​​Setting up a good governance in Microsoft Teams is standard practice. Tomorrow’s challenges lie elsewhere.​

By Oliver Zeiser, Director Software Development at MondayCoffee.  

Reporting, naming, conventions, lifecycle management for teams and users, policies, approval processes or templates - you need to have all of this under control to enable secure, modern work. And even more so to scale with the organization or adapt to changing conditions in real time. Numerous providers for this can be found today. Microsoft itself has recognized the need for governance tools and offers solutions or has announced them, as the following examples illustrate:  

• Sensitivity labels: Use sensitivity labels to protect content in Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 groups, and SharePoint sites (to the article).  

• Teams app policies: Know about policies to manage access and installation of Teams apps (to the article)   

• Sites lifecycle policies: SharePoint data access governance (DAG) insights V1 - general availability (to the article)   

• Microsoft 365 groups naming policy (to the article)   

• Access reviews in Azure Active Directory (to the article)   

• MS governance reports (to the article) 

So what issues should you be addressing today? What steps are worth taking to ensure that IT remains capable of operating and that users can concentrate on their core tasks?  

At MondayCoffee, we have been thinking about this for a long time. I would like to share some of these thoughts with you in this post.   

Having the ‘after’ under control is even more important than the ‘before’ 

It's clear that a good template engine should offer much more than the standard elements such as teams, settings, channels and tabs.   

For example, what about:  

• Planner tasks, buckets or labels?   

• Or with the underlying SharePoint sites, pages, lists and libraries, content, columns, content types or SharePoint permissions?   

• What about flows? Or with group settings, logos, colors, branding?   

And of course, WYSIWYG!   

A good template engine can do it all. Reproducing identical teams or workspaces using templates is a must. 

But what happens, once a team has been provisioned? What if the users need another private channel, for example? Or another library in the SharePoint site underlying it? 

Shouldn't this all be based on templates and defined governance rules, as well?   

The initial creation of new teams and workspaces and the clean handover to the users is important, but even more important is what they do with their teams afterwards!   

With our Modern-Work-Solution, CoffeeNet 365, end users are not left alone with their teams 'afterwards'. They go through a controlled framework and receive assistance in meeting the organization's policies without being hindered in their actual work and role.   

For example, end users have centrally managed templates for individual team channels, as well as templates for lists and libraries. These make it easy for them to expand their workspaces or adapt them to their needs, even at a later date. And in doing so, they also comply with the company's specified governance rules as a matter of fact, without having to pay attention. 

Continuous changes must be anticipated    

What happens to existing team workspaces when requirements change or new functionalities are to be added?  

Lifecycle management should also, but not only, focus on "sorting out" - archiving and deleting – teams that are no longer in use. Much more important are the teams that are still in use.   

With CoffeeNet 365, changes to templates and governance rules can be easily applied to existing workspaces, even after they have been created, so that they are always up to the latest standard.   

Another use case is also worth anticipating: A team that has already been created needs to be transferred from one template to another. What may have started as a small workgroup may eventually evolve into a project.   

Then the team should also correspond to the project template and get the appropriate features and settings for it. With the Switch Template Feature of CoffeeNet 365, this is possible with just a few clicks. It eliminates the need for time-consuming migration of content.  

Whatever is not there yet, can be done quickly with CoffeeNet 365

Many IT departments rushed the introduction of Microsoft Teams during the pandemic. There was no time for planning and orderly rollout process. Sorting out the mess is still on the minds of some. 

A modern template engine must also be able to bring existing teams workspaces into the ordered structures and configure them according to current governance requirements. Subsequently applying templates to already created teams is possible with little effort using CoffeeNet 365's Apply Template-Feature.  

Detected, reported, resolved in real time   

Of course, governance violations are bound to occur in day-to-day operations. It's not always possible to cover everything technically. Microsoft simply does not offer the necessary options and APIs. Therefore, a strategy for dealing with such cases is inevitable.  

A classic approach to reacting to governance violations would probably be: Reporting!   

IT sees the teams in the reports, which are not compliant. Which, conversely, means that a person in IT must regularly look at the reports and reach out to the users.   

This effort can be saved - with CoffeeNet 365's powerful rule engine and simple IF-THEN rules that can be created by IT and tailored specifically to the templates.  

Any governance violations are thus automatically detected in real time. An MS flow is started, which on the one hand resets the settings and on the other hand reminds the user again of the current governance rules. And not only that. The user can be offered additional help or a ticket can be created directly in the IT ticketing system. Or both. 

Improving the user experience  

The CoffeeNet 365 Rule Engine can also be used to improve the user experience.   

For example, when new users are added to a team, they automatically receive a welcome message, such as an email or chat. The message can be customized and personalized for external guests accordingly.   

If it’s an internal user, a rule can be defined that he or she is immediately added to a private channel ("Internal only"). Without the owner of the team having to do this manually over and over again. The Rule Engine of CoffeeNet 365 also offers such possibilities; and these are configured with just a few clicks.  

The use cases of the CoffeeNet 365 Rule Engine are almost unlimited.   

But it is through such tools that automation is possible, helping end users comply with governance in the long run and quite incidentally.  

