Magazine InAVate was published case study EY - Ernst & Young Czech Republic

EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA www.inavateonthenet.netJan/Feb 2015

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C A S E S T U D Y | Ernst & Young, Czech Republic

As part of a global ‘workspaces of the future’ initiative, the Ernst & Young offi ce in Prague has completed an impressive modernisation project. Paul Milligan reports.

As one of the ‘big four’ auditing fi rms,

with yearly revenues of $27bn, Ernst

& Young is a massive worldwide

operation. It has 190,000 employees

and more than 700 offi ces in over

150 countries, and provides fi nancial auditing, tax,

consulting and advisory services to a global who’s

who of clients. The fi rm was founded in London in

1849, and its headquarters remain in the UK capital.

It was known as Ernst & Young until 2013, when it

underwent a rebranding to EY.

The Prague offi ce of EY is one of those 700 offi ces

worldwide, and is home more than 750 employees of EY

(which comprises Ernst & Young, Ernst & Young Audit,

and E & Y Valuations). Until recently the facility was

a rather mundane offi ce environment, but following a

move to a new complex in the Florentinum area of the

Czech capital, the staff have been able to enjoy all the

benefi ts of a modern, collaborative offi ce.

Prague-based AV integrator AV Media won the

contract to supply the AV throughout the building.

The project included the installation of AV kit into

10 meetings rooms, two board rooms, two training

rooms, eight internet cafes, one language lab, and the

reception area.

The client brief to AV Media called for teamwork

and connectivity, so they set about installing an array

of communication technologies that could have a

crucial impact on the successful functioning of a

modern corporate workplace.

“The key to success lies in ensuring the proper

balance between technology and the surrounding

work environment,” said David Dalecky, AV Media’s EY

account manager. “In designing the new collaborative

areas, the focus was on how to captivate the audience

as a presenter and how to make the best of every

moment in which your clients or colleagues are actively

listening, so you don’t allow their attention to wander.”

Employees have the choice between several

smaller meeting rooms designed for interactive group

collaboration. Typically the type of interaction that

takes place here is team meetings, brainstorming

sessions, presentations, and workshops. AV Media

chose a 55-in Smart interactive display to be the

dominant presentation tool in these rooms, as they

felt it would signifi cantly enhance the involvement of

individual participants.

The idea is to enrich work processes through creative

thinking. The smaller meeting rooms are fi tted with a

small AMX control panel. On a touchscreen, staff may

choose from different work modes e.g., turning on the

interactive display, connecting to HDMI, or setting the

volume.

62 | Jan/Feb 2015 www.inAVateonthenet.net

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The key to success lies in ensuring the proper balance between technology and the

surrounding work environment. - David Dalecky, AV Media


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Remote communication

EY is insistent its performance rests not on individuals,

but on teams, so teamwork is a crucial prerequisite for

achieving top results and effi ciency on a consistent

basis. These criteria are being met by the remote

communication facilities on the new premises which

allow EY teams in the Czech Republic and within the

international network of EY to communicate with

each other. Cisco videoconferencing provides fast and

reliable collaboration during regular meetings and

project-specifi c meetings, ensuring high video and

audio transmission quality and facilitating the sharing

of any kind of work.

The large meeting rooms are designed to

accommodate team discussions

that involve a bigger number

of participants. The projectors

of choice in these rooms are

6,000 lumens Panasonic full HD

projectors. The meeting rooms are

also fi tted with 60-in Panasonic

full HD plasma monitors, DNP

Supernova front-projection screens,

and electrically retractable Projecta

projection screens.

Straightforward, intuitive

controls are absolutely vital for

the user acceptance of such AV

technology. Within a corporate

environment, it is vital that all employees are able to

master the technical possibilities offered in conference

rooms and meeting rooms without fi rst having to

undergo complex training.

