Digital Workplace at Witzenmann
With Microsoft 365 & Change Management to Optimized Digital Collaboration
Digital Workplace as a Foundation for Digital Collaboration
How Witzenmann creates State-of-the-Art Technology, a Future-Proof Digital Culture, Efficiency and Networking for Everyone
Efficiency
Gain
By a targeted use of the Microsoft 365 applications and the matched change management activities, Witzenmann could make an active contribution to raising efficiency within its own organization.
Mobility &
Flexibility
Functionalities of the Microsoft 365 applications and the use of an internal employee app facilitate the interconnection of all collaborators – whether they are in their home offices or in remote production halls.
Interconnected
Corporate Culture
The “Digital Workplace” project with its improved interconnection and increased exchange creates the basis for a modern corporate culture and promotes internal cooperation at Witzenmann.
Clarity &
Independence
The applied change management activities within the project enable employees to work independently and get a consistent understanding of the efficient use of the tools and methods.
Witzenmann is the global market leader in the field of flexible metallic elements and the global point of contact for sophisticated engineering questions relating to oscillation transmissions, expansion compensation, media routing and assembly compensation in line systems. As an experienced development partner, Witzenmann offers its customers smart and superior solutions with its flexible metal components. The corporate mission of the manufacturing company is manifested in the company motto “managing flexibility”.
- Manufacturing metal trade
- 4,300 employees worldwide
- 23 companies in 18 countries
Success in this sense is not the purely technical provision but the successful use of the tools and the firm rooting of the new methods in the entire corporate culture.»
Digital Workplace at Witzenmann
Overview of the Project
As a global point of contact for complex engineering matters, Witzenmann GmbH with its headquarters in Pforzheim is an absolute expert in its field.
However, the company with a long tradition since its founding in 1854 had to face the new digital challenges on the market. As early as in 2018, Witzenmann recognized the transformation brought by new technologies in all areas of life. Digitalization and globalization enjoy an ever-higher priority whose challenges Witzenmann wants to take on with a sense of responsibility and sustainability by starting the strategic initiative “digital transformation”. As part of the “Organization & Culture” roadmap, the “Digital Workplace” project sets the foundation for improved internal cooperation – also beyond department boundaries.
The project had the objective of managing the introduction of modern technologies with a focus on Microsoft 365 by means of targeted change management activities in order to establish the newly introduced tools and methods in the corporate culture. For this reason, the whiteboard tool Klaxoon® and the survey tool Slido® support the future collaboration in addition to Microsoft Office 365.
Heterogeneous work methods, many different requirements from different areas, but also the differences regarding the technical requirements of employees made the large-scale project a true balancing act between “standardizing work styles” and “preserving freedom and independence”.
The project was implemented in three phases and it was oriented in the process on the feedback-driven lean change management approach: envision, on-board and drive value.
The project kick-off was a first workshop for the project team to jointly define the scope of change, objective and focus issues, as well as the “stakeholder groups” of the change and the project. Then, custom concepts were developed to be able to assist the employees at Witzenmann on the path to the “Digital Workplace” and integrate their needs in the project accordingly. The structuring of a comprehensive multiplier concept supports the contribution of the entire staff.
Guidelines for use for the tools and focus issues – collaboration & communication, task planning & management, as well as information management & archiving – help employees in finding an answer to question of “when do I use what tool?” Custom-fit rollout and communication concepts as well as trainings and support formats were implemented in the form of online training, walk-in trainings, webinars, provided e-learning contents or also a bookable consultation hour (1:1) to support employees in the course of the change. The project team furthermore supported the entire project communication with a landing page for the project, kick-off events, in-person conversations with the operational departments or heads of department, in addition to direct communication with the organization-wide key user community that was founded in the “Digital Workplace” project. This way, the visibility of the Digital Workplace project at Witzenmann could be ensured and the motivation increased among the staff.
A special component of the project was the application by the name of WAVE, developed specifically for Witzenmann, which makes access to internal communication channels easier for employees and reaches all by virtue of its mobile usability – even entirely without own end devices.
The project is now being expanded by two perspectives: further tools and change measures are added to the Digital Workplace and it is rolled out to additional international locations using the tried and proven approach. Furthermore, an update radar will report regularly about new features and functions for Witzenmann, and the 1:1 consultation hours for employees in the course of the change will continue to be offered and managed by the experts of Data One.
Through successful change management, Witzenmann GmbH as well as its branches around the world succeed in taking the step to the digital workplace and thus to better communication, more exchange of ideas and greater flexibility in working together.