Rule the rules 

It goes without saying that the rules in the Rule Engine may have to be changed and adapted centrally at any time. Only then is true teams governance possible, which does not prevent users from doing their work and sharing knowledge but supports them in doing so. And, meanwhile, IT retains full control at all times and remains flexible and responsive.   

What could be more important in today’s rapidly and constantly changing age of cloud?  

The workspace explosion

How we can avoid it with life cycle management

In the cross-linked organization, everyone and everything is connected with each other. Employees participate and shape in a wide variety of constellations. New teams, workgroups or communities of purpose are formed every day.

They organize themselves digitally, independently, in virtual workspaces that can be opened quickly and easily with a click.

And when the team is finished with the project, the workgroup dissolves or the community of purpose has fulfilled its purpose, then...

...the digital workspaces are left behind. Many have the potential to become productivity hogs. If it weren't for the functionality of lifecycle management (LCM).

Workspaces have a lifecycle

Our Modern Work solution for Microsoft 365 enables decentralized self-organization for employees and teams. Depending on the situation, standardized, virtual workspaces - in Microsoft Teams or SharePoint - can be created for teamwork.

As Microsoft 365 gets adoption throughout the organization, the number of workspaces increases. Many are used for just a short time, some are created for testing purposes only, and others serve a longer-term purpose.

All workspaces have a lifecycle. In MondayCoffee's Modern Work solution CoffeeNet 365, lifecycle management of workspaces is already integrated to reduce the risk of losing overview and productivity.

Open with a click, close automatically

Microsoft Teams workspaces can be archived manually (which no one does), but there is no automatic mechanism available. Moreover, the associated SharePoint sites remain unaffected.

The LCM of CoffeeNet 365 enables the archiving of Microsoft Teams workspaces AND associated SharePoint sites at the same time to ensure overview and orientation:

• Archived workspaces have corresponding labels in Microsoft Teams and in SharePoint. That way, users immediately understand that an archived workspace no longer functions the same as it did before, in its "active" state.

• Functionally, this means that users have read-only rights in the archived workspace.

• Optionally, archived workspaces can also be hidden from M365 search so that users have less need to search irrelevant items.

Friendly Reminder

CoffeeNet 365's LCM works with automations to reliably remind workspace owners that they should archive or delete virtual spaces according to predefined criteria:

• So-called LCM policies (automatic guidelines) determine after how many days of inactivity workspace archiving should take place. This ensures automatic sorting out of unused workspaces and relieves their owners.

• LCM policies can also be based on more sophisticated criteria, e.g. based on a date field defined in the workspace (e.g. 1 year after the "project end date").

• CoffeeNet 365's LCM also allows multi-level actions, e.g. deletion 2 years after the workspace has been archived. There are countless options available.

• In case workspace owners do not respond to the request to archive, this is taken care of: a time-delayed escalation ensures that necessary action will be taken, e.g. if the owner has left the organization meanwhile.

For more productivity

Complexity and fast pace will continue to shape our working world. At MondayCoffee we want to make working life as easy as possible for employees. Our feature LCM pays off on our promise - with the following benefits:

• Increased user productivity when dealing with many workspaces, as those that are inactive are automatically archived or deleted.

• Valuable additions to existing Microsoft functionality - at no additional licensing cost - for a more comprehensive, multi-level and versatile LCM of Teams Workspaces and SharePoint Sites.

Would you like to learn more about this topic or our Modern Work Solution? We look forward to hearing from you.

Get in touch

Contact: LCM

Are we communicating, or still on the phone?

Screen sharing killed the audio call - at the latest since the pandemic. Meetings are being held by video conference. The telephone number is almost obsolete. About the advantages of integrated telephony in Microsoft Teams with CoffeeNet 365.

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TELEPHONY AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF COLLABORATION

Today, even sophisticated telephony requirements can be implemented directly in Microsoft Teams and with our modern workplace solution CoffeeNet 365. Companies no longer think of telephony as a separate special topic - with separate systems and providers - but as one of several reliable communication formats for a modern way of working.

Technical capabilities allow us to think of telephony as an integratited part of collaboration. It no longer has to be locked into a technical silo. The different systems are getting closer and closer together, and that's a good thing:

• Telephony systems

• Contact center solutions

• Video conferencing systems in meeting rooms

• Collaboration software

• Intranet software

• Fileshare systems

• Workflow software

Employees want simple solutions - everything together, without context switching. A platform that puts everything they need, and more importantly, at their fingertips.

A SELF-EXPLANATORY, DIGITALLY INTEGRATED WORKPLACE

Microsoft Teams has brought us closer to that goal. The pandemic massively increased the pressure for change and adoption of digital working.

We have fully integrated Microsoft Teams into our Modern Workplace solution so that employees and organizations - small and large - can tap into its potential. With Microsoft Teams as an integrating interface, the various communication formats can be selected on a use-case basis - independently of time, location and device.

• Chat for informal communication - as a group or bilaterally

• Calling and video conferencing with screen sharing for collaboration in real time - also integrated in the physical meeting rooms.

• Intranet functionalities for presenting information and sharing knowledge

• Document management for storing and collaborating on documents

• Bundling of all communication channels in a central platform (contact center)

Telephony is one of several reliable communication modes for a modern way of working.

