Tander Retail network Magnet (Microsoft Teams)

The pilot project in which 100 employees took part helped to develop the approved vision of strategy of implementation of Microsoft Teams. First of all, the got experience is decided to be extended to department of maintenance of IT in which 1600 whole country specialists work^[1].

"We suggested to pass to work with new service by that to employees who needed really it. As a result the number of users increased on 750 people — Yanyuk Alexander tells. — With assistance of colleagues from Microsoft we provided training in work with the new platform, acquired "knowledge base", fixed the arising problems. Soon 1000 people worked with Microsoft Teams already and it became clear that it is possible to move further. Today 2000 specialists of the IT block of the company, the staff of the general service center use a product (within centralization of back office business functions and services). It is also important to note that today the new generation of employees comes to jobs. Chats and video conferences, discussion of any questions using nonverbal means of communication (smiles, stickers) — the habitat of communication of young people. In our opinion, such forms of communication facilitate process of mutual understanding and the correct interpretation of the transmitted data".

Even in the course of pilot implementation of Microsoft Teams IT specialists of Magnet found out: the sphere of possible use of a product is much wider, than it was initially supposed. In particular, based on this platform it was succeeded to implement new management tools technical support.

"One more strength of Microsoft Teams — the organization of work of project teams — Alexander Yanyuk notes. — In the IT block of Magnet there are several vertical divisions which are engaged in technical support, product development, development of infrastructure, information security. For each of them it is easy to create chats, to carry out remote video conferences, to carry out joint work with documents. And the flexible system of notification and management of activities allows to be focused on key aspects. Besides, we had an opportunity to quickly create horizontal project teams. All this allowed to accelerate considerably communications in the company and to increase performance in solving of tasks".

In the course of implementation much attention was paid to holding webinars and preparation of the videos telling about the principles of use at that time unfamiliar to users of the tool. Thanks to it it was succeeded to develop new approaches to creation of corporate educational video content in general, to transfer to the Microsoft Teams platform a part of activities on training and exchange of experience in different subjects and also to start the special channel helping employees to get acquainted quicker with product capabilities and to begin to work with it.

Alexander Yanyuk notes one more important aspect: "In large business application of Microsoft Teams allows to create more comfortable business environment. For example, thanks to carrying out video conferences and calls the effect of personal contact is created, and communications take place more effectively. It is simpler to control also "tone" of subordinates. Not accidentally I hold all meetings with heads of the distributed divisions of department in the mode of the switched-on video camera".

In March, 2020 practically all organizations were faced the need of fast transfer of employees to "udalenka". Also Magnet did not become an exception. As note in the company, it was succeeded to make it including thanks to timely transition to the Microsoft Teams platform. IT specialists of the company were faced by a task of the organization of remote jobs for employees with different functionality. For 2500 from them crucial was to save a possibility of operational interaction and solving of tasks within big groups. These requirements at the moment are also implemented by means of use of Microsoft Teams in work.

"Today on the Microsoft Teams platform the staff of Magnet exchanges, on average, 35 thousand messages in day, makes 500 calls and carry out about 100 video conferences — Alexander Yanyuk sums up the first results. — But it only the beginning. We see perspectives for further scaling of this solution both in the company, and for interaction with external partners. When all participants are integrated by a single communication framework, the transparency and efficiency of joint work significantly increases. And, above all, there is "one version of the truth" on any questions, including versions of the discussed documents, terms and stages of the course of the project".

It is necessary only to remind that transition of large retail networks to use of Microsoft Teams not only opens new opportunities for the solution of managerial tasks, but also allows to involve in a digital medium huge army of workers of the first line (so-called "Firstline workers") — those irreplaceable employees who communicate with the client face to face and in many respects influence level loyalty of buyers to a brand of the retailer.

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