Mapics shutters facility in favor of virtual office
First in a two part series
For several years, Mapics, Inc. had been making the most of telework.
More than half the workers in the Woburn, Mass., facility worked from home full time or part time. Nationwide, workers of the firm - which provides extended enterprise applications and enterprise resource planning to mid-market manufacturers globally - worked in small or home offices.
In fact, telework was working out so well that executives in Mapics' Alpharetta, Ga., headquarters decided to transform the Woburn office into a full-time virtual center.
"With more and more people teleworking, we needed a smaller and smaller footprint," explains company Vice President and General Manager Sandra Hofmann. "It just made sense to create an entire virtual office."
But going virtual takes more than a notice that the office will be closing and you need to find suitable space. As executives learned, it's important to help employees create their new offices - and then ease the transition out of the office.
On Jan. 1, the company formally launched its virtual officing program. For the first phase, employees will split their workweek between home and corporate offices. But when the company's lease expires in May, the 3,300-square-foot facility in Woburn will shut down.
Not only will this save the company thousands each month in rent, utilities and insurance, it will also eliminate commutes ranging from 15 minutes for Hofmann to two hours for a colleague who drives in from southern New Hampshire.
As part of the process, late last year Hofmann informally surveyed several employees and charted their commuting habits to learn how much time was wasted commuting. Too much, she found.
"It was astounding how little time was left for all the things that keep your employees rich in their quality of life," she recalls.
Telework has provided more personal balance, but the move won't come without some pain, she admits. Two employees - an office manager and Hofmann's own administrative assistant - were laid off in the shift to the home offices. "My phone habits and needs changed," she says.
Employees who live in the north are finding their homes - typically smaller than those of their colleagues in Atlanta - aren't always suited to adding a home office. Some don't have spare bedrooms, others hardly have space enough for a desk, chair and other office furnishings. And some employees who live in rural areas are finding they can't get broadband access.
But Mapics is doing what it can to help. Today, furniture throughout the Woburn facility is flagged with labels identifying which employees plan to take it home to set up in their own home offices. The company is providing movers to transport the furniture, and some employees will take home office equipment such as printers, copiers and other technology. The firm has also negotiated corporate rates for long-distance and broadband Internet service, and is working with office products retailers to supply phones, computers, printers and copiers.
For those new to telework, Mapics will provide training on how to telework and guidelines for setting up a home office, and the firm will hold weekly meetings to review current business practices and how they'll need to be adapted to a virtual setting. Employees are receiving teleworking training and advice from current teleworkers across the country, such as how to best use tools such as video and audio conferencing and instant messaging services.
Hofmann is hopeful the transition will ultimately result in more productive workers: "Today's hectic lifestyle demands a flexible work environment. When employees have the flexibility to create their own schedules, they are likely to be more productive in both their personal and professional lives."
Next week: How employers and employees adapt their workstyles to the virtual office.
Jeff Zbar is an author and speaker on telework, free agency, and small or home office issues. His books include "Teleworking & Telecommuting: Strategies for Remote Workers & Their Managers" and "Safe @ Home: Seven Keys to Home Office Security". Jeff works from home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Questions or comments? Write him at jeff@chiefhomeofficer.com.
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