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• CUD Smart Work Center Pilot launched in Almere, the Netherlands, September 2008• Launching Customers SWC Pilot: Cisco, HP, IBM, Municipality of Amsterdam, Ministry of Transport & Waterworks• Scaling Effort to result in 10+ SWCs in the Netherlands in 2009. A national umbrella organization is being launched in order to manage standards, collective reservation systems and interoperability of ICT solutions• CUD Replication efforts (planning, sourcing and in some case actual implementation) under way in Korea, Lisbon, Buenos Aires, Germany, France, United States, Kenya and New Dehli• KLM-Air France commenced discussions with City of Amsterdam / SWCs to include the SWC TP rooms into the global KLM-Air France/Tata TP network (April 09; under NDA)
Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen, Almere Mayor Annemarie Jorritsma, Cisco Europe President Chris Dedicoat officiating the pilot CUD Smart Work Center per Telepresence, September 23, 2008
A Smart Work Center (SWC) is an office center within a close proximity of a residential community, that allows workers to be positionedcentrally and pervasively within the context of their work, their peer work groups and relevant work processes with the help of high end broadband powered innovative IT solutions, next generation videoconnectivity and collaboration tools, and offers them flexible work stations embedded in a socially conducive service setting.
Smart Work Centers help substitute phyical traffic by bringing work to the worker rather than the conventional opposite practice. Smart Work Centers provide enhanced access to work, data and services to the remote, the commuting, the elderly and the newly started. Smart Work Centers help forge an innovative and connected urban work environment, spurring job creation and enterprise incubation
Reduction of travel time is main motivation with choice of location as value differentiator (significant difference between IBM/HP users (car oriented) versus gemeenteAmsterdam users (public transport oriented)
Average time gain is 66 minutes per SWC working day
SWC enables new ways of workingEvidence for SWC concept leading to more flexible and more productive working practice. [however quantitative results are statistically not very significant (n=15 is too small)]Typical work activities and characteristics match well with SWC model. Adequate ICT in place to work remotely (all cases VPN access).Main work strategy of current population is geared towards concentrated work activities on selected days in the week. Physical contact with colleagues remains important and is planned on other days of the week.Main value differentiator with home-based work is difference in mindset: In SWC mindset more easily set to work; no unwanted mixing with private life issues (disturbances)
SWC concept has growth potency…Current facilities, services and financial model comply well with a selling strategy towards the higher-end of the employer market
However, critical mass not yet reached: Different approach needed to increase seat occupancy
The initiative (and its value proposition) is not evenly well known in different parts of the participating employer organizations
The initiative is not always actively supported and promoted by management on unit level
The pilot approach is sometimes ‘misused’ by management of employer organizations to question whether the initiative is a viable, full alternative
…with a need for the SWC Almere implementation to mature24