Modern Work: Proper preparation prevents chaos

In the Modern Work environment, as is often the case, the devil is in the details. Moving to the cloud is a good start. But to realize the many benefits in the hybrid, the tools must also be configured and used correctly.

Public cloud platforms such as Microsoft 365 play a central role in the digital transformation of companies: the workforce demands apps such as Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 for working in the hybrid, and CIOs are tasked with realizing cost-saving potential by replacing expensive on-premises solutions.

But what happens after that?

Once Microsoft Teams has been installed on employees' PCs and mobiles?

The first impression: simple and flexible

The superficially simple usability is followed by various chaos scenarios, because IT, users, management are often unaware of the challenges of the many hidden settings of Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft Teams is a very versatile application. In addition to telephony, conferencing and chats for communication, there are Teams and Channels for collaboration. More and more additional functions are being integrated. The goal is to integrate formerly separate applications into one interface that works for all devices and delivers on the promise of simplicity and flexibility to users.

At length, it can get messy

Yes, the apps are easy to use. But it's the ease of use that is the bane of many companies - namely, where users work uncontrollably with the various Microsoft applications.

Untangling Babylonian Confusion

The multi-layered nature of Microsoft 365 often means that no one can see or keep track of the big picture in order to manage the necessary digital transformation.

At MondayCoffee we focus on a holistic and integrated approach consisting of software, business consulting, engineering and adoption. This way we address different target groups in the organization and meet their needs and goals.

For business departments and individual employees, we improve the user experience and provide them with additional functions for more productivity in work and collaboration.

For IT, we enable efficient management of an orderly and secure Modern Work environment through automation and standards.

We accompany the management on their way to modern and secure work.

Want to know more? We look forward to an exchange with you.

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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.

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MondayCoffee qualifies for the extended specialization 'Adoption & Change Management'

MondayCoffee has received another extended specialization from Microsoft. This time for our expertise on the topic of 'Adoption & Change Management'. In May 2021 MondayCoffee already qualified for ‚Calling for Microsoft Teams’. 

The award is proof that our customers enjoy the highest standard of delivery and support in this area.  

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A PROVEN APPROACH TO DIGITIZATION

Digitization starts with employees. In their everyday work. A credo we have been aligning our consulting services and Modern Work solution to for over 20 years. 'Adoption & Change Management' is the core of our customer promise.

"Introducing a tool is one thing, establishing a modern way of working in organizations is another story," said our consultant Melody Fleury in a recent client reference video. She sums it up nicely.

To help us succeed in enterprise-wide adoption of our Modern Work solution, we take the following approach:

• We don't focus on the tool, we focus on how people use it. We don't primarily teach employees about the tool, but rather define everyday use cases with them and then use the tool to map these digitally and make them accessible to everyone at the touch of a button.

• On our customer projects, we actively seek dialog with the employees of the respective organization. Without direct exchange with them, we would not be able to fulfill our mission. Only when all of our customers' employees want to change their habits and know how to work in a modern way have we reached our goal.

• We use change management systematically on projects, and our Modern Work ready-to-use solution enables rapid adoption.

Learn more about how our customers WZW AG and EPRO have benefited from our expertise in 'Adoption & Change Management'.

BEST EQUIPPED FOR THE ADOPTION OF A MODERN WAY OF WORKING 

With the extended specialization for 'Adoption & Change Management', we are among a very small group of Microsoft partners who can offer a comparable proof of capability. In addition to the existing eight Gold Partner competencies, which prove our technology competence in particular, we are very pleased to be additionally recognized by Microsoft with this specialization for our consulting service for the adoption of a modern way of working.  

Mobile, desk-less - close to the customer: Why the digitization of frontline workplaces pays off

What do a ski instructor and a factory maintenance worker have in common? They are often forgotten when it comes to digitizing the workplace - with the aim of simplifying collaboration and communication. Perhaps because they don't have a workplace in the classic sense. Maybe also because it's harder to reach them. At least, that used to be the case.

