SICK AG: New Work Technology All in One

Untying Communication Knots in Modern Workplaces

“Digital solutions provide the basis for modern offices and efficient communication,” says André Lienhard, IT Service Owner Unified Communications at SICK-IT. He knows this well; for years, he has been working with his colleagues to advance the technical foundations for the global networking of SICK employees.

One of the main focuses has been on video communication, especially since the Corona pandemic, with Cisco as the supplier. As early as 2017, avodaq joined the team as support. Since then, the cooperation has centered around the global training center of the SICK Sensor Intelligence Academy (SIA) as well as the technical equipment of office buildings in the nearby headquarters. For more information, read this blog post.

Integrating IT Planning and Construction Planning

And here lies the particular challenge: how IT projects can be integrated as precisely as possible into construction planning. The most important realization was that retrospective installations are extremely difficult, expensive and time-consuming. “When planning buildings, it is important to prepare for the technology from the outset.” In addition, changes to scheduled plans always have an impact on subsequent activities.

The complexity of the technology must be individually tailored to a room, including all facets from floors and furniture to acoustics, lighting and ventilation, through to the optimal alignment of the microphones. This includes the entire spectrum of electrical planning with cable paths for HDMI and networks, but also the WLAN lighting.

Employees have the choice: a pre-booked room is automatically displayed on a local tablet with the stored web meeting. The connection starts with a simple click – according to Lienhard, most colleagues use this method. The others go into a free room, open their notebook and automatically connect their desktop app to the video system. “The app is the same in all cases, which makes operation intuitive.” Those who can’t do this or who want to know everything in detail can scan a small QR code on the device. Detailed documentation of the technical functions and settings then opens.

Modern Workplaces - Good Planning Is the Most Important Step

How does André Lienhard see the future of New Work at SICK AG? “As project operator and marketer, we have a keen interest in supporting this with positive arguments.” That is why there is a weekly round of voting on project topics, in which avodaq and PIK AG are synchronized and monitored – in addition to the regular project deadlines. The Berlin-based systems house PIK AG has been accompanying the project from the outset as an implementation partner for video and media technology. The key is standardized procedures to plan the use of technologies in buildings and roll out the devices. With each renovation, the team gains best practices that are agile in the implementation of subsequent building sections.

When it comes to the quality of flexible office systems, André Lienhard is not willing to compromise. “Technical quality ultimately affects the operational performance of an environment, and we want to keep the number of incidents by users and systems to a minimum.” This claim applies to both internal teams and partners such as avodaq. “We all have a vested interest in ensuring that the collaboration technology works, because this also increases our reputation for new projects.”