from your plan list.

To give access to these members:

  • Go to the admin side of Cobot » Manage » Members » click on member name » + Custom Fields. You will see a new custom field called 'smart_spaces_access_additional_units.'

  • Add the Sensorberg group access external identifier that you set up earlier and hit save. Your member will now have the same access rights as other members in that group.

You can also set up a 'Fallback Plan.' By doing so, the plan you select will be used if the user has no or an already deleted plan in Cobot. You can do this by going to Installations » Edit » Select plan from dropdown » Update Installation.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

You can only set up ONE fallback plan per installation, so if you would prefer that people do not have default access rights, skip this step.


STEP 5: Informing your members

If you do not have an existing app for your space, Sensorberg will build one to manage your door access for your members. Once this has been created, your members will be able to log in to the app using their Cobot login details.

No automated emails are sent to your members either from Sensorberg or Cobot, so you will need to inform them manually.

💡 Pro tip: Add instructions on how the member can download your app and access your doors in the Membership Confirmation Email template in Cobot under Customize » Emails.


6. Member interaction

Your member's access to your space is dependent on whether or not they have an active membership in Cobot and if they are connected to their member portal.

You can see the member's connect status on your member dashboard under Manage » Members » Current.

If they are a current member in your space and connected to their member portal, then they will be able to access the doors associated with their plan in Sensorberg.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

When a new member is connected, it can take up to 10 minutes to receive access to doors.

How Time Pass plans work

In Cobot, you can set up Time Pass Plans to limit access to your space. Members on these plans are prompted to purchase time passes before gaining access.

At this time, door access is NOT dependent on whether or not members on these plans have purchased a time pass. There are two options for your Time Pass users:

  1. You can give them yes or no access to doors like your other plans, so if a member is confirmed and connected to a plan, they will have access to the associated doors.

  2. You can restrict access to all locks unless the member has made a booking in a resource.

Reach out to Sensorberg support directly to help with the setup.

Changing or revoking members' access

When your member's plan is changed in Cobot, they will be moved to the corresponding plan in Sensorberg, meaning their access rights might change. It is a good idea to let your members know ahead of time so they are not confused when they can't access a lock they may have had rites to in the past.

Your members will be automatically canceled in Sensorberg when you cancel their membership in Cobot. This way, you never have to worry about someone gaining access to your space when they shouldn't.

💡 Pro Tip: You can manually edit individual member's access rites directly in Sensorberg without changing their plan in Cobot.


If you have any questions, please let us know at support@cobot.me, or you can reach out to the Sensorberg team at support@sensorberg.com.

Happy Coworking!

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