Pole Star has been a trailblazer in equipping connected companies since 2014 with over one million m2 deployed. The first building equipped was the former head offices of SFR in Saint Denis. Since then, Pole Star has implemented its service in some thirty office buildings in France including five Crédit Agricole sites, Microsoft, Orange in Arcueil and in Toulouse, and around ten Société Générale buildings.
The main priority is to optimize space for greater workplace efficiency, while ensuring genuine employee wellbeing. Location based services are changing the way we work. Tailored to the needs of the individual while respecting his or her privacy, location based services among other things help employees to find the best workstation for them, to reserve the nearest available meeting room, to easily meet up with co-workers, to find a car in the parking lot, or to locate needed equipment. In other terms, geolocation or smart services simplify interfaces while automating their control.
According to Christian Carle, CEO of Pole Star: “These services are now available to all site employees and visitors and do not infringe on their private life.” “Information delivered about how the site is used or the location of certain objects allows companies to optimize their investments and if needed to improve the design of spaces as well as workflows and ensure the company operates properly. The ROI is immediate.” However, the main challenge is to earn the support of employees by making their life easier at work so that everyone can focus on what is important. The higher the quality of services offered, the more employees will use them, creating a win-win situation. Two minutes of time saved every day, which is generally agreed to be a minimum savings, by not having to look for your meeting room, a co-worker, a file or a tool, is one day of efficient work time earned per year per person. And for a site with some 1500 employees that means a minimum savings of 500 000 €/$560 000 per year! Again: the idea is not to impose anything on anyone but to offer these services to employees, delivering real added comfort and value to all stakeholders.