We are convinced that an overall concept for all these communication formats - voice, video, screen sharing, connection to a secure file storage - brings many advantages. So that everything fits together in a secure, structured and self-explanatory for way the employee. We are constantly advancing our CoffeeNet 365 modern workplace solution with this goal in mind.

We have already implemented telefony integration for several customers. And often, this very step became the driver for a modern and increasingly digital way of working.

On the one hand, we bring the technical expertise for the individual applications. On the other hand, our experience and knowledge in dealing with the employees - with the business, contributes to a successful adoption.

As we all know, providing digital capabilities does not make the organization more digital. I don't dial the phone anymore, I share - but only if I also understand the benefit behind it and can translate it into added value.

Get in touch

Contact

Everything just a few clicks away

"Didn't know that!"

"I missed that news."

"I didn't hear about that."

Since the hybrid world of work has helped define the New Normal, statements like this from employees have become more frequent. We no longer feel as strongly integrated as part of a team as we once did. The employer has become more abstract.

While I used to catch the latest company gossip during my coffee break, nowadays a lot of things remain hidden from me. Partly even things that an employee needs to know to be efficient, to be innovative and to drive company growth.

EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT MUST BE PUT BACK ON THE AGENDA

The virtual portion of cultural interaction between companies and employees and among employees, has become an much more important role.

With Viva Connections, Microsoft brings a technical solution - especially for mobile users - to strengthen the sense of togetherness.

We have integrated the new functionalities and benefits of Viva Connections into our Modern Workplace solution. So that employees can keep their finger on the pulse of what's happening every day, even if they're not always on site.    

PERSONALIZED NEWS FEED 

Using our Modern Workplace solution, employees can access their personalized news feed directly on the Microsoft Teams app. Posts can be liked, commented on, forwarded or even saved - just like you're used to on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.  

The news feed brings the latest or most relevant content directly into employees' field of sight - wherever they are. 

YOUR OWN WORK MANAGEMENT DASHBOARD

Especially when you're on the road, accessing your most important documents, communications, tasks, meetings, etc., can be complicated. Not with our Modern Workplace solution. Through Microsoft Teams, each employee has their own dashboard at their fingertips, with personalized quick links to everything they need day-to-day.

Linked items are:

• Tasks from Microsoft Planner that need to be completed,

• documents that have been recently edited,

• meetings that will take place soon,

• workspaces that have been visited frequently,

• approvals that are pending or that you want to record,

• and much more

GOODBYE BROWSER!

Another advantage of integrating all Microsoft technologies through our modern workplace solution is the elimination of the browser. Employees have the ability to manage their day-to-day work in a secure, regulated and uncomplicated way via the Microsoft Teams app. That way, nothing stands in the way of the hybrid work model.

Would you like to learn more? Arrange a meeting with us.

Get in touch

Contact

Simplify your project and portfolio management with CoffeeNet 365

Project leaders and participants must play together, like musicians in an orchestra: They have to listen to each other, pick up themes, continue the melody or the overarching program. And the conductor? He or she must be able to keep track of everything and ensure that the desired results are achieved.

How do you coordinate the various projects or investment portfolios in your department or company? With extra portfolio management software?

We have an alternative for you. The project and portfolio management function integrated in CoffeeNet 365. This means you no longer need additional software, but have the right solution right where project managers or project participants usually do their work.

GET TRANSPARENT INSIGHTS BY CONSOLIDATING COMPANY-WIDE PORTFOLIOS, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS INTO ONE OVERALL VIEW

The project and portfolio management feature in CoffeeNet 365 condenses statements about the progress of multiple projects or investment portfolios into a clear overall view. It helps management get a comprehensive picture of the status of major programs, initiatives or asset portfolios, including, for example, real estate, machinery or vehicle fleets.

MAKE it more efficient to capture PROJECT OR ASSET INFORMATION - INTEGRATED INTO THE DAILY WORK ROUTINE

Those involved in a project or investment object need to periodically record the required information. We have made this process as simple as possible and ensured that no additional data silos are created. Instead, existing data repositories are used. The project and portfolio management function is integrated into CoffeeNet 365 virtual workspaces.

THE RIGHT MIX OF STANDARDIZATION AND FLEXIBILITY

The project and portfolio management function in CoffeeNet 365 enables standardization and flexibility at the same time. Depending on your needs, you can choose from a few traffic light displays to granular KPIs for detailed reporting. You decide which data or data types to monitor, and the application does the rest.

So before you purchase any new software, we'd be happy to show you how you can use CoffeeNet 365 for project and portfolio management in a targeted way and implement it easily.

Get in touch

New Form

Transparency as standard - company groups unite with CoffeeNet 365

A blog post by Melodie Fleury, Business Consultant at MondayCoffee

Strictly speaking, we are very lucky: the market is neither lacking in technologies, systems nor solutions for modern working. New tools are continuously being developed, existing ones improved or entire tool landscapes consolidated to simplify collaboration - or so the theory goes. Practice shows that many companies still lack the right infrastructure, a uniform basis for everyday work. The result: complex processes, information chaos, loss of time and money. Especially in corporate groups, this is a brake on success, but one that can easily be solved.

