This is how Medialine optimized the management of hybrid work with Seatti

About the company

The brothers Martin and Stefan Hörhammer recognized the influence of IT early on: They founded Medialine in 1999 and expanded the company into a full-service IT provider. Tailored to the real requirements of medium-sized and large companies, the range of services today includes IT infrastructure, cloud services and business solutions. Today, they serve a group of medium-sized companies that are represented at more than 20 locations in Germany, Austria and Romania.

Stefan Hörhammer, COO of Medialine reports on the optimization of hybrid work in the company.

Challenge

Unlike many other companies that had to introduce and adapt hybrid working due to the Corona pandemic, Medialine had already been working with hybrid forms of working for several years before the pandemic. Medialine is a forward-thinking and innovative company that came up with the idea of introducing hybrid work long before it was cool (and necessary) to do so. But even before Corona, there were challenges the company faced when deciding to make this transition.

Medialine is a forward-looking company. The first hybrid work concepts were implemented back in 2015. As the company grew, so did the challenges for the organization of workstations. Desk sharing repeatedly led to confusion as to who would use which desk and when, and it became clear that an efficient solution had to be found. So Medialine looked for a tool to support the hybrid work strategy.

"When we deny employees' requests to change the way they work, we are essentially denying them their need to feel good."

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Solution

How did Seatti help as a workplace booking software in the company?

Medialine decided to learn directly from the conflicts that arose and to manage them with its own strengths: Forward Thinking, Innovation and Collectivity. In addition to a clear communication strategy and an open ear for feedback, the company decided to invest in desk sharing software that would help organize and coordinate workspaces and meetings. Seatti was able to help Medialine in several ways:

Cooperation

Since in the alternating model not all employees are in the office at the same time anymore, hybrid working can result in teams working less personally with each other on projects. To intentionally encourage collaboration and bring colleagues back into the office, Seatti's location overview helps them meet as a team. Team members can see at a glance who plans to come into the office and when. And remote employees can filter who works nearby to arrange to meet. This not only fostered team dynamics, but also made it easier to organize office space.  

Organization

Medialine knows that the advantage of working in a hybrid structure is a better work-life balance. To give employees planning security, Seatti allows Medialine's employees to plan jobs in advance. This strengthens employees' self-organization and flexibility and supports the collaborative approach of the alternating model.  

Corona restrictions

The Corona pandemic also presented Medialine with huge challenges in terms of infection control. To get a better overview of who was in the office at what time, Seatti's site survey again helped. Infection chains could thus be better traced and quarantine measures directly implemented. In addition, Seatti made it possible to book or deactivate workstations individually. This made it easier to implement distance rules and hygiene measures in the office.  

"We have significantly greater employee satisfaction with the office visit because they know where they'll be sitting."  

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Impact

What impact does the hybrid work model have on the company?

Even before the pandemic, the hybrid work model had numerous advantages for employees and companies. Above all, employees are relieved enormously in terms of work-life balance. Long commutes are eliminated through the use of the home office, and flexible working hours make it easier to reconcile family and career. This has a positive effect on Medialine's attractiveness as an employer and on loyalty to the company.

But team dynamics have also been improved thanks to better collaboration. Employees can now independently plan their daily work routine, coordinate their activities, and thus work on projects in a targeted manner.  

To encourage concentrated and collaborative work in particular, the hybrid office also had to be redesigned. This includes, for example, an open space in the office where all employees can sit and work together - including the management level. In addition, the equipment at each workstation was adapted for the hybrid setup. This included monitors, docking stations and height-adjustable desks.

"Employees need to feel at home in the company and connected to the company."

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