{"id":356519,"date":"2020-07-03T14:19:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-03T13:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/?p=356519"},"modified":"2020-07-16T19:12:29","modified_gmt":"2020-07-16T18:12:29","slug":"fa2-etex-group-future-proofing-employees-to-work-anywhere-across-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/work-productivity-en\/manufacturing-en\/fa2-etex-group-future-proofing-employees-to-work-anywhere-across-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Etex Group: Future-proofing employees to work anywhere across the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

When COVID-19 spread across Europe in early 2020, businesses entered a new\u00a0<\/span>digitally-dependent<\/span>\u00a0age.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

S<\/span><\/span>ocial distancing measures<\/span><\/span>\u00a0had\u00a0<\/span><\/span>asked<\/span><\/span>\u00a0offices<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of all shapes and sizes<\/span><\/span>\u00a0to close their doors<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0sparking<\/span><\/span>\u00a0organizations to quickly find other virtual ways for colleagues to meet and collaborate remotely<\/span><\/span>. But for Belgium\u00a0<\/span><\/span>building\u00a0<\/span><\/span>material<\/span><\/span>\u00a0specialist Etex, this was a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>step<\/span><\/span>\u00a0they were ready for \u2013 having already implemented a cloud-based infrastructure and collaboration tools back in 2018.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe already had\u00a0<\/span>a digital-first solution<\/span>\u00a0in place to keep everyone working remotely,\u201d says Dirk\u00a0<\/span>Altgassen<\/span>, CIO of Etex Group. \u201c<\/span>The majority\u00a0<\/span>were<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>used to th<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0technology and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>using it as part of their day-to-day, so when the decision was made it was a very smooth transition.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Having a familiarity of these tools meant that thousands of Etex<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>employees\u00a0<\/span>worldwide\u00a0<\/span>could transition to remote working\u00a0<\/span>with minimal disruption<\/span>. But with 40%\u00a0<\/span>now\u00a0<\/span>working from home for the first time, Etex\u2019s IT department needed to\u00a0<\/span>quickly\u00a0<\/span>support\u00a0<\/span>these\u00a0<\/span>people remotely and help them\u00a0<\/span>get up to speed.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, we would have\u00a0<\/span>had\u00a0<\/span>more discussions around what software people like to use<\/span>,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>explains\u00a0<\/span>Bert Janssens<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0Head of Technology<\/span>\u00a0at Etex.<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>But this was something we<\/span>\u00a0had to quickly roll-out to make sure everyone could keep working<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 and in a few days, we\u00a0<\/span>noticed a significant increase in usage and\u00a0<\/span>adoption<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and everyone was thanking us for it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keeping people at the heart of the business<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Founded in 1905,\u00a0<\/span>Etex Group is a<\/span>\u00a0family-owned<\/span>\u00a0international building materials\u00a0<\/span>specialist, operating<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>101<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>production sites\u00a0<\/span>across<\/span>\u00a042 countries<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>with<\/span>\u00a0an annual turnover of around\u00a0<\/span>three<\/span>\u00a0billion euro.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With more than 1<\/span>3<\/span>,000 employees worldwide,\u00a0<\/span>the manufacturer<\/span>\u00a0ensures\u00a0<\/span>it\u00a0<\/span>provid<\/span>e<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0the best collaboration tools and skills\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>its\u00a0<\/span>workforce\u00a0<\/span>through \u2018Connect & Care\u2019 \u2013 a key<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>group\u00a0<\/span>value that pushes them to\u00a0<\/span>nurture teamwork and\u00a0<\/span>find<\/span>\u00a0new ways of working<\/span>. It was<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>this approach\u00a0<\/span>in 2018\u00a0<\/span>that\u00a0<\/span>led Etex to implement a new\u00a0<\/span>cloud-based<\/span>\u00a0infrastructure through<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft Azure and\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft\u00a0<\/span>365.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/span>n\u00a0<\/span>March\u00a0<\/span>2020<\/span>, as social distancing measures began closing several production sites,\u00a0<\/span>Etex<\/span>\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>IT\u00a0<\/span>team\u00a0<\/span>remained<\/span>\u00a0confident they\u00a0<\/span>h<\/span>ad the\u00a0<\/span>tools<\/span>\u00a0to help everyone that could work<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>do so from home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>We\u00a0<\/span>f<\/span>ocu<\/span>sed<\/span>\u00a0on the non-factory workers<\/span>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span>we had 9,000 Microsoft 365 users<\/span>\u00a0who could work remotely, and everyone had access to Microsoft Teams<\/span>,\u201d says\u00a0<\/span>Janssens<\/span>. \u201c<\/span>Around 60% were already using Teams, so our focus was getting the other 40%\u00a0<\/span>acquainted with\u00a0<\/span>the platform so everyone can collaborate together.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Even though we started this transformation\u00a0<\/span>a few years ago<\/span>, it wasn\u2019t until COVID<\/span>-19 hit<\/span>\u00a0that\u00a0<\/span>everyone saw\u00a0<\/span>the value of\u00a0<\/span>these tools and the system on a whole<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Quickly adopting a new solution<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

