Just as when you try something new, you look up information about and imitate people who are already doing it, by learning about the introduction of new ways of working, you can get an idea of what it is, how to proceed, key points, common pitfalls, etc. However, unfortunately, there are not yet many cases of Activity Based Working (ABW) being introduced in Japan. This is especially true for projects that include not only office construction but also behavioral change and effect measurement in their scope. Many of the projects that we support are long-term, lasting just under two years, and it takes time to complete the introduction steps.
In 2019, we at ITOKI published the "ABW Case Collection" in collaboration with our partner Veldhoen, introducing six overseas case studies that can be used as reference by people in Japan. All of them are good examples that get to the essence of ABW. We have provided an overview below, so if you are interested, please download it from the link below.
1. ABW is not just about spatial construction – Trustpower (New Zealand)
Trustpower is a company involved in the supply of public infrastructure in New Zealand. In 2016, the company consolidated its eight offices across the country. Rather than simply consolidating its offices, the company introduced ABW to improve collaboration and recruit talented personnel. ABW is a management strategy that aims to produce better results by redefining the company's vision and ideal form, and fostering a new corporate culture. This is a useful case study for understanding the overall picture of ABW, which goes beyond the scale of office space construction.
2. ABW brings organizations together – Red Energy + Lumo Energy (Australia)
Red Energy and Lumo Energy are both Australian electricity and gas providers, and introduced ABW when they merged their businesses in 2018. We will introduce their proactive efforts to foster a new culture by taking advantage of a major organizational restructuring. This case study reminds us that when an organization is going through a period of transition, it is important to go back to and redefine the "ideal state" of the company.
3. ABW attracts talented people – MSD (Australia)
Merck/MSD, a leading company in the pharmaceutical industry, has partnered with Veldhoen + Company to implement ABW at multiple locations with the aim of acquiring the best talent and maximizing performance. This document introduces a case study from Australia, but it is also an example that should not be overlooked by Japanese companies, as the competition to acquire talent will become even more intense in the future due to the decline in the working population.
4. ABW can measure success – B2hub (Australia)
When the Western Sydney Regional Health Board reconsidered the way administrative staff work, they designated Blacktown Hospital's administrative department, B2Hub, as the pilot team to implement ABW on a trial basis before rolling it out to other locations. ABW is a strategy that requires a review of existing ways of working and the systems and organizational culture that support them, so there are obstacles such as project budgeting and a lack of best practices in successful cases, but this is a good example of overcoming these obstacles by implementing a pilot program.
5. ABW creates collaboration – Macquarie Bank (Australia)
Macquarie Bank is Australia's largest investment bank with over 10,000 employees. By implementing ABW at their new headquarters, One Shelley Street, they aimed to embody "transparency," "collaboration," and "teamwork." Although this project was carried out a little earlier, in 2009, it is a representative example of ABW, showing that even in highly regulated industries in Japan, such as finance, insurance, and pharmaceuticals, the introduction of ABW can help to instill a corporate vision from management down to general employees.
6. ABW changes behavior – Microsoft (Netherlands)
Microsoft, the world's largest software company, has been practicing ABW since 2009 at its base near Amsterdam, Netherlands. When working on new ways of working to ensure work-life balance, the company placed particular emphasis on change management. As a result, the organization became self-sustaining even after the ABW implementation program ended, and 10 years after its launch, it seems to be embarking on new developments.
If you would like to see the above cases in more detail, please see the "ABW case collection" below. You can also see various other case studies on the Veldhoen website. Please take a look.
