google apps is key to door of more mobile workforce for...
TRANSCRIPT
At a Glance
What they wanted to do• Improvecommunicationandcollaborationthroughouttheorganisationtosupportthecontinuedglobalexpansion.
What they did • RolloutGoogleAppsto~2,500staffworldwidewhoareinvolvedinsupportoffice,laboratoryandmanufacturingoperations.
What they accomplished• Significantlyimprovedmobilitywithintheirworkforce,enablingstafftobemoreflexible.
• UseofGoogleDocstoenablemoreeffectiveprojectmonitoringandreportingintheITteam.
ChallengeSpecsaversistheworld’slargestprivatelyownedchainofopticians,withmorethan1,600storesthroughouttheUK,Ireland,theNetherlands,Sweden,Norway,Finland,Denmark,Spain,AustraliaandNewZealand.Storesareownedandrunbyjointventurepartners.
In2010,SpecsaversembarkedonanewITstrategytoimprovecommunicationandcollaborationthroughouttheorganisationandsupportitscontinuedglobalexpansion.Aspartofthisstrategy,thecompanywaslookingforasetoftoolstosupportemailandteamworking,tobedeployedalongsideanewintranet.Aswellasprovidingamoresolidfoundationforcollaboration,thesolutionwouldaddressissueswiththereliabilityandconnectivityofthecompany’sexistingin-houseemailsolution.
SolutionSpecsaversevaluatedGoogleAppsagainstanumberofleadinge-mailandcollaborationsolutions,initiallyimplementingGoogleAppsfor80usersinanewlyopenedlensmanufacturingplantinHungary.Followingthesuccessofthistrial,SpecsaversdecidedtorolloutGoogleAppstoaround2,500staffworldwidewhoareinvolvedinsupportoffice,laboratoryandmanufacturingoperationsacrossallthecountriesinwhichthecompanyoperates.
Duringtheevaluationanddeployment,SpecsaverswassupportedbyAncoris,aGoogleAppsPremierPartner.“Ancorishandledalotofmigrationissuesandprovidedtroubleshootingservicesthroughthetransitionenablingthepilotsandsubsequentrollouttobecompletedwithminimaldisruption”saysNigelDufty,Specsavers’ITServiceDirector.
AswellasenablingSpecsaverstoquicklydeploye-mailandcollaborationtoolstonewsiteswithouttheneedforalargeonsitepresence,GoogleAppsallowsSpecsaversto:centrallymanageitsemailsystem;utiliseexistinginfrastructures;linktoitscorporateintranet;andsupportmobileworkingbyenablingstafftoaccessmail,calendaringandsitesfromanyInternet-enableddevice.
“ We’re moving into cloud-based services where it makes sense. Our service desk application is already in the cloud and we’re looking at a number of other areas where cloud will be the best fit.” —Nigel Dufty, IT Service Director
DuftysaysthatassoonasGoogleAppswasdeployed,Specsavers“quicklysawanincreaseinreliabilityoverourpreviousin-housesystem:overnight,wewereabletogetawayfromthekindofissuesthatarecausedbydiskspacefillinguporoutages.Italsomakesitalotsimplerthatwe’reallononesystemglobally,withGoogleAppsprovidingafullyintegratedexperiencewithcalendarandmailsynchronisationavailablethroughanydevice.”
Google Apps is key to door of more mobile workforce for Specsavers
Case Study | Google Apps
©2012GoogleInc.Allrightsreserved.GoogleandtheGooglelogoaretrademarksofGoogleInc.Allothercompanyandproductnamesmaybetrademarksoftherespectivecompanieswithwhichtheyareassociated.SS1087-1205
BenefitsInthemediumterm,Specsavershasseenasignificantimprovementinconnectivity.“GoogleAppsfitseasilywithmultipledevicesandthatprovidesmoreflexibilityandsupportofmobileworkingforourstaff,”Duftyexplains.“AlotofouremployeeshavebeenusingtheirowniPads,iPhonesandAndroiddevicestoaccesstheiremailandcalendars,whichtheycouldn’teasilydowiththeoldsystem.TheyaretellingusGoogleAppsisapositivestepforwardintermsofenablingtheirworkinglives,suchasworkingfromhomeoronthemove.Asaresult,we’reimplementingandformalisingaBringYourOwnDevicepolicy,sothatstaffcanconnectwithanydeviceaslongasitmeetscertainsecuritystandards.”
SpecsaversisalsograduallyexploringhowitcanuseotherfeaturesofGoogleApps,suchasGoogleDocs,toimprovecollaboration.“Wedecidedtolettheuseofthecollaborationtoolsspreadvirallybecauseweweren’tsurehowouremployeeswouldwanttousethem.We’renowseeingincreasinguseofDocsandspreadsheetsforavarietyofpurposesthatwewouldn’thaveguessedatinadvance,”Duftysays.“Inafewmonthstime,weintendtorunaprojecttoidentifywhatpeoplearedoingandpublicisethattotherestofthebusiness,togiveeveryoneideasabouthowtheymightusethosecollaborationtoolsthemselves.”
Naturally,theITteamisleadingtheway.“We’realreadybigusersofDocs,fromthetopdownwards,”saysDufty.“Akeyuseisforprojectmonitoringandreporting,wherewecancreateasingleinstanceofadocumentthatmanypeoplecaneditratherthanemailingarounddifferentversionsoffiles.”
Inthelongerterm,GoogleAppsisgivingSpecsaverstheopportunitytore-evaluatethekindofdevicesitwillgivestaffinthefuture.“Forourfieldstaff,whoprovidedirectsupporttoourstoresandworkawayfromtheofficealot,we’relookingatthebusinesscaseforreplacingWindowsPCsinlineforrefresh,aspartofournormalreplacementcycle,withiPads,”Duftyexplains.“AslongasstaffcanconnecttoGoogleApps,theycando90percentofwhattheyneedtodo,sowe’renolongertiedtoparticularkindsofdevices.GoogleAppsreallyisthekeytothedoortoamoremobileworkforce.”
About Google AppsGoogleAppsisanenterprise-readysuiteofapplicationsthatincludesGmail,GoogleCalendar(sharedcalendaring),GoogleDocs(onlinedocumentandspreadsheethosting),GoogleSites(teamsitecreationandpublishing),andGoogleVideo*(easy,securesharingofvideocontent).* GoogleVideoisnotavailableinallcountries.
Formoreinformationvisitwww.google.com/apps