Comcare is a charitable trust that aims to contribute positively to the recovery of people who experience mental illness and addictions through the provision of quality community services, social housing, and by supporting mental health sector development.
The organisation is also a registered Community Housing Provider working across the Canterbury Region and provides supported employment services.
Comcare Community Housing specialises in housing people whose lives have been significantly impacted by mental illness and/or addictions in modern single person flats in small complexes.
KEY RESULTS
- Successful transition to an agile workplace model with devices that met staff members’ needs
- Empowered Comcare’s workforce to be more mobile
- Seamless transition combining teams from 6 offices into one office premise without IT issues
THE ISSUE
Comcare needed to ensure that when it relocated from six offices into one new unified office, it created an IT environment that supported an agile workplace and a mobile workforce.
It had determined that giving staff members the freedom to work anywhere inside and outside the office was an effective way to save on overhead costs and by reducing redundant office space, it was able to invest less on expenses such as desks, office materials, etc. and could redirect these savings to other mission-critical resources.
It also allowed Comcare to designate spaces for meetings and break-out areas, creating more versatile spaces for teams. Within the office, each team was allocated a 'neighbourhood' they were loosely aligned to, but they could choose to work on different pieces of furniture (standing desks, bar leaners with stools, sofa booths) or on other floors with other teams.
This transition required them to bring staff along on the journey and most importantly, give them technology capable of supporting them in this new environment.
THE SOLUTION
Comcare Business Manager David Callis worked closely with PB Tech Project Manager Tyler Coster and identified that the most suitable mobile device for staff was a Microsoft Surface Pro 7 after testing multiple devices with 4G support.
“The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 devices were a perfect match. They could accommodate staff needs as an agile device and they were perfect for remote work with LTE connectivity while easily being fully connected back at the office,” said Coster.
“The Surface Pro 7 devices were also a breeze for the Comcare IT team to manage and seamlessly provision and deploy with Microsoft Autopilot.”
PB Tech was able to supply the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 devices at a very competitive price.
It also tested and recommended all of the other accessories to support the use of these devices inside and outside of the office including a Microsoft Surface Type Cover and Surface Pen, a carry case, screen protector and protective shell for the device itself.
“In short, PB Tech became a one-stop-shop for the solution selected; from the provision of early devices for trialling; to the supply of all the screens, docks, and cabling for the office; and every last thing we would need for staff to be mobile - from the devices themselves to the accessories and warranties,” said Callis.
“PB Tech took the time to really ‘drill down’ and understand not just what we said we wanted, but what we actually wanted and what we were trying to achieve.”
THE RESULTS
In conjunction with the Conference and Meeting Room solutions (also supplied by PB Tech), the procurement of furniture to set up an agile workplace and mobile devices, PB Tech effectively partnered with Comcare to create the office environment it hoped to achieve.
“We had previous dealings with PB Tech staff and felt very comfortable dealing with them plus they took time to really understand our needs,” Callis said.
“This wasn’t an easy or straightforward process and at the start, we weren’t even sure ourselves.”
He adds, “Over the course of the engagement, though, we developed a very strong business relationship, so much so that PB Tech went from being an important supplier to a trusted advisor.”
“Over the course of the engagement, though, we developed a very strong business relationship, so much so that PB Tech went from being an important supplier to a trusted advisor.”
On the first day in Comcare’s new office, its staff members were able to come to work, sit down and start work in a seamless transition.
The IT teams had done a lot of work in the background with Microsoft AutoPilot to preconfigure their devices - another solution suggested by PB Tech – and training all staff on the use of their Surface Pro 7 devices.
Key staff members had also been given training on the use of the new conferencing equipment.
“PB Tech was by our side every step of the way – they under-promised and over-delivered,” said Callis.
