The Future of Business Productivity
Microsoft held a showcase event at the Microsoft Netherlands offices in Amsterdam to provide insights on Microsoft’s vision for the future of how technology could transform the way we get things done at school and at work.
The way we work is rapidly evolving. People are demanding greater freedom to work at the office, at home or on the move, and the consumerization of IT, along with the introduction of the “millennial” generation to the workforce, are changing expectations of how we collaborate. Today, “going to work” no longer means physically traveling to an office and employees are increasingly working where they want, when they want.
Transforming the workplace to respond to these trends and to achieve the superior performance that is required in today’s competitive and challenging environment is a growing priority for businesses. On 26 May Stephen Elop, President Microsoft Business Division, travelled to the Netherlands to World Congress of IT (WCIT) in Amsterdam to provide insights on Microsoft’s vision for the future of how technology could transform the way we get things done at school, at work and see how Microsoft Netherlands has adopted a “New Way of Working” that takes advantage of latest technology to revolutionise the office environment and work culture.
New Way of Working at Microsoft Netherlands
Just a short drive from Schipol airport, the Microsoft offices in Amsterdam are a world away from the traditional corporate environment replicated all over the world.
For a start, nobody has a permanent desk – in fact, “no camping” signs adorn the walls throughout. The focus is all around collaboration and employees are encouraged to move around and work in different environments that best suit their activity at any given time – quiet areas for workers that need peace to concentrate on their work, a community area for meetings and interaction, relaxation zones and open refreshment areas that encourage conversation and ad hoc meetings between employees.
Gonnie Been, manager communications , Microsoft Netherlands, summed up how the Microsoft Netherlands office impacts her working life. “For me, there are two reasons why the Amsterdam office is a great place to work. Firstly, it’s an excellent and informal place to meet colleagues you might not normally have contact with. Also, for each and every activity I need to undertake, there’s a space for me to be as productive as possible, according to my mood or workload.”
And the results speak for themselves. The New Way of Working has resulted in:
- A 30% reduction in real estate costs
- Increased productivity
- Enhanced market reputation and ability to attract and retain top talent
- Increased employee mobility
- Benefits for the environment
There have been external endorsements too – In May 2010, Microsoft was named Best Large Workplace in Europe for the third year running and in the Netherlands for the second year running by the Great Place to Work Institute. And other companies like KPN/Getronics and Rabobank are also embracing this concept to enable greater efficiency and motivate their workforce.
But these changes have not happened by accident – they are a very deliberate strategy to improve employee satisfaction. Microsoft has worked closely with strategic partners to revolutionize the working environment in the Netherlands and beyond. As Eric van Heck of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, puts it, “From our research Microsoft came to understand how crucial not just the design of the work environment is for company performance, but how essential it is to consider employees’ perception and attitude towards working in this environment. We spend a great part of our lives working, so it should be obvious that to get the best from us we must be happy”.
Microsoft Office 2010
The Dutch office encapsulates Microsoft’s philosophy of enabling more flexibility in people’s working lives by taking advantage of products like the Office suite, Unified Communications and other Microsoft technologies to revolutionise the way the subsidiary does business.
The evolution towards mobile work and collaboration is reflected in Microsoft’s latest release of its Office suite. The features and capabilities in Office 2010 are specifically designed with the new way of working in mind. For example, it now enables content creation through collaboration tools that allow multiple people to edit Excel spreadsheets, build reports or documents in Word, and annotate OneNote notebooks, so they can conduct brainstorm sessions, update data and create compelling customer presentations without needing to be in the same room. And with the integration of social networking tools, people can communicate with their contacts in informal ways and have easy access to their latest activities.
Long-term vision
The advancements made in Office 2010 are just the start. The new way of working is gathering momentum all over the world and technology simply has to enable and drive change to traditional working practices. Changing how people communicate, collaborate and accomplish task more effectively is far from finished, and requires a long-term commitment to investing in a vision for productivity that spans the next decade and beyond.
That’s why Stephen Elop, president Microsoft Business Division, travelled to the World Congress of IT (WCIT) in Amsterdam to communicate Microsoft’s futuristic vision to enable more seamless and secure connections between people, teams and knowledge; richer and more natural ways to help people express their ideas; and precise and anticipative insights that transform raw data into high-value knowledge.
We invite you to take a glimpse of our vision to help you work more fluidly and productively in the years ahead. It’s going to be an exciting journey.
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