CASE STUDY: Office 365 Adoption with Elmbridge Borough Council.

“Help us get the best from our Office 365 investment”

Getting the Most from Office 365

Elmbridge Borough Council invested in Office 365 because they wanted to work smarter, further develop cross-team projects, and ensure the organisation was embracing the smartest and most flexible ways of working.

But old habits die hard, and employees kept on working like they always had – resulting in little benefit from their investment.

So the Council asked escalla to help: to show their employees how and why they could use Office 365 to transform their working experience.

Agile Approach

Brand new systems; varying needs; a range of ability and enthusiasm for new software. With so many factors to consider, escalla and the Council agreed that an agile programme was the only way to go.

So out went the rigid step-by-step project plan, and in came a bespoke, fully agile approach to training.

Learning was continuously evaluated, to see how staff were progressing and to move them forward.

How escalla Helped

"The TNA enabled us to pinpoint where we needed to improve and helped us uncover the root cause of the problem." ~ Manager, Elmbridge Council

Training Needs Analysis

Before offering any training, we wanted to know where and how it could be best directed. What were the real
challenges and scenarios Elmbridge Council’s staff were facing? And how could these be specifically addressed?

To help us do this, we carried out a training needs analysis (TNA). This took the form of online surveys and 1:1 face-to-face interviews, to help our training experts understand exactly how we could best add value.

This helped us pinpoint key areas for improvement and uncover the root causes.

The findings of the TNA and the recommendations were communicated to managers through a comprehensive written report and a presentation and discussion.

Manager Workshops

The TNA highlighted the need to get managers onboard; to provide top-down support to help change culture and improve communication.

So escalla developed and delivered Office 365 awareness workshops for directors, managers and members of the ICT focus group. Using supportive training environments – set within the context of the Council’s current departments, roles and projects – these open workspaces familiarised staff with Office 365, and gave managers opportunity to drop in to learn more about their range of Office 365 applications.

"The manager workshops were well organised and exactly the right tone and scope considering where we are currently." ~ Delegate, Elmbridge Council

Implementation Readiness

With the TNA and workshops complete, Elmbridge Borough Council had built a foundation of knowledge to go forward with their Office 365 training and implementation strategy.

The training partnership between the Council and escalla is set to continue; and includes plans for further
consultancy and training.

"I had all my questions answered" ~ Manager, Elmbridge Council

escalla Can Help Your Business

escalla is a proven Office 365 training and integration partner. We can help your organisation develop effective strategy for deploying Office 365 and its applications, alongside a leading-edge training and communications programme.

Our training products include our new online resources, including Essentials and Minis tutorial videos, Live Online sessions and Quick Reference Guides; as well as face-to-face training and ongoing deskside support.

Contact us to see how we can help your organisation; or to book yourself onto a free taster session.