Setting the course for Modern Work

If we were to ask people of different generations about the way they worked then and now, the statements could not be more different. The world of work has changed fundamentally.

People spend 80% of their time working together. Remote work and hybrid work have finally taken hold with Corona.

Traditional organizational models are reaching their limits in our fast-paced world, as are many employees struggling with data overload and continuous distraction.

Two questions get asked:

• How can management establish an organization that is reliable and efficient, yet fast and agile to operate successfully in a fast-paced environment?

• How do they ensure employee satisfaction and well-being in the process?

The immediate answer: Digital transformation. Technology.

Our answer: A new way of working.

Studies show a productivity increase potential of 20-25% through the use of collaboration tools. However, only those companies that adapt their way of working, encourage open communication and knowledge sharing, and bring a networked organization to life will be able to realize the potential.

7 GOLDEN RULES OF A MODERN WAY OF WORKING

Over the past 20 years, we have had the privilege of accompanying a number of companies on their journey towards a more modern way of working. The following 7 golden rules for a modern way of working have emerged:

1. Networked organization instead of rigid silos

2. Hybrid collaboration culture

3. Scalable collaboration standards

4. Reduction of redundant information

5. Open communication as default

6. (Pro-)active knowledge exchange

7. Increased autonomy of employees

FROM THE RULES TO ADOPTION

How do you create the right conditions for these rules to be applied? How do you get employees to want to comply with them?

We have developed our own Modern Work solution for this purpose.

It focuses on employees and their work scenarios. In dialog with them, we want to understand how they work today - as individual workers, in departments, in teams, on projects or in work groups. With our out-of-the-box modern workplace solution and best-practice configuration of Microsoft 365 technologies, we then demonstrate directly how their work steps and work processes can be digitized and made more efficient as individual workers or in collaboration with others. Most importantly, we let them personally experience how a more modern way of working can simplify everyday work. More independence. Faster knowledge retrieval. Easier communication. Users don't have to focus on the tools, it is about the new way of working.

ORGANIZATION-WIDE SCALING OF MODERN COLLABORATION

We store and configure the individual work scenarios as corporate standards and on the basis of best-practice templates in our Modern Work solution. This enables the organization-wide scaling of long-term orderly and structured collaboration with Microsoft 365, while ensuring the necessary governance and security in a networked organization.

We were recently awarded by Microsoft for our expertise on the topic of 'Adoption & Change Management'.

Would you like to better understand the potential of a modern way of working in your organization? Our experts are looking forward to an exchange with you.

Get in touch

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The digital optimists

THE CIRCLE

Microsoft Switzerland will soon be moving into the CIRCLE at the airport Zurich. There is plenty of open space and collaboration rooms of all sizes for the approximately 400 employees in the Zurich region. Classic focus workstations, on the other hand, are down to 88. Hybrid working is no longer a vision of the future. We spoke with Marc Holitscher, National Technology Officer at Microsoft Switzerland, about the hybrid future. This much is certain: we have a unique opportunity to completely rethink the way we work now.

Marc Holitscher, National Technology Officer at Microsoft Switzerland

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Mr. Holitscher - around 400 of Microsoft Switzerland's 600 employees will soon be moving into the CIRCLE. What awaits them?

Not a place to write emails or make phone calls, but a place to meet and innovate.

Microsoft has been using remote work principles since 2012. Already in Wallisellen, the focus was on communal spaces. What is different in the CIRCLE? Had the pandemic led to short-term changes in the room design?

We have rented another 1,000 m² for the Microsoft Technology Center, which will open its doors in January 2022. There we want to meet with customers to discuss new technologies and bring them to life.

70 percent of our office space in the CIRCLE is also open to our partners and customers. We want to come into the office to innovate together. This trend has intensified once again. In Wallisellen, there were 290 focus workplaces. In CIRCLE, there are still 88.

A clear sign that physical presence is not required for employees.