Today, technology (software and hardware) has advanced to the point where there's no reason not to tap the potential of frontline employees. After all, they are the ones who have the greatest impact on the customer experience, guarantee the quality of products or keep production running.

At MondayCoffee, we also used to focus on knowledge workers. Today it's different. The ski instructor and the factory maintenance worker can benefit just as much from our Modern Workplace solution, because with dedicated use cases the potential and needs of these employees can be addressed really well.

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL TO ACCELERATE BUSINESS SUCCESS IN THE DIGITAL AGE.

80% of the global workforce is deskless. This includes firstline workers. These are employees whose work primarily takes place away from a computer - but requires some access to technology. This technology is out of date in many companies. While knowledge workers enjoy the benefits of a Modern Workplace, frontline workers are at risk of disconnect. Here are a few reasons why this challenge needs to be addressed:

Frontline workers are...

... the first to make contact with customers.

... the first to represent a company's brand.

... the first to see products and services in action.

They are the people behind the counter, on the phone, in the clinics, in the workshop. They build our vehicles, care for our patients, run our factories, deliver our packages, grow our food and erect our buildings. They include maintenance workers, salespeople, nurses, flight attendants, electricians, baristas and store managers.

They form the backbone of many of the world's largest industries. Without them, the ambitious plans and strategies of business leaders could not be realized.

DIGITIZING FRONTLINE WORK BRINGS EFFICIENCY, QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.

Frontline employees have tremendous but untapped potential to drive growth, spark innovation and accelerate a company's success in the digital age. This potential can be unlocked by equipping them with technology, information and a degree of autonomy to perform their jobs. Individuals must be empowered to deliver high-quality work.

AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS PROVIDED BY OUR SUCCESSFUL PROJECT WITH THE WEISSE ARENA.

The Weisse Arena Group (WAG) is an integrated service company in the tourism and leisure industry in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. Its employees offer customers unforgettable experiences in all seasons.

In 2020, WAG had implemented LaaxNet (MondayCoffee's Modern Workplace Solution) to support modern collaboration in their holocratic organization. Today, employees "on the slope" and "on the road" can digitally complete manual processes via their smartphones and the Microsoft Teams app, have real-time access to critical information, and share customer experiences with their colleagues.

Knowledge workers and frontline workers easily collaborate in the same solution across different devices. They are served with real-time information to the same extent and both benefit from state-of-the-art hardware and software.

To ensure that all WAG staff know what is happening on the mountain at all times, a special news flow has been developed. This provides the frontline workers with important and time-critical information via their mobile devices (Microsoft Teams app). For example, daily news posts are posted about the current weather situation, temperature, open facilities, or disruptions in rail operations.

FIRST THE FOUNDATION, THEN THE OPTIMIZATION: COLLABORATION SCENARIOS AND PROCESSES GET THINGS STARTED.

Investing in the right technology plays an important role in empowering the firstline workforce. It is equally important to challenge tasks and processes, rethink digital, and instill digital skills.

IT infrastructure must be ready to support a much larger and more distributed employee base. Securing devices and data requires new approaches. Especially in high-volume, high-turnover work environments.

But even before thinking about issues such as data security and governance, it is important - together with the employees - to understand the different collaboration scenarios and record them in a structured way so that you can then work specifically on the technical challenges.

The Zs

The Generation Z: young people born around the turn of the millennium. As the youngest member of MondayCoffee AG, I am also part of it.

Just in time for the Corona crisis, I finished my studies without a graduation ceremony after endless online lectures. My working life starts in a world that has changed enormously within a few months. During my studies, for example, I learned in internships and also as a working student what topics to talk about at the lunch table in the cafeteria or how to dress in the office.

From one moment to the next, everything changed. Which pants to wear to the home office or in which corner of the Munich apartment to have lunch this time without talking about planned and past vacations suddenly seemed completely irrelevant. The succession of lockdowns, messed-up gap years and postponed trips to Australia left Generation Z with a lot of time to think about what's really important to us in the context of work.

