The Options 2000, O2K, Home Page
The Options 2000, O2K, Home Page
Programme Description: (220 words)
Options 2000, also known as O2K, was launched in July 1999 to deliver the benefits of flexible working to the BT workforce.
As a company with a large office based population, the potential for working smarter utilising the best of BT's communications technology must always been looked at.
In the external market place BT markets the business and personal benefits of initiatives such as Homebased working, or varieties of remote working, delivering both significant costs savings to the employer, but perhaps more importantly, offering an improved work-life balance to the individual.
Benefits in terms of recruitment and retention of staff - and a reduction on the environment of endless, perhaps unnecessary, commuting journeys were also an added attraction of this style of working. The Options 2000 programme was launched to offer the same benefits to BT and its office-based workforce.
Through a specially designed website we launched the opportunity for BT employees to register their interest in working at home, something which existed as an option in the business, but which was not at that stage formally administered or supported.
At the same time we launched a series of supporting flexible working products across the BT estate which would enable the transition from office-based to remote to be gradual or total - depending on what best suited the individual - and the organisation.
Participants:
O2K is driven from the BT property community through a team in the business' Facilities Management division, FM Solutions, with key support from the internal IT community.
Target Groups:
The O2K programme is targeted at the BT UK office based population.
Objectives:
Jobs and functions traditionally requiring an office based presence are changing, yet apart from our Engineering and field sales teams, a relatively small number of our workforce were benefiting from the advantages to be achieved by managing their working day from anywhere other than their corporate office.
Advances in communications technology - both in the fields of voice and data means that people can respond to customer queries, handle work and liase with a team as effectively and efficiently from a remote location.
As traditional working styles of manager-team co-location had been replaced in BT some years ago by more virtual team working, the need to be co-located with a team has disappeared in some job areas.
Options 2000 was launched to fulfil a number of interlinked objectives, each significant to the business and the environment in which BT operates.
Achievements:
The benefits Options2000 has, and will continue to deliver, reach right across BT UK and are highlighted in our Options 2000 video - ''Think Activity not place'':
For those who wish and are able to take the opportunity of the homebased working option, Options 2000 has delivered benefits including the ability to optimise the integration of work and family life and financial and time savings as a result of not having to travel into the office.
To date 4,500 people have moved their headquarters to their home, many operating out of what was their spare bedroom. As clearly demonstrated in the video, both managers and non-managers have taken advantage of this option.
Working with furniture suppliers we have identified a diverse range of furniture to suit most room sizes and styles, and each home office is different! Together with our IT colleagues we have developed a key IT support network, ensuring that individuals receive comparable support to their corporate office based colleagues.
For some who now work at home, the additional time saved by not commuting has enabled them to spend more time with their families, or take up a sporting hobby or other interest, as the time saved belongs to the individual.
In addition to personal financial savings there are significant environmental benefits from the reduction in home to office travel.
The Options 2000 programme has presented a perfect marketing proposition - the opportunity for each of us to be involved in creating the ultimate reference site for our sales people to demonstrate BT's flexible working technology in action.
Of significant interest are the financial savings, which are now starting to be realised. The set up and running costs of a homebased worker compare very favourably against costs incurred in accommodating people in a corporate office environment. Annual costs, after set up, for a homebased worker are around only 27% of the costs, which would be incurred in an office building. The savings are even greater if the individual moved out of a Capital City or major conurbation. The property community are working at realising these savings as we seek to restack buildings and dispose of surplus property.
Outside of the Homebased element of the Options 2000 programme, our workforce has benefited from the creation of a support network of flexible working products across the BT estate. The provision of 'Flexidesks' which offer bookable pay as you use workstations in key buildings has encouraged people to work more flexibly, as well as offering Homebased workers the opportunity to spend time back in the corporate office environment.
The provision of drop-in 'touchdown' facilities to enable people to download e-mail has increased the flexibility of our estate. More recently the addition of a Business Suite in one of our key buildings, in the style of serviced office accommodation, has expanded the flexible working product range.
In addition to the growing BT population who are basing themselves at home, more than 30,000 employees in BT currently have remote access to the BT data network, as they carry out their business activity away from the corporate office environment.
Information on the website on Flexible Working facilities across the estate
Flexidesks in the BT Business Suite
Additional detail on the Options 2000 programme:
The Roots of flexible working in BT go back to 1993, with the launch of the Workstyle Programme. This major change programme focused on creating an environment which reflects the image of a world class organisation and promoted the development of workstyles based on a more intensive use of BT technologies and the efficient use of shared resources
The Options 2000 programme was launched to formalise the development of a flexible working environment for our BT UK office-based personnel. It offers a range of flexible working solutions and is fully supported by a detailed Intranet site offering advice and information.
An example of one of the pages on the Options 2000 (O2K) website
Unique to the Options 2000 programme is a web based training package for individuals who are considering or have made the move to work at home.
The training and education package available on the web
The training site also includes information for managers on managing people working this way. An interactive package, it also includes a 'café' site where flexible workers can exchange messages and information.
The 'Café' Home Page on the training and education website
To date individuals and facilities have featured in media interest in the approach BT is taking to flexible working. In key skill areas the company promotes the ability to work flexibly as a recruitment tool. Through our Workstyle Consulting Team we have been able to share the valuable learning we have achieved in implementing a flexible working programme with our customers.
Flexible Working Product Definitions:
Touchdown
Touchdown areas are free, non-bookable worksettings for shared use which would normally be used for relatively brief periods, whilst visiting a BT location for other business reasons, such as a meeting.
Utilising space in 'social' areas of the building, such as restaurants and coffee shops they offer typically a cafeteria style table or bar area. Each has a PSTN connection and power supply and Service Surround to include the services of the Central Support Helpline and local Facilities Team to provide advice and guidance.
Flexidesk
Flexidesk is a bookable workstation, within the office area, which can be reserved in advance and is charged to the individual on a daily or half day basis. It provides, as a minimum, telephone with IDD capability, a power supply and PSTN connection for remote access. A LAN connection is provided which enables fast access to the data network and to on site printing facilities.
Business Suite
Quality accommodation incorporating a mixture of workstations, including Flexidesks, meeting rooms and 'executive' style offices.
All Workstations in the Business Suite are bookable by the hour. The ability to book individual workstations or offices on an 'as you need them' basis enables employees to no longer have to hold dedicated space, for which they pay permanently and instead have a resource which they only pay for when it is used.