Monday, October 18, 2004

According to a press release, Teleworking Works at MAPICS; The Clean Air Campaign Honors Software Company's Innovative Business Practices For Yielding Major Environmental and Operational Benefits, (BusinessWire, Oct. 14, 2004), Teleworking is working well for the Atlanta-based IT solutions provider MAPICS. The except below lists the benefits achieved, as well as the collaboration tools they implemented to help secure those results (my emphasis added). "

In addition to the environmental benefits gained, teleworking has enabled MAPICS to improve its operational processes. For example, BellSouth and MAPICS developed the first contract of its kind consolidating billing for high-speed access for home offices and voice phone lines into one monthly invoice. MAPICS has implemented many tools to facilitate collaboration among employees and with clients as well, including an information portal, instant messaging, web meetings (for data sharing of documents and viewing other items being used on a computer) and voice conferencing to ensure complete, continuous and consistent communication.

Teleworking's major impacts operationally have been increased productivity, decreased sick time and improved morale. Most importantly, telecommuting has fostered greater levels of trust between managers and employees and has been the facilitator of more effective communications."

The telework project started in response to the Olympic games in Atlanta in 1996, and has grown to include over half of its worldwide staff. That's no small potatos in a company with annual revenue of $161.3 million (FY03). The company announced their first virtual office in Woburn, Mass back in December 2001, so real estate savings are part of the benefits mix as well. Network World's Jeff Zbar covered this event as well in his Jan 28, 2002 article, Mapics shutters facility in favor of virtual office. He writes, "Not only will this save the company thousands each month in rent, utilities and insurance, it will also eliminate commutes ranging from 15 minutes for Hofmann to two hours for a colleague who drives in from southern New Hampshire."

Transition plans included training on how to telework and how to set up a home office, peer counceling, and technical support. Weekly meetings were scheduled "to review current business practices and how processes may need to adapt to a virtual world."

In addition to the benefits to employees and the company, "MAPICS customers also benefit from the shift to a virtual office because the company’s employees will further increase their understanding of the challenges facing manufacturers who are moving toward virtual operations and remote collaboration," making Telework a Win/Win/Win/WIN situation. Nice going, MAPICS!


10:58:29 AM    
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