Softline transferred mail and communications of Snow Queen company to Google Apps for Work

Choosing a Solution

E-mail is the most important instrument of communications of personnel of the company. Before migration on Google Apps a mail system was constructed on the basis of open solutions on the Linux platform. Need of replacement of a mail system ripened in connection with the termination of life of the equipment on which it was set and also in connection with the shortage of volume of mailboxes and lack of a possibility of mobile work.

To select replacement to a former system, IT specialists of "The snow queen" conducted a market research. Different mail and communication solutions, first of all cloud were considered. The Google Apps solution of for Work which is completely meeting the requirements in terms of functionality of services and fault tolerance was recognized the most suitable for the company.

As the supplier of the solution the Softline company which is the only partner of Google Enterprise in Russia implementing Apps Google services in a segment of large business was selected.

Project Progress

Implementation took place in strict accordance with the initial plan. Specialists of Softline carried out exhaustive preproject consultation. Preparation and implementation of a pilot project for a test user group became the first stage of implementation Google Apps for Work. Then top management, and further - other employees was transferred to a new mail system. The product was successfully implemented in the existing working environment of users and did not demand changes in their work.

The cloud solution removes questions of support of service from IT service of the customer. At this Google Apps for Business regularly works, its availability is provided with vendor. At the same time the solution increased quality of work of IT service - a feedback on different problems of the provided services accelerated. On the basis of polls of Google Apps the feedback form was developed that allowed to obtain almost online service manager of a support service information on the level of satisfaction of users.

Result

Increase in the size of mailboxes and emergence of a possibility of mobile work became the major improvements in work with corporate mail. These results were positively estimated both by top management, and non-management employees. However there was also a set of other opportunities demanded by the company.

Calendars and task lists available to all participants allow is more transparent and accurately to coordinate work. And planning access to funds online, in the mobile mode, allows to create the working schedule literally in way, than many heads constantly use.

Geographically distributed divisions at emergence of such tool as Hangouts (service of video and conference communication), had a new format of communication. Employees quite often use Hangouts from mobile devices when it is necessary to get quickly advice or the comment at the specialist or the contractor.

The department of retail sales effectively uses video conferences. This service heads of small divisions for work of the distributed working groups gradually began to involve holding meetings, presentations in work.

The corporate channel YouTube is applied as a part of a system of distance learning to placement of educational video content now. This practice allows to save about 20% of the budget for telecommunications. Visual merchandisers had an opportunity to significantly increase quality of the work due to the translation of the reporting of shops on a video format. At the same time sound comments for explanations and text - for a feedback are used.

"Implementation of Google Apps allowed us to increase quality of internal communications. Moreover, there was new handshaking, many processes of information exchange underwent significant changes. The efficiency of collective work grew that allows all employees to use time more productively, and to the management - to keep information flows of the organization under control and to quickly make the justified management decisions", - Igor Lyapin, the associate director of department of information technologies of Snow Queen retail network noted.

"Google Apps implementation projects in retail always yield strong results. In the project for Snow Queen it is possible to see how each division finds the option of use of Google services for increase in efficiency – from IT department to the field staff of department of merchandising, from HR specialists to company executives, - Vladimir Savchenko, the head of department of solutions of Google of Softline company commented on project results. – In turbulent conditions of modern business the rate on mobility and joint work which opportunities are available to all users of cloud services of Google shows the efficiency in the first months after a project startup".