Staffordshire County Council boosts employee satisfaction through smart working rollout

Targus, a global leader in mobile computing accessories, today announces that Staffordshire County Council has selected the company to boost productivity and enable flexible working, with the installation of over 1,000 universal docking stations.

In order for Staffordshire County Council to achieve smarter ways of working, greater levels of collaboration and trust were areas of focus. A survey conducted in September last year, revealed a lack of access to the correct technologies restricted them from working flexibly.

To combat this, Staffordshire called upon Targus to roll-out its dual video @ HD with built-in Power universal dock ACP71EU suite office-wide, upgrading the majority of their workstations and supporting both new and legacy devices.

When surveyed again in July this year, 93 per cent of council employees felt they had a good understanding of what smart working is, and what it means for them and their role. Having enabled around 3,000 members of staff to work in new ways, Staffordshire already has plans to place further orders with Targus to accommodate its growing employee base.

Since implementing the new technology, Staffordshire County Council has reissued the survey, seeing the following results in the last nine months:

• A 10 per cent increase in the number of employees that feel they have an improved work / life balance
• A 15 per cent rise in the number of employees that believe they are able to work anywhere in order to deliver business-critical services
• 17 per cent growth in the number of staff that are able to access the technology they need to work from different locations

Vic Falcus, Head of IT at Staffordshire County Council said, “Since employing our smart working project, staff are no longer restricted to their desks. They are free to work anywhere around the office, at home even ‘on the go’, while maintaining relationships with colleagues and staying on top of workloads. Previously, there was a misconception that if you weren’t visible at your desk, you weren’t working. People now know that this isn’t the case.

“Not only have Targus helped us provide our workers with more flexibility, they’ve also supported us to consolidate services, as members of staff that work with employees in other locations are able to collaborate more closely, streamlining communications. The scheme has also saved us revenue, meaning more money can be put into front-line services that benefit the public.”

Dean Simpson, Corporate Account Director at Targus said, “Staffordshire County Council is a prime example of just how innovative organisations across the public sector can be. In today’s employment landscape, it’s essential that staff feel they have the option, and also the technology available, to work both remotely and flexibly.

“As the public sector is under considerable pressure to consolidate its real estate to cut costs, the reduction of various organisations into smaller premises is inevitable. With all of these organisations having their own networks, hardware and IT systems, there will no doubt be technology challenges to overcome. Yet, Staffordshire really is leading the way with setting the standards for other councils and government bodies, showcasing the unmistakable benefits smart working schemes can bring to an organisation.”