TYPICAL CHALLENGES IN CORPORATE GROUPS

As a rule, the larger the company, the more information and communication there is to process - and the more difficult it is to maintain an overview. In addition, work and communication often takes place in silos. Without the right collaboration solution, it becomes almost impossible to exchange knowledge or information between different companies in a group. This is also the case with one of our customers, a Swiss group of companies. The challenges, which often grow over the years, are mostly of a technical, cultural and structural nature.

Technical challenges: The system landscape of companies has often existed for years, if not decades. Once set up, it has hardly been touched or changed in any major way. As a result, there is a lack of infrastructure that meets current work requirements. This starts with digital places of collaboration and extends to the processes and access rights for smooth working. In many cases, data is still sent as attachments by mail. This quickly results in umpteen different versions - and confusion about which file is the most current.

Cultural challenges: Especially in conservative industries, the corporate culture is still strongly hierarchical. Communication is more top-down than bottom-up. In addition, there is a lack of role models who exemplify the "modern workplace" and demonstrate potential. Employees are not sufficiently empowered to obtain relevant information, share knowledge or take responsibility.

Structural challenges: One of the most common symptoms of the siloed landscape is an uneven flow of information. Without uniform processes and specifications across the company, chaos quickly follows. This starts with distribution lists: If distribution lists are not maintained centrally and synchronized automatically, someone is quickly forgotten and lost in communication. Knowledge is shared informally in small groups: Those who were not present at the right time during the smoking break or at the coffee machine are not informed or are informed late. Within an organization there are departmental silos, within a group of companies there are corporate silos. Another problem is that employees do not have the opportunity to contribute themselves and their skills in the right places. The skills and knowledge of those involved remain hidden in the silo jungle.

Getting an all new meeting culture

The solution is simple: "Keep it simple" - digitally. This is exactly where MondayCoffee's Modern Workplace solution (CoffeeNet 365) comes in. Based on best practices, the collaboration platform enables centralized, simplified and efficient work - in real time and from any location.

“One of the most common productivity killers in companies is still having too many meetings.”

The rethinking already starts with the meeting culture. One of the most common productivity obstacles in companies is still too many meetings that are unstructured and without an agenda. This was also the case for our customer. MondayCoffee provided the Swiss group with a meeting app that makes recurring meetings easy, efficient and structured.

The app enables each individual to plan meetings, prepare for topics or introduce meeting points with just a few clicks. Meetings are now much more efficient and transparent than before, which was met with great enthusiasm by our customer's employees.

AWAY FROM INFORMATION SILOS, TOWARDS COMMUNITY

Modern collaboration solutions are designed to create transparency. Projects, but also individual topics, are visible at a glance with the help of such a platform - for everyone with the necessary authorizations. Relevant documents and personal tasks are easier to find and keep track of. And especially helpful in corporate groups: You can finally see what is happening in other departments and companies.

Work becomes more transparent and efficient

At the same time, everyday work becomes more efficient: The introduction of a new Workplace solution is an opportunity to clean up the old chaos in structures, processes or documents and to redesign the basis. Uniform communication channels, media and tools such as the meeting app streamline processes and free up resources for actual tasks. Documents are stored and edited in a central location on the platform - so that everyone has the latest version available at all times and from anywhere. Outdated email attachments in dozens of versions are a thing of the past. The tedious manual creation of distribution lists is also a thing of the past - the Workspaces feature takes care of that.

Projects, topics and processes are more transparent on the Modern Workplace platform and can be viewed by all - in dedicated virtual collaboration rooms that are set up simply and uniformly. Instead of the old e-mail flood, Microsoft Teams is used for short-term exchange.

Potential becomes visible - at employee and group level

The new way of working on the collaboration platform automatically strengthens the sense of unity within the group. News posts can be used to send targeted messages across the various departments and companies. All areas have the opportunity to present themselves there and show what they are working on and what competencies they offer. The contribution of new ideas meets with public appreciation and is actively promoted.

Often, this is also accompanied by a subtle change in culture: employees can show themselves, learn from each other, participate more easily and act as role models. High potentials, i.e., particularly committed employees, emerge more easily and can be promoted in a targeted manner. On the one hand, this has a positive effect on employee motivation; on the other hand, it also simplifies personnel planning and succession planning. In the long term, hierarchies become flatter and people work together as equals.

Working together more efficiently in virtual collaboration rooms

Onboarding new employees can be made more efficient, speeding up the onboarding process. But collaboration also becomes easier as information silos are broken down. Roles and responsibilities can be defined uniformly and clearly - whether within a company's own team, across departments or with external parties.

All in all, the potential of the whole group can be better utilized and interdisciplinary collaboration can be promoted throughout the group. This also opens up the opportunity to present a modern company or group to employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders - with an attractive, contemporary and modern working environment.

HOW DOES THE COLLABORATION WITH MONDAYCOFFEE WORK?

The procedure in such projects is always similar: In the so-called discovery workshops, we analyze the previous collaboration. This includes, for example, communication and collaboration, target/actual comparisons, opportunities, and potential risks and dangers. In the next step, we talk about the effects of these changes in relation to the current way of working and derive new collaboration scenarios together with our customer.