Yes. With us - with a few exceptions - no one has to be on site. The individual teams should organize among themselves - in a way that it's right for the customer, but also for each individual team member. Studies show that people do want to get together. We want to offer attractive opportunities for this in our space in the CIRCLE.

You address the paradox that Microsoft's annual Work Trend Index highlights: 71 percent of the Swiss employees surveyed would like the hybrid work model, and over 70 percent would like to spend more time physically with their teams. Does Microsoft already have answers to this?

Technology makes many things possible. The experience of hybrid meetings, for example, is improving continuously - with Microsoft Teams, but also thanks to modern infrastructure in meeting rooms. Speakers and cameras automatically focus on the person who is speaking. The meeting rooms here at CIRCLE have been designed and equipped to ensure an optimal meeting experience for people on-site and virtually.

Technology allows for flexibility. Spaces can be customized. We should use that to our advantage - for the well-being of employees as much as for the long-term success of the company.

Since the pandemic, Microsoft Teams is probably as well known to typical Swiss citizens as Migros or Coop. What do you make of it?

We're enormously proud that we've been able to empower so many people to use Teams to continue working, continue their studies, or simply stay in touch with family and friends. At the same time, it was and is a huge responsibility and a real stress test for the system. The good news: our data centers passed the test. The enormous and rapid demand could not have been cushioned with any other infrastructure. It is gratifying to see that more and more companies are making use of the benefits of the Microsoft Cloud in Switzerland and that Microsoft Teams is becoming the center of everyday work.

“The hybrid is a reality. People want to work this way. We have a unique opportunity to completely rethink the way we work now.”

Technologically, some Swiss companies have made a leap forward. They have brought their infrastructure up to date. But Microsoft also often talks about culture. The new Microsoft Technology Center wants make technology tangible. After infrastructure, where do CH companies still have the most catching up to do in order to successfully create a hybrid working model?

At Microsoft, we live in a kind of bubble in terms of technology. At many companies, there are still people who don't have mobile devices. No webcams. That's where we're in a very privileged situation at Microsoft. We have and get everything to fully embrace the hybrid work model.

We think the 3 Ps are paramount for a hybrid future.

PEOPLE: People need to understand and be able to assess how they can use technology to improve things for themselves. This requires regular education and training.

PLACES: Spaces need to be redesigned to serve different purposes and new needs.

PROCESS: Every single process, no matter how small, must be put to the test and rethought.

For example, how will we handle confidential documents that exist only on paper in the future? Can confidential documents be taken home? How do we ensure that we get the necessary signatures for contracts when not everyone is working on site anymore?

We have a unique opportunity to completely rethink the way we work now. The hybrid is a reality. People want to work this way - for Generation Z, anything else would be unthinkable.

Jedes Unternehmen braucht jetzt einen genauen Plan, wie man in Zukunft physisch und digital verbindet. Aber wir brauchen dafür auch die richtigen regulatorischen Rahmenbedingungen, die es uns ermöglichen, modernste Technologien einzusetzen. Die heutigen Gesetze wurden teils vor der Internet-Ära gemacht. Auch sie müssen neu gedacht werden. Dies soll verantwortungsvoll und keinesfalls auf Kosten von nicht verhandelbaren Werten wie Transparenz, Sicherheit oder dem Schutz der Privatsphäre geschehen.

Wir bei Microsoft sind digitale Optimisten. Wir glauben daran, dass sich eine hybride Welt schaffen lässt, in der wir erfolgreicher zusammenarbeiten und besser leben.

How home office makes our offices more human

Before the pandemic, no one would have expected such a rapid switch from the model of phyical office presence to remote working in the home office. Some 18 months later, a number of companies, including the architectural firm Marazzi + Paul Architects, have arrived at a hybrid working model - and this is also having an impact on future office and residential buildings. We spoke with Alfred Paul, co-owner of Marazzi + Paul Architects, about the transformation of their own office and how the pandemic will impact the architecture of tomorrow.

