The basis for launching TeamPark
The TeamPark platform was crucial to ensure that all of Sogeti’s employees were working towards a common goal. Over time, the employees had grown detached from Sogeti due to engaging in external projects. As such, Teampark would help revert this trend by challenging the work practices of a traditional organization. The platform would help develop a culture of innovation and collaboration within Sogeti. By allowing the flow of ideas within the organization, TeamPark would facilitate collaboration among employees towards the company’s primary goals.
The primary idea behind Teampark was creating an intelligent organization fluid in nature as a supplement to the existing bureaucratic structure. The platform would allow stigmergic collaboration among Sogeti’s employees. This means that they could communicate and work on ideas without physical contact among them. Consequently, TeamPark would allow perpetual sharing of ideas and collaborative work on projects without direct interaction. Additionally, Teampark would reduce the need for direct control of employees in Sogeti. This, in turn, would allow employees the freedom to be innovative and creative.
Additionally, the employees had raised various concerns that were raised in a meeting held among all employees. The participants cited areas which they felt that Sogeti could improve to enable better performance. One, the employees felt the need to share with each other business viewpoints and experiences. Secondly, the employees felt the need to seek expert help from their counterparts working in foreign countries. Further, the employees felt the need to engage in professional debates with the aim of improving their services. Lastly, employees felt the need to have a collaborative platform that would help Sogeti become agile and responsive to environmental changes as well as competition.
Implementation and challenges experienced.
Development and implementation of Teampark took a step by step approach, where the whole process comprised of four phases. The first phase was creating awareness among employees. This was particularly important to counter any resistance that would crop up in the future. Involving all employees by seeking their ideas and opinions helped increase awareness. Further, Sogeti was keen on stressing the importance of the platform as a way of creating awareness.
The second phase of the process was for developing strategies to guide the creation of the TeamPark platform. Activities in this phase included analyzing the workforce and processes involved in the day to day operations. This was followed by determining the goals and performance indicators for the project. Lastly, a framework for the implementation of the project was developed.
Phase three involved the actual implementation of the project in Sogeti. It is in this stage that Teampark was built, configured, installed, and tested to ascertain its functionality. The first activity was to roll out a pilot platform that could support around 100 employees from different branches across countries. The technicians in the project were able to identify all challenges and address them before the actual implementation of TeamPark.
The fourth and last phase was for bringing this project to life. The company’s chairman was responsible for the mega roll out of Teampark across all branches. He actively emphasized the importance of the platform as a tool for enhancing collaboration among employees. Consequently, all Sogeti’s employees were on TeamPark within three weeks after its launch. Notably, the platform started connecting the employees as it had been intended.
Several challenges were experienced through the development and implementation phase of the platform. Errors and slow responses were experienced during the pilot phase as a result of server issues. The system also experienced numerous bugs and crashes when many users tried to utilize the platforms simultaneously. Lastly, the technical manager experienced major challenges trying to coordinate the rollout in different countries. Nonetheless, all these problems were resolved, and the project was completed in due time.
Opening Up TeamPark to external stakeholders
Opening Up Teampark to external stakeholders would have numerous benefits to Sogeti. Considering that all organizations are open systems, having facilities to interact with the external world is vital. Further, all organizations survive due to their good relationships with external stakeholders. These stakeholders include the clients, suppliers, shareholders, government, and the surrounding community.
Organizations heavily depend on clients to create wealth. Consequently, it is imperative to maintain the best relationships. In this light, TeamPark would be a good avenue to offer interactions between Sogeti and its clients. The platform would allow clients to express their ideas and opinions as concerns Sogeti’s products and services. The platform would provide crucial information that Sogeti can use to improve operations. Also, the platform would form a good avenue for responding to client complaints. Lastly, it is an avenue for the company to maximize customer experience.
Opening up TeamPark would also help the organization maintain good relationships with stakeholders such as shareholders. The platform would allow them to track how the company is performing. They would offer crucial insights on improving Sogeti, being part of the company. The shareholders would also share among themselves on matters concerning Sogeti. Consequently, the organization should avail platforms similar to TeamPark to external stakeholders.
In this light, several options are at the management’s disposal. The management can decide to create one large platform for all external stakeholders. It can also decide to create separate platforms for different categories of stakeholders. Lastly, the company can integrate external stakeholders in TeamPark. The best option is to have a separate platform that integrates all external stakeholders under separate sub-platforms.
Impact of Sogeti evolution
TeamPark will have significant contributions in terms of the evolution of Sogeti. Moving on, the company will overcome an adverse culture of being detached from the organization’s overall goals, which had started forming within the employees. This is because, even while working on external projects, employees will still be part of Sogeti through the platform. The company will articulate its missions and goals to all the staff through TeamPark. In this regard, the organization will remain an integrated workforce where all participants work towards a common goal.
Additionally, performance in Sogeti will significantly improve. While undertaking separate projects, employees will be able to share ideas with each other through the platform. This means that the employees can help each other overcome various hurdles that crop up in project execution. Those that have had similar experiences in their projects can provide others with solutions to help them. Moreover, employees will benefit expert advice from their counterparts with extensive experience.
Sogeti will change from a rigid bureaucratic organization to a fluid entity. Notably, TeamPark is an open platform for all employees without any restrictions. Additionally, there are no people with authority and responsibility for others on this platform. This means that the employees will be motivated to be innovative and creative. They will share ideas and opinions in a seamless manner. Widely accepted ideas, regardless of their source, can be executed with ease as no barriers are resulting from the hierarchical structure of typical Sogeti. Lastly, all employees will be motivated by this platform to become part of innovative ideas and solutions for the company.
Sogeti’s position in meeting the future
Sogeti’s mission is to become a leading provider of professional technology services. The company envisions being recognized by the market as the best supplier in each market it operates in. On this note, Sogeti is delivering more quality services driven by the market needs. The ability to keep clients satisfied has ensured that the company remains on top of its competitors. Additionally, the shared passion for technology has been crucial to offering the best services.
With the introduction of the social interaction platform TeamPark, it is evident that Sogeti is ready for the future. The platform will position the company strategically for the future in the industry. TeamPark will help Sogeti break all the limitations and barriers arising from the rigid nature of a bureaucratic organization. Consequently, the organization will be fluid and flexible enough to adapt to environmental changes.
Maintaining a motivated workforce will help the organization improve standards of performance. This is because TeamPark allows employees to feel appreciated in the organization through their contribution in terms of ideas and opinions. Further, through collaborative involvement in various projects, employees will be able to improve standards of work. The platform will help to overcome challenges through concerted efforts. Consequently, there will be a smooth flow of work that will ensure more quality outcomes. Ultimately, the company’s clients will be happy with the services received. Notably, good customer experience is crucial for the continued competitiveness of any company. This means that Sogeti will remain competitive in the industry and is thus, ready for the future.