With no need to roll-out any new technology, Etex\u2019s primary focus was on\u00a0<\/span>an\u00a0<\/span>adoption<\/span>\u00a0program hosted through the company\u2019s intranet<\/span>\u00a0\u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>offering e-learnings and online training sessions<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/span>communicate the benefits of<\/span>\u00a0Microsoft\u00a0<\/span>365 tools<\/span>. This worked alongside<\/span>\u00a0a customized program called \u201cGoTeams\u201d to guide departments on the new ways of working using\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0digital platforms<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome used Teams every day and others had never tried it, so there was a learning curve we had to address,\u201d explains<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Janssens<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cNot just how to start meetings and share presentations, but making sure people found new ways to continue the non-<\/span>work-related<\/span>\u00a0conversations too.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no bumping into people at the coffee machine<\/span>\u00a0anymore<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 y<\/span>ou need to actively approach them via Teams chat or call<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>t\u2019s that new mentality we needed to get across<\/span>, and these communications helped to pinpoint how everyone could use these tools in their day-to-day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>And, w<\/span>hen you\u2019re at home with back-to-back meetings, you may not realize you\u2019ve been behind a screen for 12-hours straight,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>he<\/span>\u00a0adds<\/span>. \u201c<\/span>So w<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0also<\/span>\u00a0wanted to make sure everyone had not just the tools but also the right guidance for how to work out of the office<\/span>, such as h<\/span>ow to organize their day, when to take breaks, and simple exercises to make a difference between working from home and being at home.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The intranet also offered training on other relevant topics<\/span>, such as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>securely\u00a0<\/span>accessing cloud data from home or using Microsoft multifactor authentication \u2013\u00a0<\/span>a recent\u00a0<\/span>move<\/span>\u00a0Etex made<\/span>\u00a0from\u00a0<\/span>a third-party<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>two-factor authentication\u00a0<\/span>tool\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>increase<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>user experience while keeping\u00a0<\/span>Etex\u2019s data secur<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0outside the office.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe online training was great as it allowed hundreds of people to all learn this information at the same time,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>Altgassen<\/span>\u00a0recalls<\/span>. \u201cIt was easy to translate and roll-out across our Etex regions too. As an internal program, we could simply share the training with our local offices, without having to reinvent the wheel each time.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Transitioning to a digital workplace<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Microsoft Teams\u00a0<\/span>has<\/span>\u00a0now\u00a0<\/span>become\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>n essential tool across Etex, with many non-believers\u00a0<\/span>who were reluctant to move from Skype\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>Business\u00a0<\/span>becoming\u00a0<\/span>advocates for the platform<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBefore COVID-19 we had roughly 8,000 Teams activities a day,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>says\u00a0<\/span>Janssens<\/span>. \u201cA week later we were at 40,000<\/span>, which<\/span>\u00a0shows how people can quickly adapt when everything becomes digital.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As well as a secure platform for meetings and sharing confidential data, employees are also creating their own Teams to collaborate more efficiently on projects<\/span>\u00a0— a<\/span>\u00a0feature<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Dirk is a big fan<\/span>\u00a0of<\/span>.\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a great way to manage our ongoing projects,\u201d he says. \u201c<\/span>After creating a ticket<\/span>, a new\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>eam<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0channel<\/span>\u00a0is available within minutes<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>he page owner\u00a0<\/span>then\u00a0<\/span>has full control over who has access without getting IT involved again \u2013 making things much simpler for any<\/span>\u00a0NDA projects.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Foundations for blended working<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

As Etex now begin<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0to reopen\u00a0<\/span>its\u00a0<\/span>offices, Dirk believes that the success of remote working will offer a new flexibility for employees in the future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0<\/span>reducing\u00a0<\/span>our\u00a0<\/span>main IT\u00a0<\/span>office to\u00a0<\/span>40% to\u00a0<\/span>keep with social distancing rules,\u201d he says. \u201c<\/span>S<\/span>taff\u00a0<\/span>have the option\u00a0<\/span>to book a desk, but m<\/span>any are happy to keep working from home<\/span>. It\u2019s a great flexible-working model and could be something we trial in the future<\/span>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span>downsizing<\/span>\u00a0office spaces in each region\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0help cut costs.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With\u00a0<\/span>an app\u00a0<\/span>also in development\u00a0<\/span>to help factory workers s<\/span>tay<\/span>\u00a0connected with the rest of the organization,\u00a0<\/span>Etex\u2019s commitment to innovate and find better ways to bring its workforce together is commendable \u2013 a value that\u2019s proven its worth in a very uncertain time for businesses everywhere.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When COVID-19 spread across Europe in early 2020, businesses entered a new\u00a0digitally-dependent\u00a0age. Social distancing measures\u00a0had\u00a0asked\u00a0offices\u00a0of all shapes and sizes\u00a0to close their doors,\u00a0sparking\u00a0organizations to quickly find other virtual ways for colleagues to meet and collaborate remotely. But for Belgium\u00a0building\u00a0material\u00a0specialist Etex, this was a\u00a0step\u00a0they were ready for \u2013 having already implemented a cloud-based infrastructure and collaboration tools […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":665,"featured_media":360207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1804],"class_list":["post-356519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-customer-stories-en","specials-work-productivity-en","verticalIndustries-manufacturing-en","stories-how-can-i-work-anywhere-and-everywhere","stories-working-from-everywhere-en","businessPriorities-modern-workplace"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356519"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/665"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=356519"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":356570,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/356519\/revisions\/356570"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/360207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=356519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=356519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}