Alfred Paul, Co-owner von Marazzi + Paul Architekten

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Mr. Paul - you seized the moment and remodeled the office during the second Corona wave. Did you have the blueprints in place beforehand?

We had the plans in the drawer for some time, but there was no urgency to change anything. As a classic architecture firm, our open office was simply used for working. You came in the morning, had lunch outside, worked in the afternoon at your desk or together in the meeting room, and went home in the evening.

With the pandemic and the introduction of a hybrid work model, office habits have changed, and with them the demands on the space. Today, our employees come to the office primarily for social moments. Our kitchen and coffee corner now take up a lot of space, as do the dedicated meeting corners.

So the way you work is different today?

Yes. In the first wave, we had to say goodbye to the fixed workstation in the office within 24 hours and switch completely to a digital and location-independent way of working. I would never have thought that this could be so uncomplicated.

But we have learned that we don't need fixed desks to be able to work well as a team and with customers. Technologically, such a set-up would not have been possible two years ago. Today, we want to benefit from this and offer our employees a flexible working model.

How do you define the flexible working model? Are there any new regulations?

We involved our employees in defining our new working model. During Corona, we conducted a survey. The result: no one wants to work 100% from home or in the office. In our employment contracts, we have now stipulated that employees have the option of working from home between 40-50% (for a 100% position). One regulation stipulates that each employee must decide in advance what his or her split will be. Block times also apply in our home office, and we have also reorganized the issues of ergonomics and infrastructure in the workplace. For example, our employees now receive a fixed annual contribution to the cost of investing in their home office, but they are responsible for complying with labor law regulations at home. And - Thursday is office day for everyone. On one day, we want to be able to talk personally with all employees in the office.

“New needs evolve from changes and these can be addressed through continuous dialogue with employees.”

You've been living the hybrid work model for some time now. Are there any blind spots?

New work models have to be well thought out. Setting up the workplace at home should not be underestimated. There are certainly things we need to adapt again in the long term. New needs evolve from changes. We have been able to respond to many of them and currently have a very high level of employee satisfaction. Others we do not yet know. I think it's important to maintain an ongoing dialog with our employees.

Change of perspective: Marazzi + Paul Architekten designs and implements office renovations and new buildings. Are the first Corona effects already noticeable in the architecture? What ideas are architects dreaming about for new or redesigned office buildings?

The pandemic is a catalyst for trends that were already there before: from fixed, dedicated desks to shared desks. Sharing is being demanded more than average. The office is becoming a hub, workplaces are becoming denser, meeting zones are multiplying. Employees come to the office because they feel comfortable there, have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with others in a welcoming environment.

What developments do you predict in the planning of residential buildings? Will there be more co-working spaces in housing developments? Or will the office in the apartment become the standard?

Do you remember the common room in a block of flats that was not used by anyone? And mostly served as a storage room? Now there is a real need for such a room.

We are currently working on a project where we are thinking specifically about a co-working space in a housing estate - from the kitchen to the infrastructure to the technology.

In the future, work will no longer be spatially bound. With 5G and the tools that are available to us, we will also increasingly work in public spaces.

This is also a huge opportunity for us architects. At Marazzi + Paul Architekten, we always take a very close look at the place where our buildings are created. If we can now work on site, on location, in the future, this can create a completely different relationship with the people in the surrounding area.

In the previously mentioned project, we had the residents draw a postcard in order to understand how they envision their surroundings in the future. Such a place analysis could take on other dimensions in the future.

“In the future, work will no longer be spatially bound. With 5G and the tools that are available to us, we will also increasingly work in public spaces. ”

What effect would such developments, working from anywhere, have on the planning of public space?

Whether private, semi-private or public, spaces are being used in ever more complex ways. The restaurant becomes a place of work. The bank branch becomes a place to work. The park bench in the green becomes a workplace. In the future, we could also welcome co-workers from other industries in our office. School rooms or even soccer stadiums could be used twice.