The larger meeting rooms are supplemented with

touch-screen AMX control panels that make it easy to

choose the work scenario for the given meeting – a

discussion among colleagues attending the meeting

in person, a videoconference, work involving the

interactive display, or the screening of material on the

main projector. All settings are automatically put into

effect: the projector boots up, the lighting is adjusted,

the blinds are drawn, and the rotating video camera

hones in on the participants.

The control systems have been designed to be

as easy to use as possible. This is another effort by

AV Media to provide EY with a way to maximise the

effi ciency of work procedures.

The informal relaxation zones may be used for ad-

hoc meetings among colleagues, as can the Internet

Café, which also serves as a source of information

for staff. Flat screen displays, coupled with Adtraxion

players, are installed at the Internet Café and in

the common corridors. Throughout the day, they

broadcast up-to-date information on the company,

interspersed with upcoming new ideas that will soon

be implemented at EY.

The full HD fl at screen displays are from Panasonic

and NEC, in 32-in and 47-in sizes. To provide the most

effi cient and long-term benefi t to EY, the screens are

regularly updated with content. Operating the system

only requires a basic familiarity with the PowerPoint

environment and posting articles on the EY intranet.

The concept which EY followed in furnishing its

new offi ces is known as the ‘Workplace of the Future’,

and EY has been rolling it out on a global scale. The

concept of teamwork is crucial for EY staff and is being

pitched towards today’s modern offi ce professionals.

Ales Baum, IT manager, EY, said the offi ce refl ected

a change in EY’s working ethos: “This change of

scenery is EY’s way of saying we accommodate a new

generation of offi ce professionals who highly value

work fl exibility and a less dogmatic approach to work

in general. We keep abreast of modern trends towards

interactive work and use new business instruments for

teamwork in the form of corporate social networks,

Kit listAdtraxion digital signageplayers

AMX control units andtouchscreen panels

DNP Blade Supernova optical front-projectionscreen

NEC 32-in LCD displays

Panasonic 1920x12006,000 lumens projectors and 1080p 47-in and 60-in LCD displays

Projecta projectionscreens

Smart interactive 8055i 55-in displaysand Podium 24-intouchscreen monitors

We keep abreast of modern trends towards interactive work and use new

business instruments for teamwork. - Ales Baum, EY

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instant messaging, interactive Smart displays, and Cisco

videoconferencing.”

Staff members have the choice of where to

work, depending on the type of work or project in

which they are participating at the moment and on

the needs of the particular project. Options include:

a classic meeting room, with a variable projector room

which can be adapted to teamwork as it can be to

work with several individuals working silently side

by side; an Internet Café for informal get-togethers

with colleagues, for work, or for relaxation; the

‘Touch Down’ for short-term individual work; and the

‘Collaborative Area’ with an informal environment for

group discussions.

Of course, the degree to which people will make use

of these spaces depends on the nature of their individual

department’s work. An auditor who spends the whole

week at the client will use these facilities in a way that

differs from that of, say, an advisory service consultant.

Hand in hand with the above-mentioned

changes, EY is implementing a new reservation system

for work desks which has been designed to improve

utilisation of the entire work environment. Employees

may reserve ‘their’ workplace via computer from the

comfort of their home, using their phone, or also at

a kiosk, which are interactive terminals located in the

reception area. The reservation system not only allows

a user to identify and reserve free workplaces, but it

may also help locate a colleague whom they have been

looking for.

Petra Di Nicola, who is the head of facilities and

security at EY is another who has revelled in the new

environment. “Our staff views the relocation of the fi rm

as a notable improvement. Above all, they welcome

the variability offered by the new environment, in

conjunction with the deployment of modern AV

technology and intuitive user interfaces.

“Self-contained offi ces or large open-space

arrangements? Within the context of our ‘Workplace

of the Future’ concept, we want to take the best from

both worlds inasmuch as possible and offer our people

unprecedented possibilities. The goal is to optimise

space such that it fi ts our work and meets the needs of

our employees.”

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Magazine InAVate was published case study EY - Ernst & Young Czech Republic