The University of Liverpool – Implementing a new ‘Hybrid Working’ model
Background
Throughout the pandemic people have proven the ability to be productive while working from home. The clear benefits that remote working can offer both employers and their workforce has resulted in many organisations utilising a hybrid work model.
We were approached by the University of Liverpool who were refurbishing their staff offices and wanted to incorporate a ‘Hybrid Working’ scheme and provide a central hub where staff could collaborate both on site and remotely.
Following a series of discussions with Mark Wilson and Gary Swift, they had concerns with the quality of VC meetings and wanted to improve the overall experience. They were looking to implement series of mobile VC trolleys that housed a screen, sound bar and other AV equipment that could be deployed anywhere on site.
Key Project Criteria
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Enhance the VC experience encouraging staff to come into the office and ensure that employees feel engaged working from home.
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Give employees a choice of and control over where they want to work.
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Implement a room allocation system in the reception area where staff could book spaces for hybrid meetings.
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Deliver the solution within the specified window before the building’s opening.
Having identified the University’s key project objectives, we were able to suggest some potential solutions to help achieve their vision. Our CoACT and Wayfinder were chosen by the University as the most effective solutions for this project.
Against the clock…
One of the key elements of this project was to meet the strict 4-week deadline as the building was due to be opened in the first week of October 2021.
As an in-house designer and manufacturer, we were able to keep the customer involved from the start to the finish of the project, including supplying detailed 3D renders & design specification drawings and delivering our solution in time to start the new term.
CoACT
- “Enhance the VC experience to encourage staff to come into the office and ensure that employees feel engaged working from home.”
CoACT offered a straightforward all-in-one VC solution with optimal camera and sound bar alignment that staff could easily connect to and use straight away.
- “Give employees a choice and control over where they want to work.”
Wide range of VC meeting styles can be set up on the fly, including collaborative group work in open plan spaces or project work in a more office based environment.
- “Integrate all of the University’s preselected IT equipment.”
We take AV/IT into account from the start, rather than as an afterthought, and were able to effectively integrate all of the University’s AV/IT equipment.
Wayfinder
- “Implement a room allocation system in the reception area where staff could book spaces for hybrid meetings.”
Our Wayfinder enabled a touch screen to be securely placed in the reception area, allowing staff to see which rooms were available and book them directly from the screen.
The Result
The University are delighted with the outcome with staff utilising the VC trolleys throughout the Hart Building for hybrid meetings on a daily basis. Feedback has been incredibly positive from users who have noticed the increase in quality of VC meetings which has led to increased engagement and productivity across the board. Following the launch of this scheme, the University are confident that the success of this deployment will help shape further implementation of hybrid working across the campus.
“TOP-TEC were instrumental in bringing this high profile project together at short notice.
On behalf of everyone involved at Liverpool University, we are very grateful to Sharon, Simon and the team for pulling the stops out to get the nineteen fully customised CoACT trolleys and two Wayfinders to us on time.
The furniture has been really well received and looks the part in our latest hybrid working building refurbishment.”
Mark Wilson
Assistant AV Manager
University of Liverpool