I have always had the vision of a flying classroom. Students move around the city like nomads, exploring places, learning new things as they experience them. Technology gives us room for new ideas. Let's see what comes of it.

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Illustrations: The Office of Marazzi + Paul Architects

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. 

Using TIME effectively

Our CEO Reto Meneghini writes about the past year in his blog post (German only):

"We had the opportunity this year to try out a lot of new things in the world of work. Using the learnings gained from this, the task now is to shape the 'future of work'."

ONE learning is being discussed very intensively at the moment: the downside of working from home. The blurring of the borders between work and private life and too much disconnection among work colleagues can have a negative impact on the well-being of employees as well as on the performance and innovation capacity of teams and organizations.

We have finally moved away from seeing remote working primarily as a feel-good issue for selected employees - and we are already learning about the limits of 'mass-scale working from home'.

The work model of the future is hybrid

Like so often, it's a matter of finding a middle ground. A combination of virtual and face-to-face collaboration, of home office and in the office - but with new rules (see blog post "Let's go hybrid") and with the help of the right tools. So that employees can work - and live - in a 'healthy' way. So that leaders can successfully manage their teams remotely and companies can make the best use of a hybrid work model.

We want to respond to the changing nature of modern collaboration: first and foremost by helping our clients to understand how the factor ‘time’ is dealt with. Based on this, it is important to set the right course for healthy modern working - in the hybrid model.

“Setting the course for healthy modern working - in the hybrid model.”

Workplace Analytics

For this purpose, two dimensions are important: that of the individual worker and that of the teams and the organization.

Employees should be able to access and use the right tools from anywhere to maintain healthy separation between work and private life. Microsoft has developed MyAnalytics for this purpose: With this tool, employees can better manage their working hours and increase their well-being at work based on individual data analysis. Among other things, MyAnalytics helps me to create important free spaces for my personal tasks in my tightly packed schedule.

Microsoft Workplace Analytics (WPA) extends the idea of MyAnalytics to the enterprise level, targeting decision makers rather than individual workers. Team leaders, department managers, and corporate CEOs can use WPA to more easily understand how the resource 'time' is generally used in the company:

• Time for individual work versus cross-team and cross-company collaboration.

• Time for innovation and creativity versus time for day-to-day tasks

• Time for meetings versus focus work

• Time for the team versus own work

• Time for oneself versus time for the community

Microsoft Workplace Analytics provides data-driven insights into work patterns that impact well-being, productivity and business performance. With this understanding, challenges of various kinds can be addressed in a targeted or preventative manner: Work patterns that increase the risk of burnout, reduce efficiency, or impact team performance can be identified. Resource-intensive activities can be examined even more specifically in terms of cost/benefit.

The analytics app supports companies in developing a deeper understanding of their internal organization and deriving opportunities for improvement from this - which can be particularly helpful for healthy, modern work in the hybrid model.

No conclusions about individuals

Important to know: Protective measures such as anonymization, aggregation and 'differential privacy' are integrated in the tool by default to protect personal data. Thus, no conclusions can be drawn about individuals. WPA can be used in compliance with legal regulations such as the GDPR.

Where to start?

Microsoft Workplace Analytics opens up many new possibilities. The question that comes up is thus, which are the objectives to be pursued.

We recommend that companies start with small steps: gain initial experience in teams before taking a closer look at the organization as a whole. One example is the sales team: based on behavioral patterns, successful sales teams can be compared with less successful ones. Based on this comparison, data-driven action plans for optimization can be recommended and implemented. Changes in behavioral patterns can be made visible through regular measurement and analysis.

This is just one example of many. As a certified WPA Microsoft partner (see box), we can support companies in the use of WPA - from initial analysis, configuration and monitoring to evaluation and consulting for improvement programs.

