64 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om I NT E R V I EW Microsoft made a name for itself as the standard in enterprise technology, through tools and services such as Windows, Excel, Word and PowerPoint. “It has also become an integral part of workplace collaboration, particularly with the widespread use of Microsoft Teams,” says Florent Petit, chief technical officer and director of pre-sales at Mandarine Academy, an education technology provider. Despite many enterprises accelerating their digital transformation and adopting Microsoft Teams during the pandemic, not everything has been smooth sailing for employees. “Employees found themselves alone at home, out of contact with their colleagues and potentially unable to use the full capabilities of their digital tools,” says Petit. “Employers needed to adapt to new ways of working and train their employees so that they did not feel helpless at home. “Not all employees are equal in their use of digital technology. Digital illiteracy has created significant challenges throughout the pandemic.” Mandarine Academy is working to democratise access to digital tools. “We make sure that every employee is able to effectively use the tools necessary for their role,” explains Petit. “To achieve this, we place people at the heart of our solutions. We are convinced that every company will only achieve its objectives if employees are supported in the use of IT solutions.” Without concrete support plans, Petit believes that there is a risk of partial employee adoption, which in turn will impact organisations’ return on investment in their digital implementations. “These businesses would face difficulties such as employee resistance, a return to old habits, loss of efficiency and collaboration problems,” he says. “Digital transformation cannot be achieved with tools alone; we must transform human behaviour too. And this is what we offer at Mandarine Academy.” To realise this, the education technology provider has developedMOOCOffice 365 – a training platform that facilitates the use of Microsoft 365 tools and applications. “Accessible at any time, it offers a variety of resources to learn how to master your Office applications,” says Petit. “We offer video conferencing sessions with our expert trainers, as well as courses and learning paths on various themes and tools, use case videos and exercises and quizzes to test knowledge acquisition. “It is essential to raise awareness among employees about the tools that they are using by communicating with them, explaining the benefits and offering them a training plan adapted to their level and job role.” Mandarine Academy’s Florent Petit shares how the firm is helping businesses overcome challenges associated with hybrid working The human element of hybrid BY E L LY YAT E S - ROB E R T S “We make sure that every employee is able to effectively use the tools necessary for their role”
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