Local knowledge for successful cross-border workplace transformation programs

“Globalization has changed us into a company that searches the world, not just to sell or source but to find intellectual capital – the world's best talents and greatest ideas”: Jack Welch, the former CEO at GE.

Johnson Controls' Global WorkPlace Solutions (GWS) Consulting business is engaged with some of the world's best known businesses as they transform the way that they are working globally to achieve new efficiency and productivity goals in the delivery of corporate real estate (CRE) services.

Tim Allen

Tim Allen of Johnson Controls’ GWS Consulting business observes, “Our clients with global operations look to us to create and deliver global standards: where data is gathered from across the world, where workplaces consistently reflect corporate values and have common service levels and where collaboration across borders is enabled to support one vision of CRE services. Any transition to a single global strategy will fail or fly on the strength of its workplace transformation programme – the ability to embed new ways of working and adapt to different practices and services.”

But as corporates strive for ever greater cross-border consistency, can a workplace transformation devised in London or New York effect lasting cultural change in Frankfurt, Delhi and Sao Paolo? Tim believes so – but only with a well supported network of local knowledge and implementation. “We are increasingly working with clients who want to create global protocols across their portfolios, and transform working practices comprehensively. They want to enjoy the benefits of a single strategy to support their built environment assets in terms of cost efficiency, service consistency, and workplace optimisation. But the world is not homogeneous: there is significant workplace and cultural diversity even within continents. Working practices in Cape Town create a specific set of needs from a building, which is likely to differ greatly from the way that people work in Casa Blanca.

“For our clients the concept of 'think global, act local' is becoming more real. Eighty percent of any workplace transformation programme can be globally consistent: a single vision. But twenty percent has to be local: there must be cognisance of embedded working practice and cultural fit. Without local infrastructure and implementation capabilities, any transformation will face significant challenge, and lasting, successful change will be inhibited. Global transformation strategy can only be delivered with robust local infrastructure,” believes Tim.

Johnson Controls GWS has more than 17,000 people working with customers in 75 countries. Our global strategies are delivered through a robust local infrastructure network. Tim concludes, “As our clients ask us to devise and deliver change across their global portfolio, we are able to harness knowledge from around the world. So while our strategies may be set in London, New York or any city across the globe, they are executed on the ground wherever our clients have a need to transform their workplaces.”

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