DIGIT's move to open space
For three months now DIGIT members have inhabited the open space offices in the new building on rue Montoyer 15, also known as Black Pearl. This is the European Commission flagship project on new office design and digital workplace which will also be applied to the second DIGIT building (B-28) during 2017.
The new environment is completely different: no more private offices and classical telephony but much more face-to-face interaction between colleagues in the brand new passive building.
This new set-up goes hand in hand with the new organisational chart which foresees more cross-directorate collaboration to improve the IT delivery model for the European Commission. To achieve this, DIGIT experiments with a balanced mix of mobile devices and unified communication tools to support real-time collaboration, voice and video calls in the office and on the go.
What has changed for staff?
No more standard PCs desktops - now replaced with corporate laptops with a set of peripherals
Everyone in Black Pearl is equipped with a light corporate laptop and can work in a flexible way inside the building or remotely. It allows all staff to work anywhere, anytime, with the same experience independently of the physical location.
No more classical telephony - now replaced with the Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC)
The UCC service was piloted in DIGIT for a couple of years. It is a system that groups instant messaging, telephony, videoconferencing and document collaboration in one tool. UCC is connected to the address book of the Commission, so you have all the contacts as in Outlook. You can start a chat, make audio and video calls, collaborate with colleagues on the same document, and have online virtual meetings - very useful when you are in different buildings or teleworking.
As the possibility to make and receive external phone calls is also fully integrated in the system, staff members do not have traditional phones in the new building anymore. So even when you are 'on the move', you only need your laptop and remote connection to communicate.
‘’Usually, people start by using the chat function, then they get used to the phone and video, then they start using the system fully, with all its collaborative features’’, says UCC project manager Gregory Brankaer.
Less paper in digital meeting rooms - fully digital with touchscreens
The touchscreens allow better collaboration through sharing presentations and real time note taking. They are linked to the UCC service and allow quick connection with any member of DIGIT anywhere, anytime.
First impressions
DIGIT colleagues have had previous experience with the new digital tools, so the actual change is the fact that offices and people are not separated by walls anymore. For some it's more challenging than for others, however the advantages like more light and better infrastructure (corporate laptop and ergonomic chairs for everybody) are overall much appreciated.
What DIGIT staff members say about the Black Pearl experience?
Leontina: What I appreciate the most in Black Pearl is the light. The space is also much more open, the whole atmosphere is very positive. It really lifts my spirits when I come to the office in the morning.
Pedro: I really see the benefits of open space, especially the human connection and collaboration. Information flows faster and naturally – that's a must! On the challenge side, I have not yet adopted the right reflexes to make abstraction of distraction and get uninterrupted concentration when needed. I am sure it will soon get better with time and practice.
Bruno: Pour ma part, je suis enchanté du déménagement vers le Black Pearl: le bâtiment est de loin supérieur à ce que j'ai rencontré dans le privé, les équipements anti-bruit sont de bonne facture et la collaboration avec les collègues s'en ressent déjà positivement.
What can the new environment bring in a long-term?
”We believe that the digital workplace in combination with the new office design will increase staff engagement, motivation and productivity through collaboration, knowledge sharing, access the right information at the right moment, working efficiently from the best suitable place (office, home, on the go)’’, Gertrud Ingestad, Director-General of DIGIT.