The third workshop aims to obtain a big picture of the new form of collaboration and to plan the procedure, structure and responsibilities. In the later workshops, we get down to the nitty-gritty, such as mapping the structure, working out the various concepts, such as for authorizations, news and also automating processes.

“Our work is done when employees can work well and, above all, happily with the new solution.”

Throughout the process, we provide our customers with advice and support and work together in a close and friendly exchange. Our work is done when everyone is satisfied with the new solution at the end. And to ensure that employees can later work well - and above all happily - with the new solution, we train everyone in the use of the new platform.

How to achieve the digital workplace: A conversation with EPRO GROUP

Simon Locher, Business Consultant at MondayCoffee, introduced the Modern Workplace Solution CoffeeNet 365 at EPRO GROUP, an independent group consisting of four Swiss engineering companies. 

The goal was to further standardize and digitize collaboration and make it more efficient within the group and on projects and to merge stand-alone solutions in a user-centric way. Alain Schlunegger, project manager on the customer side and member of the management board at EPRO GROUP, is satisfied with the result. MondayCoffee consultant Simon Locher still speaks highly of the project. A conversation with the customer and our consultant about the requirements for a good collaboration and important success factors when changing working methods.

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Alain Schlunegger (EPRO GROUP) and Simon Locher (MondayCoffee)

Mr. Schlunegger, project management on the customer side is a key success factor for our projects. The introduction of our Modern Workplace solution at EPRO GROUP went really well - because you took on the role of project manager in an exemplary manner, as our Business Consultant Simon Locher says. In your view, what does a project manager need to bring to the table in order to make the modernization of the way we work a success?

Alain Schlunegger: A vision, a hard deadline and a huge commitment.  

Digitization is part of EPRO GROUP's vision and the entire management is behind this vision. In addition to business processes, we also set out to further digitize internal work processes. This is where we picked up with the Modern Workplace project:  

We had only six months to introduce the Modern Workplace solution (under the name EPRONET). On January 1, 2021, the EPRO GROUP companies were united under one roof. We had to take advantage of this opportunity - and it gave us a lot of drive. To accomplish this, one thing was needed above all: commitment - from me personally, from my colleagues at EPRO GROUP, and of course from Simon as a consultant.  

In my opinion, project management is less about professional competence (that's what consulting is for) and more about the will to change things. Of course, you only have the will if you are supported and have the authority to make decisions. That was the case for us.  

Simon Locher: I can only agree with that. Making decisions is so important - you can always make adjustments later on. I would add 'business know-how' to the profile of an ideal project manager. Alain knows every corner of his business. This deep understanding of the business was very helpful. It also allowed us to engage the right stakeholders at the right moment. 

Alain Schlunegger: A decision is better than none. We decided some things at the beginning without knowing exactly what they meant. Because in the beginning, a lot of things are still very theoretical. I was relieved when we then switched to 'doing' and I noticed in the test environment that the decisions were correct and worked. For me, the step from concept to practice could have been even faster. After all, it's only in reality that you can really communicate what's going to be different and demonstrate best practices.

Mr. Schlunegger, you have devoted a lot of time to the project. We are often asked how much capacity such a project requires. Can you quantify your effort in these six months?  

Alain Schlunegger: Between 20 and 40 %. Especially towards the end, it got pretty intense. 

Simon, you also put your heart and soul into it. You felt like an intern at EPRO GROUP. That is not a given for a consultant. What defines a constructive and successful collaboration between consultant and client?  

Simon Locher: Mutual trust is the key. It starts with giving each other the feeling that we are working together towards a mutual goal. Then, of course, there is communication - which can sometimes go beyond business.  

What I also experienced in a very positive way at EPRO GROUP is the evaluation of success and failure. We had successful phases in the project, but also unpleasant issues, which we dealt with constructively. Everyone did their best to solve the problems and continue to pursue the goals that had been set. 

Alain Schlunegger: We are an SME. There is only one direction - forward. And at full speed. Performance orientation is above everything. Simon shared this attitude. 

“We took the employees by the hand and paid great attention to ensuring that they were provided with as much as possible - in other words, they only had to start practicing. ”

— Alain Schlunegger

And are you satisfied with the service, Mr. Schlunegger? What are you particularly proud of when you look back on the EPRONET's launch? 

Alain Schlunegger: Yes, I am satisfied. I was particularly overwhelmed by the broad acceptance. There were some hesitations in the organization about IT projects. Even though EPRONET was not a classic IT project, it was seen as such. 

What did you do differently?  

Alain Schlunegger: We took the employees by the hand and made sure that as much as possible was made available to them - in other words, they only had to start using it. I'll explain this briefly with an example: In our EPRONET, we have project workspaces for handling our projects. There are three different templates for these workspaces. Depending on the size, one of the three is chosen and the new project workspace is created. This is not done by the employee, but by a central point of contact (at the push of a button, by the way) - because when a new project is started, a number of other secondary processes come into play.  

Simon Locher adds: Therefore, for the employees, the processes are clear. They can concentrate on actually managing their project.  

The acceptance of the solution is also due in part to Alain as a role model. His enthusiasm resonated with the others. He also knew the organization so well that he always knew where the heat was and how to calm the waters. In the trainings we held, he was not only present, but he also took an active part. He picked up the participants on the vision, but was also able to answer everyday questions. That gave the employees a lot of reassurance. 

