The document discusses how organizations, like Plantronics, are adapting to new workplace demands by promoting smarter working practices that combine flexible workspaces, unified communications technology, and supportive behaviors for employees. This transformation aims to improve productivity, collaboration, and employee satisfaction while reducing costs and real estate needs. By implementing these strategies, companies can create a more agile and responsive business environment, addressing the evolving preferences of the modern workforce.

1. WHERE NEXT FOR
YOUR WORKPLACE?
New ways of working are changing the
requirements of both the individual and
the organisation. How can IT respond?
BRICKS BYTES BEHAVIOUR

2. Technology has redefined the boundaries of work so that employees now want
flexibility, mobility and the ability to communicate effectively. At the same time,
the organisation must continue to improve productivity, maintain compliance
with workplace legislation and operate efficiently in order to compete.
All this has led to a change in the way that we utilise the workplace.
The most progressive organisations are embracing change by adopting the
principles of Smarter Working – a concept brought to life by Plantronics at its
Simply Smarter Office at Royal Wootton Basset.
INTRODUCING SMARTER WORKING
“ The foundations of a Simply Smarter Office implementation
are bricks, bytes and behaviour – allowing associates to work
where and when they are most productive, cost-effective and
environmentally respectful.”
Philip Vanhoutte, SVP and MD – Plantronics EMEA

3. The building blocks of the Simply Smarter Office
BRICKS
Redefining physical workspaces to facilitate flexible working can have a significant
impact on real estate costs.
BYTES »
Delivery of any application to any user at any location is now critical to productivity.
Introducing Unified Communications (UC) technology will help employees collaborate
more effectively in and out of the office.
Centred around user identity and presence, UC brings together desktop and mobile
devices using the same telephony, video, instant messaging and unified messaging to
enable everyone to be connected at any time.
BEHAVIOUR
Support for flexible working practices will mean a more agile organisation
with higher levels of job satisfaction.

4. “ Within our dispersed work-
force we have seen an 83%
cost saving in audio
conferencing, and at the same
time increasing collaboration
and productivity by utilising
Unified Communications.”
Tony Williams, IT Director for EMEA

5. WHY SMARTER WORKING AT PLANTRONICS?
The Plantronics Simply Smarter Office was a response to the need to give
our people more freedom in the way they worked. Our journey to Smarter
Working began by recognising the value of flexible working to the sales team
and then extending this to all office based employees.
Implementing Unified Communication (UC) technology has given our staff
the opportunity to work in or out of the office depending on the nature of
their jobs. Rather than fixed desks, our employees now have laptops running
Microsoft® Lync and UC headsets so that everybody is visible and can be
contacted in the most effective way, wherever they happen to be.
Taking this one step further, we transformed our office environment from a
typical workspace into a new central hub for communications by combining
three sites into one – reducing floor space by over 50%.

6. WHY SMARTER WORKING FOR YOUR ORGANISATION?
With the active involvement of IT, Smarter Working
means more than changes to employment contracts
or the physical workspace. It can have a fundamental
impact on the future of your organisation through:

7. Improved collaboration
With the rise of flexible working, in business it remains true that even if you cannot be
seen, it is vital that your voice is heard. By incorporating the use of advanced wireless
headset technology, organisations can help employees collaborate more effectively
while ensuring their message always gets through.
Increased employee productivity
A new generation of employees is entering the workforce with radically different ideas about
where and when they are required to work. Smarter Working via UC technology offers a way
to meet their demands and ensures the organisation continues to benefit from a highly
productive workforce.
More agile and responsive businesss
Headsets with smart presence technology show when colleagues are available to take calls and
whether they can be reached on their desk phone, mobile or at their PC. By offering a seamless
transition between devices and more flexibility to multi-task on the move, IT departments can
help employees respond to colleagues and customers faster than ever before.
Cost savings
Accommodating a new, distributed workforce will lead to fewer desks, rationalising
traditional telephony equipment. Improvements in collaboration technology also minimise
the need for business travel, further reducing costs and improving green credentials.
Experience Smarter Working first-hand. Take a tour of the Plantronics Simply Smarter Office to learn more.
83%Cost saving on conference
calls by utilising UC.
100%Softphone, thereby increasing
flexibility to move around the
office space and saving costs on
hardphone support/maintenance.
90%Reduction of our printer estate,
plus introduction of “follow you”
green printing.
£300,000+
Initial cost savings from
combining three buildings
into one at Plantronics Royal
Wootton Bassett location.

8. © 2014 Plantronics, Inc. All rights reserved. Plantronics and the logo design are trademarks or registered trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. Microsoft is a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 01/14
At Plantronics, Smarter Working is not theoretical.
It’s how we work every day. By putting what we’ve
shared into practice, we’ve empowered and enabled
our team to more fully engage, enjoy and produce
great work. And we’d love to do the same for
your company.
For more information on our products, services, to visit one
of our offices or to speak to one of our experts, please call
+44 1793 842426 and one of the team will be pleased to assist.