Eneco: Creating a sustainable workplace with modern devices

“From the moment they first unpack their machine and switch it on, we want everything to be set-up for that specific employee’s working environment—allowing them to start work in the best possible way.”

This is the modern workplace vision that Mark Edelbroek, Head of Business Technology and IT Operations at Eneco, wants for every employee across the Dutch energy group.

With the lease on the company’s existing hardware coming to an end in 2020, Edelbroek’s team launched a project to implement a new range of cutting-edge devices that met the needs of Eneco’s workforce. With 4,000 people spread across Europe, rolling out a fleet of new devices would be a challenge at any time. The COVID-19 outbreak, however, would make it a logistical nightmare.

“Creating a strong modern workplace is a big priority for us,” says Edelbroek. “And with remote working becoming so important this year, the board made it a priority for us to find a more stable solution—and that started with hardware that’s better suited to our needs.”

A sustainable modern workplace

Eneco is one of Europe’s largest investors in sustainable energy and a leader in energy transition in both Belgium and the Netherlands. The group helps millions of consumers and businesses every year make the switch from fossil fuels to sustainable energy products and services.

With contracts on its workplace devices coming to an end, Eneco wanted to invest in a refreshed modern workplace, built on state-of-the-art hardware. The focus was on boosting productivity, rather than just choosing the most affordable solution.

“It’s very important that our digital workplace be a stable workhorse, so that every Eneco employee has the freedom to work in their own way,” says Ron Roozeboom, Manager of Digital Workspace at Eneco.

“COVID-19 meant we couldn’t work with our employees in person to help tailor the new devices. So, we had two challenges—choosing hardware to suit everyone’s needs and finding a new way to remotely roll out this project across Europe.”

Hardware and software working seamlessly together

Eneco’s modern workplace project began in February 2020, when the company asked outsourcing partner Capgemini to create a vendor short list of modern devices that might suit their needs.

“Each vendor was scored based on what their laptops offered and also their sustainability, which is a difficult aspect to put down on paper,” explains Roozeboom. “Things like packaging and transport, long-term power usage and the carbon footprint during the lifetime of a device. But after listening to each vendor, Microsoft was the one standing out in this field.”

“The Microsoft Surface range had the most points in all areas,” says Edelbroek. “Keyboard, screen, performance, sustainability, and also security, which has become a priority for our board now that everyone is working remotely.”

“And since we were trialing everyone working from home in Microsoft Teams, we realized that if we used Microsoft 365 tools with Microsoft devices, we could create an integrated experience across our digital workplace,” adds Roozeboom.

“Hardware and software working seamlessly together—and with more than 4,000 people now working remotely, accessing our data through Azure adds that additional layer of security and flexibility, which also helped reassure us that Microsoft was the right decision.”

A remote rollout on a national scale

To avoid people coming into Eneco’s offices, the team needed to plan a remote rollout of these devices to make sure everyone got the right equipment. “Planning a deployment of this scale is an achievement in itself,” says Roozeboom. 

“Has the new software been packaged and tested? Are people taking home monitors with USB-C connections? Do they require a Dutch, German, or a Belgian keyboard? All kinds of technical aspects—but through Microsoft Intune, we could set up each device to make sure it could be used straightaway, and even remotely manage them if an employee needed support.”

To help with the logistical challenges it faced, Eneco brought in device deployment partner NEG-ITSolutions. The company has more than 25 years of experience in helping organizations manage their workplace deployments, along with bespoke solutions that help deliver this new hardware to each employee and get them set up either from an office location or their own home.

“With NEG’s device deployment tool, we could collect address data, track packages, and most importantly, make sure everyone got up and running within half an hour,” explains Roozeboom. “It was a completely different rollout from what we were planning to do, so we ran a small pilot program to test NEG’s solution and the feedback was really good.”

“NEG also helped us create a portal where employees could select their device,” he adds. “Some travel a lot and need smaller or lightweight machines, while others may need a larger screen or faster processor. So based on these predefined personas, we selected four machines for people to choose from—the 13.5″ and 15″ Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro 7, and a higher-spec Surface Book 3 for the heavy users.

“When we sent out the email, we were astonished that within a week we had responses from more than 70 percent of employees. It was great to see everyone’s response, and with Windows Autopilot, every employee can set-up their new hardware from home without any physical help from IT—which in the current world is a big benefit to have.”

A strategic partnership for the future

With 1,500 new Surface devices now in the hands of Eneco employees and more than 1,500 on their way, the company’s stable modern workplace vision is becoming a reality. Another win for Eneco and Microsoft’s strategic partnership that will help both companies deliver more customer value in 2021.

“We're flexible, we're stable, and now able to roll out devices easily to new user groups or even new countries—which I think will really play into Eneco’s expansion strategy and help with any future mergers or acquisition,” says Roozeboom.

“Eneco and Microsoft talk on many levels—board, IT and everyday business,” adds Edelbroek. “We’re looking into a Power Apps solution now to help improve our CRM experience, and if we’re ever having a problem or need a new solution in another area, we’ll also look to Microsoft first.

“That’s where a partnership like this makes a difference, and why both Eneco and Microsoft will continue to work closely together in the future.”