More than ever, we are convinced that useful technology will play a crucial role in creating a resilient, eco-responsible future.
Editorial by Vincent Bedouin
Digifriends:
benefiting collaboration
05 November 2020
LACROIX
Already ingrained in people’s minds, the vital nature of digitalization has truly come to the fore in the context of the Covid crisis. But to help create, promote and maintain links between employees, this must not take place at the expense of the personal aspect. The “Digifriends” network approach introduced by LACROIX responds to this issue by deploying digital transformation in relation to each employee, so that everyone can benefit from it while maintaining connections within the Group.
Supporting digital transformation
Our Digifriends community comprises more than 80 employees who act as contacts for digital matters. These volunteers play a relay role with their respective teams in order to promote and facilitate new digital tools.
Beyond simple tools, digitalization is a pillar of the LACROIX strategy:
“The idea of creating a community of Digifriends emerged as part of the Ambition 2020 strategic plan, which included digitalization as one of its key imperatives. The challenge was to get everyone on board, to ensure that all employees could gain from it, reaping the benefits offered by digitalization by enhancing their skills, agility and responsiveness, both internally and in relation to our customers”
An informal and accessible approach to training
Starting from a case-based webinar project, the Digifriends network gradually became more organised: “We regularly exchange information between Digifriends on specific topics. ‘Office Cafés’ are organised on a quarterly basis, where we can discuss and develop new ideas, bring up potential problems, and try to find solutions to them. We then provide employees with various informative and educational materials, accessible to everyone: posters, videos, guides, manuals, etc. Workshops are also organised at local level on lots of different subjects, such as improving your efficiency in meetings, optimising your internal exchanges, or how best to manage remote working”, continues Laure Le Saux who has been leading Digifriends since the launch of the community.
The community of “digital contacts” within the teams brings a human element to work processes and creates a closer connection. This informal approach allows everyone to train according to their needs. “Reaching out to Digifriends has become instinctive for many of us. We know exactly who they are – they even have a sticker on their PC – and we know we can ask them any questions we might have”
Digitalization benefiting collaboration
The creation of this community of ambassadors has accelerated the Group’s digitalization process, simplifying the introduction of new collaborative working methods:
“One of the areas we have sought to develop is the use of Teams within the Group. Gradually, the use of this tool has become part of our routine, and it has really proven its worth, particularly during lockdown.”
The initiative has also made it possible to integrate Artificial Intelligence into the organisation of certain teams:
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