Google Apps is key to door of more mobile workforce for...

At a Glance

What they wanted to do• Improvecommunicationandcollaborationthroughouttheorganisationtosupportthecontinuedglobalexpansion.

What they did • RolloutGoogleAppsto~2,500staffworldwidewhoareinvolvedinsupportoffice,laboratoryandmanufacturingoperations.

What they accomplished• Significantlyimprovedmobilitywithintheirworkforce,enablingstafftobemoreflexible.

• UseofGoogleDocstoenablemoreeffectiveprojectmonitoringandreportingintheITteam.

ChallengeSpecsaversistheworld’slargestprivatelyownedchainofopticians,withmorethan1,600storesthroughouttheUK,Ireland,theNetherlands,Sweden,Norway,Finland,Denmark,Spain,AustraliaandNewZealand.Storesareownedandrunbyjointventurepartners.

In2010,SpecsaversembarkedonanewITstrategytoimprovecommunicationandcollaborationthroughouttheorganisationandsupportitscontinuedglobalexpansion.Aspartofthisstrategy,thecompanywaslookingforasetoftoolstosupportemailandteamworking,tobedeployedalongsideanewintranet.Aswellasprovidingamoresolidfoundationforcollaboration,thesolutionwouldaddressissueswiththereliabilityandconnectivityofthecompany’sexistingin-houseemailsolution.

SolutionSpecsaversevaluatedGoogleAppsagainstanumberofleadinge-mailandcollaborationsolutions,initiallyimplementingGoogleAppsfor80usersinanewlyopenedlensmanufacturingplantinHungary.Followingthesuccessofthistrial,SpecsaversdecidedtorolloutGoogleAppstoaround2,500staffworldwidewhoareinvolvedinsupportoffice,laboratoryandmanufacturingoperationsacrossallthecountriesinwhichthecompanyoperates.

Duringtheevaluationanddeployment,SpecsaverswassupportedbyAncoris,aGoogleAppsPremierPartner.“Ancorishandledalotofmigrationissuesandprovidedtroubleshootingservicesthroughthetransitionenablingthepilotsandsubsequentrollouttobecompletedwithminimaldisruption”saysNigelDufty,Specsavers’ITServiceDirector.

AswellasenablingSpecsaverstoquicklydeploye-mailandcollaborationtoolstonewsiteswithouttheneedforalargeonsitepresence,GoogleAppsallowsSpecsaversto:centrallymanageitsemailsystem;utiliseexistinginfrastructures;linktoitscorporateintranet;andsupportmobileworkingbyenablingstafftoaccessmail,calendaringandsitesfromanyInternet-enableddevice.

“ We’re moving into cloud-based services where it makes sense. Our service desk application is already in the cloud and we’re looking at a number of other areas where cloud will be the best fit.” —Nigel Dufty, IT Service Director

DuftysaysthatassoonasGoogleAppswasdeployed,Specsavers“quicklysawanincreaseinreliabilityoverourpreviousin-housesystem:overnight,wewereabletogetawayfromthekindofissuesthatarecausedbydiskspacefillinguporoutages.Italsomakesitalotsimplerthatwe’reallononesystemglobally,withGoogleAppsprovidingafullyintegratedexperiencewithcalendarandmailsynchronisationavailablethroughanydevice.”

Google Apps is key to door of more mobile workforce for Specsavers

Case Study | Google Apps

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BenefitsInthemediumterm,Specsavershasseenasignificantimprovementinconnectivity.“GoogleAppsfitseasilywithmultipledevicesandthatprovidesmoreflexibilityandsupportofmobileworkingforourstaff,”Duftyexplains.“AlotofouremployeeshavebeenusingtheirowniPads,iPhonesandAndroiddevicestoaccesstheiremailandcalendars,whichtheycouldn’teasilydowiththeoldsystem.TheyaretellingusGoogleAppsisapositivestepforwardintermsofenablingtheirworkinglives,suchasworkingfromhomeoronthemove.Asaresult,we’reimplementingandformalisingaBringYourOwnDevicepolicy,sothatstaffcanconnectwithanydeviceaslongasitmeetscertainsecuritystandards.”

SpecsaversisalsograduallyexploringhowitcanuseotherfeaturesofGoogleApps,suchasGoogleDocs,toimprovecollaboration.“Wedecidedtolettheuseofthecollaborationtoolsspreadvirallybecauseweweren’tsurehowouremployeeswouldwanttousethem.We’renowseeingincreasinguseofDocsandspreadsheetsforavarietyofpurposesthatwewouldn’thaveguessedatinadvance,”Duftysays.“Inafewmonthstime,weintendtorunaprojecttoidentifywhatpeoplearedoingandpublicisethattotherestofthebusiness,togiveeveryoneideasabouthowtheymightusethosecollaborationtoolsthemselves.”

Naturally,theITteamisleadingtheway.“We’realreadybigusersofDocs,fromthetopdownwards,”saysDufty.“Akeyuseisforprojectmonitoringandreporting,wherewecancreateasingleinstanceofadocumentthatmanypeoplecaneditratherthanemailingarounddifferentversionsoffiles.”

Inthelongerterm,GoogleAppsisgivingSpecsaverstheopportunitytore-evaluatethekindofdevicesitwillgivestaffinthefuture.“Forourfieldstaff,whoprovidedirectsupporttoourstoresandworkawayfromtheofficealot,we’relookingatthebusinesscaseforreplacingWindowsPCsinlineforrefresh,aspartofournormalreplacementcycle,withiPads,”Duftyexplains.“AslongasstaffcanconnecttoGoogleApps,theycando90percentofwhattheyneedtodo,sowe’renolongertiedtoparticularkindsofdevices.GoogleAppsreallyisthekeytothedoortoamoremobileworkforce.”

About Google AppsGoogleAppsisanenterprise-readysuiteofapplicationsthatincludesGmail,GoogleCalendar(sharedcalendaring),GoogleDocs(onlinedocumentandspreadsheethosting),GoogleSites(teamsitecreationandpublishing),andGoogleVideo*(easy,securesharingofvideocontent).* GoogleVideoisnotavailableinallcountries.

Formoreinformationvisitwww.google.com/apps