MovePlan and ESB Group: how to effectively transition to a newly transformed space

When it comes to the new space and technology, what changes, if any, were made?

“In terms of some of the changes that were implemented, in the overall plan, we initially didn’t have laptops for employees. Fixed desk terminals were going to be put in by our IT Department, but due to Covid driving everyone to work from home, IT introduced laptops to all staff.

Furthermore, with all meetings taking place over Teams during the pandemic, the technology introduced became even more supportive of the space. 

You talked about the practical side of preparation and business readiness. A filing and storage audit was key. Do you have any advice for other businesses embarking on this process?

“What is key is establishing where you’re at in terms of filing and storage by undertaking an audit. Invariably you will have so much stuff, much more than expected.

We calculated what space we would have, and again on what each team would be getting in the new workspace. We presented this information to our senior leadership and middle management project Stakeholder Groups to get their support on the filing and storage directive that we needed to roll out.

From here we figured out  our easy wins, which helped with buy-in further down the line. For example, creating a centralised stationery store and declaring a stationery amnesty freed up a lot of space. We also held an amnesty for technology and telecom items, which reduced a lot of space taken up with redundant phones, laptops, keyboards etc.

We also worked with staff to provide them with the tools to know what to do with items. This included a process map, almost like a decision tree, that helped to educate on what to do with all the files and other office items. No doubt Covid helped the process because people realised that they didn’t need half the stuff they used to have on, in and around their desks, but it still became a fairly lengthy process, but our approach meant we got there.”

The investment in employee engagement was evident throughout the project. Were employees engaged with the design process? And if so, how did you reduce design creep with so much input from across the business?

“We ensured that workshops and presentations took place at all levels of the business as well as groups within these levels, such as our cyclist group, and health and safety groups. We discussed needs around showers and lockers, bike storage, ramps and extra space.

Town Hall meetings were a feature of our engagement and we also deployed an open two-way communications programme. For example, we had an email inbox to receive questions, ideas and concerns. We made sure we were very available to answer these, as well as having an open offer to present plans to individual meetings.

The project has been deemed a success for ESB and from MovePlan’s perspective, the team considered Sinéad’s team dynamic and forward thinking and enjoyable to partner with, which is testament to the culture ESB promotes.

MovePlan continues to support Sinéad and her team with ongoing services as required. Watch this space for more insight in the future.

To find out more about how MovePlan can help you with your next move or change management project, email us.

Find out more about MovePlan’s File and Storage Audit service here.

To find out more about MovePlan’s Business Readiness programme, head here. 

To read more about the project, read the case study here