Leonie Bachmaier, Business Consultant & Produkt Management at MondayCoffee about companies that would profit a lot by getting adjusted to the hybrid office.

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1. THE HYBRID WORK MODEL COULD BECOME A SELECTION CRITERION

Since starting my career, I have worked flexibly in terms of location and time. My work-life balance is intact. My motivation at work is high. My performance, as confirmed by my superiors, is satisfactory. It's important to me to have a job in the future where a flexible work model is possible - and that probably applies to some of my generation peers as well. Companies do well to adapt to the hybrid in the long term.

2. LEADERSHIP IS PUT TO THE TEST EVEN MORE IN THE HYBRID

The enthusiasm to enter the workforce was strong in my case. Even with Corona. But it was also coupled with some uncertainty and perhaps a lack of direction. What happens on my first day at work? I turn on my laptop, and then what? What do I do when I'm stuck? Call my boss because of a simple question? I didn't know many of my colleagues yet. The conversations at the coffee counter didn't exist. The fast start to working life had its pitfalls - but the central question is, how do you manage the GenZ in general in the hybrid?

My takeaway since I started: In addition to the manager, who has to find a balance between freedom and structure, mentors play a very important role. You can ask them any questions, reflect on situations with them, and once again mirror your own further development in a different way.

3. SOCIAL MEDIA AS A CENTRAL RECRUITING CHANNEL

How do you reach GenZ talent? Clearly through social media. I, too, found my position as a working student at MondayCoffee via a job alert in LinkedIn. I was able to apply in just a few clicks - from my smartphone. Then a video call followed.

You'll have the most success recruiting Zs if the application can easily happen digitally, right where you usually spend a lot of time. Long questionnaires or cover letters are not for us. We focus on real-time interaction.

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. 

INFORS HT: Pioneering in a future-oriented working environment

INFORS HT is in many ways an exemplary SME. What began in 1965 in an empty kiosk in Basel has grown over the years into one of the most important developers and manufacturers of shakers and bioreactors. The family-owned company has a worldwide trading network and seven subsidiaries. Open-minded thinking and the implementation of unconventional ideas have characterized the company's culture since the beginning.

The open-mindedness towards new things also proved itself with regard to the technologies the family business uses for communication and collaboration. INFORS HT was among the first companies in Switzerland to replace its old on-premises telephone infrastructure with the cloud solution Microsoft Teams. As an expert in digitalized work platforms and the configuration of Microsoft technologies, MondayCoffee had the privilege to support them in this transition. We interviewed Pascal Meury (Senior Project Manager) and Julia Brück (Marketing Specialist) to learn more about the implementation and benefits of the new solution.

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Digital working has become very important in the pandemic. At INFORS HT, you were already well equipped because you had a future-oriented solution for digital communication and collaboration in Microsoft Teams. How did you benefit from the early investment in Microsoft Teams?  

Pascal Meury: The transition to the home office took place without delay. Our colleagues were already familiar with Microsoft Teams, as we have been using the solution since 2019. The digital way of working - especially in terms of calling, chatting, collaborating - had already been established. That was a huge advantage. The pandemic made it clear that we had chosen the right solution in the fall of 2018. 

At the time, you decided in favor of Microsoft Teams and against Skype for Business. What was your motivation?  

Pascal Meury: We had to replace the old telephone infrastructure in 2019. The investment in a new solution was unavoidable. However, we had already looked into the topic ahead of time. Our appetite for new technologies led us to look at modern solutions at an early stage. Microsoft Teams convinced us because it was the only solution that combined voice, video conferencing and collaboration. And it could be easily integrated with existing systems using familiar tools. Another important motivator was the requirement that the solution had to be sustainable and easy to manage for our IT. As an SME, we have limited resources at our disposal, and we need to make the best use of them. 

