W hen we were designing the new office space, the architectural study we did made us realize that today's work habits and requirements are different than five years ago, and in the next five years we will communicate and collaborate differently than today. “In the rapidly changing digital world, we need to think more about organizing a workspace and choosing the most appropriate communication technologies to help people and organizations think and innovate faster,” says Pavel Čermák, Product Owner, Digital Workplace, Komerční banka, a.s.

Flexibility and remote work are among the most important competences of the 21st century.

We have created a FlexiWork brand that defines that we have no physical or virtual boundaries or counters to separate employees in different headquarters buildings or to separate empoyees from our customers.

Pavel Čermák, Product Owner, Digital Workplace

REMOTE COLLABORATION: THE ULTIMATE OFFICE EXPERIENCE
We connected the main two buildings of Komerční banka, located in Wenceslas Square and Stodůlky, with other branches around the Czech Republic using modern communication technologies. Throughout the implementation, we have worked closely with AV MEDIA, which not only provided us with technology, but also inspired us to use new technologies in a flexible work environment.

Time spent in company cars or public transportation is completely inefficient and, at the same time, unecological. We therefore focused on maximizing the combination of physical and digital space in a meaningful design of modern meeting rooms. Our office space provides a natural environment for all types of work experience people can have during the work day. That is why we have premises that meet different needs, procedures and work scenarios. People choose whether they want to work in open space or sit in an adjacent informal nook for independent work. In other times, they reserve meeting rooms for group collaboration, for communication with remote participants, or for fast team stand-up brainstorming. We currently have 184 meeting rooms of various sizes that encourage people to meet, collaborate and come up with fresh ideas, both formally and informally.

Opponents of remote work within the corporate world may argue that it is difficult to lead people who work from home and monitor their performance. That is a great mistake and myth. The system just must be well tested and the agreed rules must be followed.

Miroslav Celman, Delivery Manager

FLEXI WORK: PART OF THE CORPORATE DNA
FlexiWork, or flexible remote work, has been introduced at all levels as a positive corporate strategy to improve performance and to remind you that sitting in the office and productive work are not always the same thing. FlexiWork shifts the emphasis from physical presence to real work.

Through FlexiWork, we not only assess the amount of work done remotely, but also focus on the overall change in thinking. How to gradually develop and support a corporate culture that incorporates flexibility and allows employees to cope not only with work but also with their personal lives.

Thanks to FlexiWork, we increase employee loyalty and satisfaction, better address new candidates and young talents. Flexibility contributes to open communication, teamwork and meaningful diversity. The company is faster and more efficient, which is also reflected in the customer relationship. These benefits aren't inherent, you have to learn to work differently. It is therefore necessary to make changes gradually, but it pays off.

Nowadays, flexibility at work is one of the main requirements in choosing an employer in the Czech Republic. Flexible work is not just a trend, but rather a result of a changing labor market. KB responds to it and thanks to these technologies we are well prepared.

Petr Zajíček, Head Recruiter, Human Resources

At Komerční banka, the terms FlexiWork or home office are not just empty words. Thanks to communication technologies, we can connect with remote employees
from anywhere, at anytime and from any device. All you need to do is to schedule Skype for Business meetings in your Outlook, book a meeting room, enter it, and press Join. The main prize of the solution is one-click technology. You come, sit in the meeting room, automatically join, talk and share digital documents. Nowadays, no one is surprised that they do not have to be physically present, as they can connect either from the home office, from both Komerční banka's central buildings, from branches or directly from a mobile device

FLEXIWORK: WHERE ARE WE HEADING
The key to success is to make sure people know what their goal is and let them see how they can get there. Relying on a universal approach or one rule for different
ways of work is not appropriate. It requires an overall change in the thinking and behavior of each of us. At the same time, it is necessary to use tools, platforms and technologies that can be used for individual work or group cooperation.

No team leader can do without the ability to lead people remotely.

We all use flexibility to a certain extent, but to get the most out of flexibility, we need to actively communicate with each other. With a flexible approach to work,
we do not determine when an employee is supposed to work, but we set out what is needed and what is the deadline. It is therefore necessary to focus on whether the work is completed in a good and timely manner and not to deal with how it should be done continuously.

Before we started to use FlexiWork, we were based in a total of four properties in Prague. It was therefore difficult to communicate effectively and quickly. In the end we decided to use only the building in the Wenceslas Square and in Stodůlky.

Tomáš Talaš, Central Services Management Manager HQ Buildings

People need to acquire new skills, change existing work habits and be able to think about what they really need. In other words they need to define priorities at work and in personal life. At the same time, they must become acquainted (preferably in the form of a real experience) with the effective use of modern technologies. Nowadays, managers and team leaders approach FlexiWork in a way that they can tell themselves and their surroundings that they really are coordinating effectively remote teams and communicating with customers.

“People look at flexibility or remote work with some mistrust, and they are not sure what is it going to bring them. Until a flexible approach to work becomes part of corporate DNA, it will never be given enough attention. It will only be a lost opportunity. Therefore, it is necessary to think through the flexible approach to work and manage it on an ongoing basis,”concludes our interview Pavel Čermák.