Work & Productivity

City of Liège: Facilitating decision making in difficult times

For many organizations, social-distancing measures brought about by COVID-19 have drastically slowed day-to-day operations – and for some, even stopped them altogether. But for local governments across Europe, like the Belgian city of Liège, slowing down hasn’t been an option.  From supporting citizens and businesses to protecting frontline workers, Liège city had to quickly provide stability during this crisis and ensure important decisions could still be made in a democratic […]

Advice to SMBs looking to adapt and recover

It’s no exaggeration to say this has been one of the most difficult and painful years we’ve ever experienced. And it’s first and foremost a human tragedy. However, we mustn’t forget that from an economic perspective, SMBs are on the front line. Too often, it’s smaller businesses that bear the brunt of serious disruption when […]

Northwest Clinics: A new era in virtual healthcare

“I am generally quite modest – I don’t like to brag about my achievements too much. But in this case, I want to make an exception. I want to tell the world what we have done.”  For Ed de Myttenaere, CIO at Northwest Clinics hospital (Noordwest Ziekenhuisgroep) in the Netherlands, breaking with tradition is becoming increasingly normal. In responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, his team have implemented a virtual consultation solution that has the potential to redefine […]

Reimagining education: From remote to hybrid learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a torrent of individual and small-group responses as to how education could be transformed. We have found a groundswell of interest in the question, “How best to take advantage of the new opportunities arising from the disruption?” What people desperately need are opportunities to team up and find pathways of […]

HUS: sharing data securely to make life-saving decisions

Illnesses and diseases don’t often play fair – an unfortunate truth that was proved by the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, heavily hitting healthcare organizations with challenges the world hadn’t seen in a century. Hospitals needed a rapid response to reduce spreading the virus without affecting patient care. A high-pressure situation for any institution, but […]

VSNU: coordinating a nationwide university digital transformation in one weekend

“A lesson for us during this crisis, has been that new technology doesn’t just change how you work – it also changes people and culture, which is something you have to support everyone through.” Director of Accountability at The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), Reinout Van Brakel, is talking about the instrumental role […]

Etex Group: Future-proofing employees to work anywhere across the world

When COVID-19 spread across Europe in early 2020, businesses entered a new digitally-dependent age. Social distancing measures had asked offices of all shapes and sizes to close their doors, sparking organizations to quickly find other virtual ways for colleagues to meet and collaborate remotely. But for Belgium building material specialist Etex, this was a step they were ready for – having already implemented a cloud-based infrastructure and collaboration tools […]

New report shares insights into making remote meetings more productive

How are teams connecting when they need to work apart? That was the question asked by Microsoft’s new Work Trend Index. The answer makes fascinating reading. The Work Trend Index uses surveys, interviews and data to explore trends in the way people interact with their Microsoft productivity tools and help customers plan for the future. […]

COFCO International: How cloud technologies ensured business continuity during challenging times

“I have worked at COFCO for 12 years, always in an office. But I have spent the last 63 days working from home.”  Marcus Seelbach, Chief HR Officer at global agribusiness COFCO International, is talking from his home via video call about the transition he and all his colleagues have undergone since COVID-19 led to the closure of the company’s offices worldwide.  “But thanks to the preparation and […]

How ProMobility has discovered lasting benefits of collaborative technology

Like many businesses across the world, Dutch car auto-leasing company ProMobility has found itself having to adapt in uncertain times: the company’s employees have been working remotely from their homes since the middle of March 2020. But according to Dick Dekker, co-founder and director of ProMobility’s Zaanstad office, north of Amsterdam, Netherlands, there have been […]

Find out how to deliver enhanced education through ‘blended learning’

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, our education customers have done amazing things to keep students engaged while learning from home. From eLearning innovations, to lifting the spirits with photo and cooking challenges – teachers and students have shown extraordinary resilience during a difficult time. Schools and universities have witnessed the exceptional value that online learning can […]

Maasstad Hospital: Working as one medical team during a crisis

In times of crisis, an organization looks to its leadership for guidance. As COVID-19 spread through Europe in early 2020, Maasstad Ziekenhuis Hospital CEO Peter Langenbach had planned to lead his hospital’s crisis response as he would any other – being present and visible, leadership traits instilled in him during his time in the Dutch […]