“Our appetite for new technologies led us to look at modern solutions early on. Microsoft Teams convinced us because it was the only solution that combined voice, video conferencing and collaboration.”

— Pascal Meury

And how did you deal with the risk of investing in a rather new technology?  

Pascal Meury: At INFORS HT, we are fundamentally open to new things. We recognized that Microsoft Teams would be the future. The solution covered our needs as an SME and we were prepared to deal with the remaining risk. 

With the introduction of Microsoft Teams, some adjustments had to be made to the IT infrastructure. INFORS HT had to be 'prepared' for the cloud, in a sense. What can you recommend to other companies that still have to take this step (into the cloud)? 

Pascal Meury: To take the step, because it's worth it. Today, we rely on the cloud wherever possible so that we can keep up with developments and offer our employees worldwide a modern infrastructure. At the same time, on-premises solutions would no longer be manageable for our IT, and this is probably similar for other SMEs. The advantages of a central cloud solution, integrated into the Microsoft world, are obvious. 

My recommendation is to know your own systems and processes well, very well, before you go to the cloud. 

“To provide our employees worldwide with a modern infrastructure, we now rely on the cloud wherever possible.”

— Pascal Meury

What did you do right when you introduced Microsoft Teams? What would you do differently today?  

Pascal Meury: We are convinced that we relied on the best solution and the right partner. A small project team dealt intensively with the change in working methods at an early stage. We brought the people involved and affected on board right at the beginning in order to gain a good understanding of the necessary adjustments to the system landscape and the impact on processes, as well as to carry out the necessary training in a targeted manner.  

What would we do differently? Equip everyone who makes a lot of phone calls with better headsets. That might have accelerated the transition from desk phones to headsets. In the meantime, almost everyone has returned their desk phones. 

Does Microsoft Teams cover your needs for modern communication and collaboration today? Or what is still on your wish list?  

Pascal Meury: Yes - our basic needs are covered. But you always have a wish list at the ready. There is still room for improvement when it comes to collaboration with external parties - for example, using Microsoft Teams Live Events for webinars. Or for digital workshops. But there will certainly be new features there soon. And to our advantage, the new functions will be available automatically, without IT first having to perform a system update. 

In your company profile, you talk about an uncomplicated and family-oriented corporate culture. Does Microsoft Teams help you to live this culture even more strongly?  

Julia Brück: A corporate culture develops independently of tools and software. Where there was no good face-to-face exchange before, there won't be with Microsoft Teams. But the solution enables us to communicate more easily - especially with our branches abroad. Today, I can talk to my colleagues in Brazil, North America or Asia on the phone easily and more cost-effectively. Work can be done faster. 

When asked where the greatest added value of Microsoft Teams lies, what would someone from your company say today?  

Julia Brück: Today, if an employee wants to call a work colleague, she doesn't have to switch between her cell phone and landline number to reach the person, because everything is synchronized with Microsoft Teams. And integration with SharePoint Online makes it easy to share documents between branches or even with external parties. I see it in my own work: everything used to be done via email. A document was sent via email, then the phone call followed. Today, everything happens simultaneously and much more efficiently than before.

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.

Download Case Study

FEINTOOL: Case Study Download

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

SWICA: Implementation of a flexible and efficient modern work environment with CoffeeNet

SWICA is one of the leading health and accident insurance companies in Switzerland. 

In order to provide SWICA employees with a flexible and efficient modern work environment, the outdated SharePoint platform was replaced and SWICAnet was introduced. Today, SWICA employees can communicate and collaborate in a more productive way. 

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SWICA: Case Study Download

The line between work and private life is blurring. How to find a balance.

Digitalization is changing the way we work. Today, with our laptop or mobile we can work whenever and wherever. Our collaboration solution supports this flexibility by allowing access to all information and documents anytime, anywhere and from any device. Tasks are no longer bound to locations or a specific time, which makes it difficult to set boundaries between work and private life.  

