BEST PRACTICE / OFFICE DESIGN
carpool. An honesty system is in place to record this, with a large percentage of employees choosing to take it up. Bike racks are available, as are showers, and even a dry-cleaning service is available, all helping staff to get active.
STEPPING OUT WITH A SMALLER CARBON FOOTPRINT From a more practical operational perspective the new approach to work has allowed MSD to reduce its physical and carbon footprints quite dramatically and minimise its reliance on paper. Taking into consideration travel and flexible working arrangements, the new design has allowed a reduction in office space by 30% and conservatively provides seven seats for every 10 members of staff. Current office use shows that catering for 60% capacity may be feasible in the future. The move has also removed the logistical nightmare of team reshuffles as there’s no desk-specific desk allocation.
PROOF OF ABW IS IN THE PUDDING
is home to microwaves and toasters and creates more of a cafe feel to encourage staff to gather for lunch and a chat. And it’s working.
DID YOU KNOW? About 10% of staff at Google, Facebook and AOL use standing desks, which despite their recent popularity have actually been around for almost 20 years
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A HEALTHY TEAM IS A HAPPY TEAM In parallel with ABW, MSD has also instigated a sustainable commute program, encouraging the new ‘lighter’ and healthier approach to work to spread beyond the four walls of its Macquarie Park headquarters. Essentially, the company pays employees $10 a day if they leave their car at home and commute to work by public transport, bicycle, on foot or by
The progressive and ever-evolving nature of MSD’s new approach to work has been its resounding success at all levels. In the wake of the shift to an ABW model, a survey of MSD staff has revealed that 80% would prefer not to go back to a more traditional model of working. But this didn’t just happen by chance. The vision was there and a committed project team came together to determine how people at MSD were actually working. Were they regularly using meeting rooms or the phone to conduct their daily business? Alternatively, did they want open spaces for brainstorming? Surveys were run, time and motion studies analysed, research was undertaken and the founders of the ABW phenomenon, Dutch firm Veldhoen, were consulted and finally commissioned to make the successful transition. ABW is not a stagnant model; it is a holistic and fluid concept that is part of the vision and culture of an organisation that supports a progressive outlook. Once adopted, the concept naturally engenders greater sharing and creativity, bringing staff together in new realms. MSD is just taking its first footsteps on the ABW path, but even in these early days the increased sense of place, cooperation and innovation is emerging.
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12/06/2014 4:06:59 PM