​​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

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.

Get in touch

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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.

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

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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.

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.

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.

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.