NMBS: NWOW Pilot Projects

What was the challenge

SNCB (NMBS) manages an extensive building portfolio with varying levels of quality. The modernisation of the organisation also affects the use of office environments. As part of the drive towards a culture of service and professionalism, and to strengthen corporate values, the organisation wished to support this evolution by implementing the principles of the New Ways of Working (NWOW). Ultimately, all office environments will need to comply with the principles of activity-based working. SNCB launched several pilot projects to test the principles of NWOW. brainmove was engaged to guide the implementation of these projects. The new Diamant building project in Ghent, a renovation of the HR department’s workspace in the Atrium building in Brussels, and the concept for the CASCO building were ideal pilots for a new way of collaborating.

Our approach

We began by developing a clear vision for collaboration in the NWOW environment for the teams involved in the pilot projects. This was linked to the organisation’s values, and we defined general principles that could later be applied across the organisation. We organised workshops with the relevant directors and translated the output into clear vision statements. These were then used in internal communications to the teams. A participative yet evidence-based approach was crucial for SNCB. We used data analysis to achieve an optimal space mix. Leaders, along with their teams, were activated to collect the necessary data. SNCB also wanted to establish clear behavioural agreements around collaboration in the new work environment, so an ambassador programme was set up.

Through interactive workshops, we created a charter of agreements, which was then used during large plenary training sessions for all users of the new work environment. Through brainmove, users were also surveyed before the move to the new buildings. We employed the Leesman methodology for this. Subsequently, we provided analysis and reporting of the data. brainmove also supported internal communications about the pilot projects.

The outcome

Through our participative approach, we significantly increased support for a new way of working within SNCB. Our evidence-based approach led to a work environment that was optimally aligned with the needs of the teams. The clear data we produced convinced a critical audience of the added value of a flexible work environment, both for users and for the organisation. NWOW was introduced positively within SNCB, and in this way, brainmove contributed to the modernisation of the organisation.

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