How does a data-driven organization set up a new office? Exploring Best Practices with reporting and analytics expert, Klipfolio
OTTAWA, Ontario, April 3, 2018 /CNW/ -- Setting up a new office can be an exciting, yet intimidating endeavor, especially if you're relocating from an existing space. Having just opened shop in their new location, Klipfolio, a developer and provider of world-class customized online dashboard platforms, knows this well.
Big data is what's it's all about at Klipfolio, and their space must reflect their high-energy atmosphere and celebrate their culture, while promoting productivity. For data-driven cultures, cross-functional activity is key. Inherently, Designers and Developers are true collaborators. They're focused on the end user. Creating an enhanced, insightful and responsive client experience is Klipfolio's ultimate objective. This requires cross-functional collaboration, which is best fostered in an open floor plan. An open floor plan enables real time idea-sharing and actionable engagement.
Klipfolio is embracing a concept known as Collaborative Ergonomics – blending team collaboration to drive innovation and decision-making, while ensuring overall health and well-being for its employees. Collaborative ergonomics supports healthier, happier and more productive employees.
Peter Matthews, Chief Experience Officer and Co-Founder of Klipfolio, had a significant influence over the design of Klipfolio's new space. "Building a strong corporate culture doesn't happen overnight. It takes time," states Matthews. "The internal experience for employees is just as important as the external experience for customers. It's about consistency. Consistent experience allows both internal and external stakeholders to feel the real satisfaction that comes from having consistent quality throughout the whole of the corporate experience. We are building a harmonious operation in our new space and as a result, our customers will have a harmonious engagement with our product and service." As Matthews reveals, the experience is the catalyst and informs every aspect of Klipfolio's business.
To design for collaboration, there are three goals to keep in mind: 1) Promote creativity and share knowledge, 2) Increase company-wide innovation, 3) Improve decisiveness. When designing for ergonomics, the focus should be on: 1) Creating spaces that promote organized work zones, 2) Providing adjustable desks and monitor stands that allow customization and comfort 3) Ensuring that all zones within the workspace are within easy and comfortable reach. Collaborative Ergonomics also focuses on reducing wasted space by situating employees in positions that enhance teamwork and synergy.
Klipfolio's architectural partner, Linebox Studio challenges the mundane and ordinary in their innovative designs. Reggie McIntosh, Project Lead and Intern Architect at Linebox, says, "With Klipfolio, we established early the importance of variation in work spaces. Everyone works differently and it's healthy to break it up throughout the day. We had the advantage of working within a phenomenal, yet challenging space that once housed a movie theatre." McIntosh continues, "Klipfolio embraced the quirky nature of the space without hesitation, enabling Linebox to create an array of unique spaces."
Linebox and Klipfolio approached the design in a truly holistic way, thinking through every type of employee, every style of task and activity. The approach was deep and insightful. Some spaces are expansive, facilitating group collaboration and taking advantage of exterior views and high ceilings, and others that are small, introspective and comfortable, creating quiet zones of concentration and focused work. Still other spaces, like the feature stair, create intersections where people can spontaneously connect and problem-solve. All the while, the office is fun and lively through the use of bright accent colors, comfortable furniture, and interesting lighting choices.
Allan Wille, CEO and Co-Founder of Klipfolio, states, "As a company that is growing quickly, the need to be aligned and have each of our one-hundred talented people moving in the right direction is critical." Wille emphasizes that it is critical to plan for continuous growth and design a space that promotes scalability. "Graduating from an office that spread employees over multiple floors that we were outgrowing, to a location that can house everyone on the same floor plate has given us freedom. We have put a major emphasis on designing collaborative areas with a variety of different working environments, so that we can continue to explore and expand."
Today's modern work environment is more than game rooms, funky furniture, free food and allowing dogs to hang out with you at work. Your office space should be considered an organic environment which needs to be nurtured and cultivated on a regular basis. Experimenting with new layouts, team arrangements and configurations is key. For example, try mixing team members sitting together in one location for a specific project. Similarly, we are experimenting with an online chat huddle center where two team members from Client Support work with members from the Sales Team to help manage online chats in a collaborative way.
So next time you're in Canada's Capital of Ottawa, please drop by and say hi!
About Klipfolio
Klipfolio is trusted and relied upon by over 10,000 of the world's best and brightest organizations. As a leader in the cloud-based business intelligence dashboard market, Klipfolio is a cost-effective, flexible dashboard solution that integrates with 1000s of data services to create powerful business insights. With customers in healthcare, financial services, consumer packaged goods, non-profit, and marketing, Klipfolio is changing the way data is used one dashboard at a time. Find out more at Klipfolio or follow us at Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook.
SOURCE Klipfolio Inc.
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