According to you, Simon, EPRO GROUP had committed itself to 'tagging' like almost no other company and had said goodbye to document folders and subfolders. How did you manage to do that? Replacing file servers and folders often proves to be one of the most difficult steps towards a digital way of working.  

Alain Schlunegger: We had optimal conditions for this - the merger of the two companies. Both companies had completely different folder structures. What they had in common: Both were extremely complex. Tagging saved our day, but it also cost me a lot of time. I didn't want to start with just five tags and leave the rest to the employees, but rather provide and pre-structure as much as possible early on. 80% of our work is project documentation - with recurring tags. These had to be regulated.  

Simon Locher: Alain saw the advantages of tagging early on. But more importantly, he also dared to go down the path - and he was even able to convince the 'folder dinosaurs'. Mainly because he thought ahead of the tags. He didn't just make the announcement "starting tomorrow, we'll be tagging," but dove deep into the topic. This meant that even during training, for example, it was possible to concentrate on 'doing' and showing the benefits. 

Mr. Schlunegger, has tagging led to employees finding what they are looking for more quickly today? How do employees benefit from EPRONET?

Alain Schlunegger: Yes, employees can access data and documents more quickly today. In contrast to the past, they always have access to everything, regardless of location. Here we have a clear efficiency gain.  

Today, all applications are integrated in one place and on one platform. In the past, you had to access different apps for different tasks. EPRONET does that for me and provides me for the task at hand with the right app in the background. 

“Today, employees can access data and documents more quickly. Unlike in the past, they always have access to everything, regardless of location. Here we have a clear efficiency gain. ”

— Alain Schlunegger

One example is the planning, conducting and follow-up of meetings. In EPRONET, I do all this in one workspace. In the background, the necessary apps (OneNote; SharePoint; Planner) are automatically provided and used. The information is then immediately available to the right group of participants. 

The meeting functionality is eagerly used in EPRONET. Are there functionalities in EPRONET that you would have expected more of? 

Alain Schlunegger: Yes. We have the possibility to chat (Yammer) on the EPRONET's homepage. That hasn't worked so far. I assume that the users do not want to expose themselves too much. They prefer chatting within Microsoft Teams or project workspaces. We use the start page primarily for CEO communication. 

But you don't just use EPRONET internally; you also invite customers to project workspaces. Have you received any feedback from customers?  

Alain Schlunegger: We only use EPRONET occasionally for our customers, but we have already received very positive feedback. The customers appreciate always having everything at hand in one place. This transparency also creates trust. Of course, there are also 'dinosaurs' on the customer side - people who still prefer e-mail for everything. That requires a little more patience.  

With EPRONET, we have also been able to increase our internal quality standards. In the past, content was freely copied together. Today, it is very clear that we only use the documents on EPRONET.  

Another important benefit is that I can use EPRONET to present the services of all group companies in customer meetings. All companies are mapped on the EPRONET. As I said, we want the most up-to-date information to be available there at all times. This means that I can also pitch the offerings of my sister companies. In the past, this was done on demand: "Could you please ...?" or "I'll send you more documents." Today, this is possible without being asked. 

Simon, CoffeeNet 365 is delivered as an out-of-the-box solution. A kind of house with different rooms that can then be set up as desired by the users. What do you like most about setting up the EPRO GROUP solution? Are there any best practices that you can also recommend to other companies? 

Simon Locher: Definitely the tags, but also the standardized project templates. The effort to achieve a functional workspace should be miminal. We succeeded in doing that.  

Third, clear structures, a common goal, a common plan. This was the only way we could keep to the tight schedule as well as the costs. 

Mr. Schlunegger, EPRONET has been launched. What's next? 

Alain Schlunegger: Our vision extends beyond EPRONET. The digitization of our business processes continues.  

But even with EPRONET, there is still potential for optimization. We are collecting the topics that we still need to address in a central list. In particular, the topic of permissions will still absorb us a bit more.  

In the future, we would also like to integrate quality management in EPRONET and map the processes there - in other words, connect the documents. This also plays a role with regard to ISO certification. But before we look too far into the future, at the moment we are primarily pleased that we have managed to take an important step in the digitization of the workplace – precisely on 1.1.2021. 

FEINTOOL: An essential step towards the digital workplace

Feintool is an internationally operating technology and market leader in the technologies of fineblanking, forming and e-sheet stamping for processing steel sheets. These technologies are characterized by cost-effectiveness, quality and productivity. Founded in 1959, the company has around 2700 employees in Europe, the USA, China and Japan.

Starting point

The Feintool Group wanted to renew its intranet platform with the help of Microsoft tools. Collaboration was only possible to a limited extent in the historically grown system landscape. Collaboration across the group was to be standardized, simplified and made more transparent - on any device, anywhere and at any time.

Approach

With the implementation of the collaboration platform CoffeeNet 365, the use of Microsoft 365 technologies was simplified and the right mix was found for the Feintool Group - based on everyday use cases.

Results

On the new platform, Feintool employees can now communicate via the start page, find important information on the intranet on a daily basis and find out group-wide news. At the same time, users can collaborate easily and efficiently on projects or topics across departments with the enterprise solution.

