The process of 2+ people or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve goals. When we collaborate, we have greater access to resources. We also work faster and are better informed, both of which are vital in making more effective decisions. But collaboration requires active, engaged leadership to steer organizational change.

DataServ | A Case Study

The Situation

DataServ needed faster communications and more effective decision-making in order to keep up with rapid market transitions. We also faced—and continue to navigate—the challenge of disparate locations and a mobile workforce.

The Opportunity

Our President made the key decision to provide us with new technologies—Cisco Webex Teams and Cisco Webex Boards—that he deemed “Team Collaboration Tools.” We needed a secure space where we could call, meet, message, share files and whiteboards—it’s our space to find solutions together. What’s more, we required that these tools integrated into Active Directory and Exchange Calendar for ease of scheduling, adding more efficiencies to our day-to-day routines. It’s also a unified calling tool, ringing to desk phones, cell phones, tablets and computers. With our interactive board, we can present wirelessly, share whiteboards, video/ audio conference, and annotate shared content.

“Change is difficult, but leadership by example is imperative in influencing your team and overcoming adoption challenges. Embrace change.”
— Karl H. Seiler, President

We needed to connect with virtual team members through their available devices. These collaboration tools gave us everything we needed for teamwork at the touch of a finger.

Lead the Charge. Influence the Change.

Create urgency.

DataServ followed (organically) Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model. DataServ’s President/CEO made the strategic decision to transform how we collaborate, and set a challenging deadline—our Team had just one month to roll out the new tools. And from the start, our President/CEO led by example, installing a Cisco Webex Board in his own office and incorporating it into his daily operations.

Create a coalition.

At the outset, DataServ’s President/CEO was our Project Sponsor, and we selected a Collaboration Solutions Architect as the owner and developer of the project. The Operations and Team Member Services groups engaged right away as the power users and early adopters of the tools.

Develop a vision and strategy.

After soliciting input from the coalition and others, the Collaboration Solutions Architect and our President/CEO developed a framework within the tools.

Communicate the vision.

DataServ’s President encouraged our Team Members not only to understand, but also to identify the ways these tools could simplify our processes, improve our collaborative experiences, and enhance our work lives.

Power the Process. Power the People.

Empower action.

DataServ’s President required that our Team take action and use these collaboration tools to create their own Spaces that would improve their workflows. Teams created Spaces for work-related activities and personal ones. Most importantly, our Teams started using the tools with our customers to build and grow our customer relationships.

Get quick wins.

Our Collaboration Solutions Architect and Programmers learned how to create Bots that helped with automation and efficiencies, giving us quick solutions to both internal and customer pain points. We even created a directory to share with one of our customers. We now have 25 Bots (and growing!) automating and streamlining our workflow.

Leverage wins to drive change.

Because our President led by example, our Team embraced these new tools and continue to utilize them as force multipliers for collaboration with each other and our customers.

Embed in culture.

Collaboration tools are an integral part of our daily operations. We turn to them first to provide solutions to both internal and customer problems. Our collaborative tools have even shaped how we impact our community and respond to true states of emergency: During Hurricane Irma, September, 2017, we employed these tools to collaborate with one of our customers, just a few months after they first adopted them.

Share in our success.  Succeed with our Collaboration Tools.

Adopting these unified, team collaboration tools afforded us the opportunity to eliminate a mountain of emails, phone calls, and in-person meetings. Consequently, our communications are faster and we make smarter decisions earlier, exceeding our customers’ expectations by staying a step ahead of the market.

Like our President and Team, you too can.

• • Create a climate for change
  • Engage and enable the entire organization
  • Solve problems faster
  • Automate effectively via bots
  • Create workflow efficiencies
  • Build and strengthen relationships
  • Engage staff and customers
  • Conduct business faster
  • Continue to sustain and implement change

Transformative technology sharpens your team’s visibility into its operations, bringing you to discovery of internal and external needs faster. These insights empower your team to foster relationships with each other and your customers.