Who is not familiar with this situation? A quick reply to an e-mail before going to bed. A private phone call between meetings. Improving the presentation for the following day during a Netflix series. Before lunch break, a quick visit to the dentist.   

Where work and private life begins, and ends is no longer clear. 

Some use the missing border as an opportunity to plan and organize their lives according to their own wishes and needs. For others, however, the separation between work and private life is becoming a huge challenge. 

Also in our company and in customer projects we see that there are people who suffer from this blurring line. Especially when the flexible working model is new territory for them. 

It is important in that case to offer strategies to organize individual time better and thus to draw borders more easily. Here are some strategies that might help: 

Physical strategies:   

• Use separate devices for work and private life 

• Draw spatial boundaries, for example define areas in the home office that serve exclusively for work tasks 

• Switch off disruptive devices for either work or private life or at least switch off push notifications 

Mental strategies:   

• Be mentally present in the situation and completely detach yourself from the other area 

• Organize time so that priorities are dealt with in the highest concentration phase   

• Schedule time in your calendar for private activities 

Social strategies:   

• Discuss and coordinate availability with colleagues and superiors  

• Limit expectations about availability  

• Reach out to colleagues who are able to deal with the dissolution of boundaries, see them as role models or social support 

• Avoid linking work-related and private social media accounts 

These strategies serve to better control the boundary between work life and private life. Those who manage to implement these strategies may start to see the blurring boundaries of work and private life as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

Simple, fast and sustainable – the way we do business, the way we communicate!

Planzer is an international transport and logistics company.  

Already at the age of 3 years Andreas Pfister loved to play with trucks. Later came the trains. He is still at home in this world today. At the family business Planzer. A Swiss transport and logistics company with around 4,800 employees, 50 locations in Switzerland and 5 abroad. Every day, around 1,400 vehicles, 350 rail cars and 3 cargo bikes transport goods for small and large companies from A to B in a sustainable way.

Employees in the office as well as truck drivers on the road benefit from the 'Work Smart' environment.

Andreas started as an apprentice in the dispatch department - one of the most important departments in a transport company! "It is the linchpin between customers and truck drivers. Many people who work in this department used to transport the goods in the past: a helpful experience or rather a prerequisite for being able to do a good job when planning the tours," says Andreas.

Today, Andreas is responsible for project management at Planzer Support National, develops transport concepts for large companies, prepares offers and takes care of customer support. "It's always exciting when the theory is put into practice - in the go-live of the transport concept," explains Andreas. Will it work properly on the rails and roads?

But how is such a transport concept developed today? "Experts from several Planzer locations and customers must be involved. We used to send the documents back and forth by email, but now we use our online FamilyTable. There we also find all the documents relating to Planzer's own quality management," explains Andreas.

With its standardized structure CoffeeNet 365 provides the necessary orientation. 

The FamilyTable is MondayCoffee's out-of-the-box collaboration software. It replaced Planzer's existing SharePoint environment with the aim of creating a platform that combines intranet functionalities, communication and company-wide collaboration in a standardized tool. Furthermore, the solution aimed at a stronger integration and engagement of the employees, especially the drivers on the road.

"With the FamilyTable, I can set up my workrooms on my own, without spending hours on it. Project members can be easily invited, and if I need information from other projects, I have my pages that I follow just a click away. I like that," says Andreas. The tool with its predefined structure also provides the necessary orientation. "This used to be more difficult with SharePoint," adds Andreas. With his sleeves rolled back and a mischievous smile, he adds: "I have to admit, in the document libraries we still occasionally find ourselves using our old-famous file folder structure, even though that wouldn't be necessary anymore thanks to tags and the powerful search function."

It takes time, patience and practice to change the way we work. But it's worth it. "Our truck drivers post pictures on the road today via the integrated Yammer News Feed directly in the FamilyTable. "This reminds me of my time in the dispatch department," says Andreas. Or maybe of his childhood, when he dreamed of driving a big truck!   

Today, Planzer has a forward-looking working and communication environment.