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FEINTOOL: Case Study Download

20 years MondayCoffee – about paradigm shifts, cloud and corona

Today 20 years ago MondayCoffee was founded. The company’s mission is more important than ever: MondayCoffee supports companies in establishing a digital way of working. 

A conversation with Reto Meneghini, CEO & founder of MondayCoffee, about the changes of the last 20 years, the opportunities of the current digitalization push and what they themselves have learned

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Reto, in the founding year of MondayCoffee the dotcom bubble burst. In its 20th anniversary year a pandemic causes far-reaching consequences for society and economy. How was the time in between? 

At half time there was also the financial crisis...It was quite an eventful time and I do believe that things will not slow down. 

When I think back to the dotcom bubble, where many people thought that the money, we could make with the Internet was pure imagination, then we have to admit to today that the opposite has happened. We have moved into the Internet era much faster than we thought. 

Especially IT – with the cloud. When Microsoft Office 365 was launched, we were among the first partners in Switzerland to sell the product. At first, we didn't know what to do with it – because the cloud was intended to help SMEs professionalize their IT in a cost-effective way. For our customer segment, the larger companies, the cloud was not on the agenda. Their attitude at the time was that they could do it better themselves and would never give their data into the hands of Microsoft. Today we have enough proof that the cloud works. In Switzerland, the Swiss Cloud cleared one last hurdle. 

Were there other paradigm shifts over the last few years? 

Oh yes. IT was a necessary evil 20 years ago. An expensive piece of infrastructure. A classic cost center. Today, IT is a success driver. CTOs and CDOs now sit on the executive boards. Many business models would not be possible without IT. 

“We used to sell our knowledge - from techies to techies - on an hourly basis as a classic service provider. Today, we are a service provider and a software vendor at the same time.”

— Reto Meneghini, CEO & Founder MondayCoffee

What was the impact on MondayCoffee? How is MondayCoffee different today than 20 years ago when you started your business? 

We used to sell our knowledge - from techies to techies - on an hourly basis as a classic service provider. Today, we are a service provider and a software vendor at the same time. In 2010 we launched the first version of CoffeeNet. Instead of doing everything from scratch for each company with the same result, we developed an out-of-the-box software that ensures an optimal configuration of Microsoft 365 and improves the user experience. 

The discussion shifted to the end user and from the technology itself to what the technology can do. Today adoption is on everyone's lips. But 10 years ago, it was very unusual for a technology vendor to talk to end users. Suddenly, we were no longer just sitting at the table with IT, but were invited by communications managers, HR managers and COOs to help them establish a digital way of working. 

In the year 2017 the Office in Munich was opened

20 years ago, we were only operating in Switzerland. Since then, we have opened an office in Germany and also serve German and Austrian companies. We have sales partners in other European countries and are able to acquire new customers around the globe. The cloud takes us everywhere and I am convinced that MondayCoffee will become even more international. 

Speaking of MondayCoffee: How many times have you been asked what is behind this name? What does coffee have to do with working digitally? 

I can count on my hand how many times I haven't been asked. BlackWidow21 and other exotic names were on the whiteboard at that time, when we were looking for names over beer and bratwurst. MondayCoffee was the one we liked best. If ever I made a good marketing decision, it was the choice of name. Exactly because the name is misleading, everyone remembers - that we are different from the others. 

“If ever I made a good marketing decision, it was the choice of name. Exactly because the name is misleading, everyone remembers - that we are different from the others. ”

— Reto Meneghini, CEO & Founder MondayCoffee

What makes MondayCoffee different? 

We are real experts and users of Microsoft products. But we don’t talk to customers about the products or the technology, but what they can do with them. We don't go for the classic feature talk when we present our product but show how we work with it and what the advantages are for the end users. Because they are often overwhelmed by the variety of Microsoft tools. We simplify their life with CoffeeNet 365 and by providing with use cases they can choose from leaving the configuration of Microsoft tools to the algorithms. 

We often hear you say: digitization starts with the employees. Have all employees now become digital overnight because they had to work digitally out of necessity? 

Collaboration still too often happens over e-mail, with a file server and a telephone. Although technologies to make teamwork more flexible, more efficient and easier have been around for 20 years. Companies are simply overwhelmed. They want to become more digital, but then they realize that the adoption of a digital way of working is more complex and it is easier to stay the same. 

In recent weeks, however, familiar patterns have had to be abandoned. Suddenly, everyone switches on their camera when talking over Microsoft Teams. Technologies for video conferencing have been around for over 10 years, and it was Corona that really made us aware of the added value. 

For example, we recently conducted training sessions on Microsoft Teams for a customer. Originally it was planned that we would concentrate the training on one or two days and hold it physically. Because we also always thought that was better. It turns out that several but shorter training sessions via video are even better received. The same applies to contract negotiations. I was always the first to say that you have to be on site for negotiations. Being able to look the buyer in the eye. The last few weeks have taught me the opposite. If this challenging time has had one positive effect, it is that myths have been dispelled and entrenched processes have been changed for the better, even for us. 

“If this challenging time has had one positive effect, it is that myths have been dispelled and entrenched processes have been changed for the better, even for us. ”

— Reto Meneghini, CEO & Founder MondayCoffee

What about the impact of this digitalization push on other companies? 