Interested in what opportunities WPA offers your organization? We are happy to talk about it with you.

Get in touch

Contact form - Workplace Analytics

Andreas Hänni is Partner and COO at MondayCoffee AG.

Let’s go hybrid

Working in homely confinement with nothing but virtual connections to our colleagues, customers and business partners has left us longing for more.  

Since the pandemic forced us into home office, only few real in-person meetings took place – and the most fun ones are still missing: the informal chat by the coffee corner or at a colleague’s desk. Or an afterwork beer. Or the yearly office dinner.  

The question that is popping up increasingly is: Will the old office culture come back? Do we want to go back?  

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ONLY NOW, WE KNOW 

While some industries such as media, telco, IT and energy practiced remote work for decades already, most of us hardly ever worked from home at all. Many of us weren’t even sure if it was such a good idea. I remember discussions about all the downsides of letting employees work from home: how impossible it would be to manage them. How unproductive it would get outside of the office. 

“The biggest challenge: maintaining personal relations.”

Today, the perception of remote work as a feel-good perk for selected employees is gone. One year into the pandemic the advantages have stood the test - and the real challenges have emerged. The biggest one, in my opinion: maintaining personal relations. Yes, we’ve tried the virtual coffee break and the virtual afterwork beer. But - don’t you think it is kind of awkward?  

DISCOVERING A NEW HYBRID 

So, what’s next?  As we get out of the pandemic-inflicted lockdowns, some of our remote work behavior will be here to stay. In fact, a BCG-survey with thousands of managers and employees across Europe, foresees a much higher share of remote work than before. It also says that this will come with several advantages: higher productivity, lower office costs, and higher employee benefits.  
Survey participants were also asked about the challenges of remote work - the answer: maintaining work culture, ensuring team engagement, innovating, controlling and driving productivity will no longer work the same way. 

Some of our old office behavior must and will come back - but in a new form, called hybrid.  A combination of in-person with virtual collaboration. A combination of at-home and in-the-office - but with different parameters or rules. We won’t necessarily go to the office to just sit there at our personal desk. But because we want to meet a specific group of people to collaborate in a specific format. We don’t work from home, just because it gives us more flexibility, or because we belong to the lucky ones who are allowed to do so. But because we are more productive at home for specific activities.  

“Our old office behavior must and will come back - but in a new form, called hybrid.”

At MondayCoffee, where I work, we have moved our information infrastructure to the Microsoft cloud as soon as it became possible about seven years ago. Even before the pandemic, I can’t remember office meetings without remote contributors, digital whiteboards or video conferencing.
And even in our company we are longing to get back into the office, especially for certain collaboration scenarios. Innovation workshops, training sessions and team building just are much more effective, when taking place in-person. And if these are the key reasons for being in the office, this will question the current room layout there: Less individual workplaces, more and new formats of meeting spaces that take into account the specific collaboration requirements.

“Employees have to manage the blurry line between personal and professional lives as well as the difference between – and the combination of – physical and digital work.”

WE NEED NEW RULES  

How to organize ‘hybrid work’ should be openly discussed in companies. New rules need to be established. First and foremost, to ensure the health of our employees.  

Employees have to manage the blurry line between personal and professional lives as well as the difference between – and the combination of – physical and digital work. Companies and their managers need to give employees the right tools and set the suitable rules to keep a healthy balance. Employees need to resist the temptation of checking company posts and notifications when they should be enjoying their personal time instead. But not just the employees; managers also need support in how to lead teams in a hybrid world. 

There is a whole new ground to be discovered. And I’m looking forward, together with my colleagues at MondayCoffee to go and determine the best way of working in this emerging hybrid environment. I’m confident that this time of change will bring us many innovations and opportunities to make work more effective, efficient and healthy at the same time.

Mark Albrecht is Director Corporate Development at MondayCoffee AG..

Source illustrations: vecteezy.com