In times of need, we had to, or rather were allowed to, concentrate on the real added value of digitization. All of a sudden it became clear how important digitization is for our economy. For ourselves. Many will invest even more in digitization in the future. 

What I am personally very pleased about, as a long-standing advocate, is that the potential for home office for service countries (such as Switzerland and also Germany) is now finally being addressed. Many companies and employees will have noticed that home office is a good alternative. A taboo has been broken. 

What shall we do now to make sure this push for digitization does not fizzle out? 

Many people now know how video conferencing over Microsoft Teams works. But digital collaboration goes far beyond that. How and where do we store data so that it can be retrieved even after a long time? How do we plan tasks, work together on confidential documents? Every work scenario must be analyzed, and the best possible use of Microsoft tools understood and implemented. 

Let’s have a look into the crystal ball. How do you see the celebrations of MondayCoffee's 30th birthday? 

If I had looked into the crystal ball 20 years ago and seen where we stand today, I would have said "Never". I'd rather concentrate with the team on today. We have plenty of work to do, because there is still an incredible amount of potential out there. 

Change will come. And I am happy that even at 20 years old we still feel young, dynamic and eager for change. 

Do not let the push for digitization fizzle out

With the Corona crisis, the digitalization of the world of work is experiencing a boost. Many employees had to use different tools in a very short time to ensure continued communication and collaboration within the company. Microsoft Teams, for example, registered 2.7 billion meeting minutes in one day. 

But what happens when we return to the office? How do we make sure that we use this digitization push to fully digitize the way we work? 

3 THINGS YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO: 

Look at it from a broader perspective 

During this crisis, Microsoft Teams is for many what WhatsApp is for us in our private life. A tool that allows me to communicate directly with many participants via chat, call or video and to hold online meetings. But a digital way of working goes beyond communication. Topics such as structured digital document storage, uniform cross-departmental collaboration or a sustainable exchange of knowledge are just as much a part of it. Our recommendation: open the perspective, deepen the understanding of the different digital work scenarios in order to establish a structured, digital way of working.  

Automate the usage of tools in a controlled way 

Microsoft offers a variety of tools to work more productively. Everyone knows Microsoft Teams by now and this momentum should also be used to get one step closer to the digital workplace. However, before employees set out on their own to navigate through the jungle of different Microsoft technologies, we recommend that you take this into your own hands for the entire organization and understand where which technologies should be used in a controlled manner, based on concrete digital work scenarios and use cases. We have solved this with our Modern-Workplace-Solution in such a way that, depending on the defined work scenario or use case, the Microsoft technologies are automatically configured in the background and the employee does not have to worry about the choice of technologies, but can concentrate on his tasks. 

Accompany employees and teams 

During the crisis, many employees were and are forced to quickly familiarize themselves with digital tools. Some have certainly recognized the advantages of a digital way of working and are motivated to move on towards the digital workplace. They need to be accompanied on this path - especially those who still have trouble getting rid of old habits. We recommend that companies seek the exchange with employees, collect their feedback on their current experiences in the digital home office and use the momentum to establish a digital way of working together with them.   

We have been helping companies for some time now to establish a digital way of working in their organization - with our Modern Workplace Solution for Microsoft 365.  

If you are interested in an exchange of experiences, we would be pleased to hear from you.  

Get in touch

Get in touch

REICHLE & DE-MASSARI: Increased engagement and innovation power with the implementation of CoffeeNet 365

Reichle & De-Massari AG has been developing and producing cabling solutions for high-end communication networks since 1964. With high product quality and innovative, future-oriented system design, the company ensures future-proof networks and long-term investment security. R&M is the market leader in Switzerland and one of the top players in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

To replace the SharePoint intranet on site with a modern, user-friendly platform with improved social communication options and thus promote internal communication and commitment, R&M decided to implement the CoffeeNet 365 collaboration solution.

BÜHLER GROUP: Creating a future-oriented working environment for a digitally efficient organization

Bühler is an internationally active Swiss technology group. As a global company with 13,000 employees in 140 countries, Bühler needed a single platform for information, communication, and collaboration among its workforce and with external stakeholders.

MondayCoffee's cloud software, which intelligently combines Microsoft's most important technologies on a user-friendly and standardized platform, enabled the company to access, share and distribute all relevant information and knowledge - anywhere and anytime. Global teams can work more efficiently and improve collaboration with customers, partners and suppliers. Bühler has created a future-proof working environment for a digitally efficient organization.

RHOMBERG BAU: Family-owned construction company uses Microsoft 365 to unlock its digital potential

Rhomberg Bau GmbH, a fourth-generation family-owned international construction company, specializing in construction, resources, and railway technology, has started its journey of digitization. MondayCoffee, a trusted Microsoft Gold Partner, is supporting Rhomberg Bau on this important project, helping them take the fast track wherever possible to enable Rhomberg’s stakeholders to experience the benefits of digitalization.

For Rhomberg, MondayCoffee combined Office 365, Dynamics CRM and Azure. Using Microsoft PowerApps, Power BI, Flow, SharePoint lists, Dynamics CRM, and Outlook, three key processes of Rhomberg were automated, simplifying collaboration, reducing time expenditure, and increasing transparency.