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For over 30 years, Veldhoen + Company has developed and implemented new ways of working for forward-thinking organisations.

10 min read

Activity Based Working at SCAB Accountants & Advisors

Veldhoen + Company

01 October, 2024

Realising a vision, a concept and a customised ABW office with a matching working method in just five months? Is that possible? At SCAB, it is! Thanks to a solid vision, a powerful client, a clear assignment and, of course, a suitable budget. All parties sat down together from the very beginning: the client, representatives, internal experts, interior designer and Veldhoen + Company. This allowed us to get straight down to business and achieve a huge transformation in a short period of time, both in terms of the working environment and the way of working.
"What we have achieved here infive months is much more powerful than what we have done in the past five years in terms of organisational development. This environment has truly become a lever for change."

MAARTEN STUBBÉ General Directeur | SCAB

THE FIRST STEPS

The timing was also right. A number of things coincided: we needed to move, the environment was outdated and there was a need for refreshment, for a big step forward. For this reason, we decided to look at both the old and new working environments from as broad a perspective as possible.

In the case of SCAB, Veldhoen + Company started by developing personas. Who actually works at the organisation? How do they work? And above all: why? A concept was developed based on these personas. A concept that shows courage.

The goal? An increase in both productivity and an improvement in the working atmosphere. Without people having to worry that there will be no suitable workplace available. The number of square metres has remained exactly the same, so cost savings are not a goal in themselves.

"You hear more and more often that people rush into the office at 8 o'clock in the hope that there is still a workspace available. This is not the case at SCAB; we have not cut back on workspaces."

MAARTEN STUBBÉ General Directeur | SCAB

 

The new lease was signed in August, with completion scheduled for January. Veldhoen + Company was given five months to implement the new working concept from start to finish. The management team asked themselves: what will be the impact of this change? And how will the rest of the organisation respond?

In hindsight, we can say that much more has been achieved than the original goals. Looking back, the impact has ultimately been much greater than the initial goal.


THE APPROACH

Because SCAB invested a lot of time in the process prior to delivery and thereby created a high level of commitment among its employees, the new working concept was quickly embraced. Nevertheless, receiving the drawing is always an exciting event. Not only for the organisation, but also for Maarten Stubbé himself: ‘For me, this was one of the most exciting moments of the last six years at SCAB because I had no idea how it would turn out.’

Organising sessions, meetings and sounding board groups (facilitated by Veldhoen + Company) with and for employees ensured that the idea could take root. Within a few weeks, the new working concept for the physical working environment and the way of working was fully accepted.

The biggest change, according to Stubbé? Breaking the pattern! Every year, investments were made in behavioural change and training, but people quickly fell back into old patterns. In this case, the physical working environment serves as a facilitator for real change.

IN PRACTICE

In practice, this manifests itself in flexible working methods, no more private offices and a clean desk policy. However, no one needs to worry that their spot (for that day) will be taken when they return from a meeting. Only when employees are away for more than half a day is their spot made available to other colleagues. So there is no negative incentive associated with the concept.

Employees are more accepting of each other and have a better understanding of what each other is doing. Daily life has become more transparent and relationships between colleagues have improved.
"People are proud to work in this environment again, their heads held high. From welcoming customers to job applicants, everything is just more enjoyable!"

MAARTEN STUBBÉ General Directeur | SCAB

THE NEXT STEP?

Saving space and costs was never the goal of the operation, yet the renovated working environment has resulted in 20% growth potential. SCAB's confidence in Veldhoen + Company has therefore ensured that the company is ready for the future.

‘The speed of realisation is incredible,’ says Maarten Stubbé. ‘By not getting bogged down in discussions, by taking decisive action and listening to employees, we were able to achieve rapid results. Results that are truly impressive!’

But it wasn't just the trust in Veldhoen + Company that made this project a success; SCAB's trust in its employees also played a key role. ‘We're ready to take on the next ten years!’

WHO IS SCAB?

Entrepreneurs should be allowed to do what they love and what they are good at: entrepreneurship. That is what SCAB has been doing for 45 years. SCAB facilitates entrepreneurs in their business operations and believes in offering a complete package of support services. Their specialism proves that this support is not just empty words: 85% of SCAB's clients work in the construction industry. This is a sector that wants real peace of mind and is not satisfied with half-hearted statements or complicated language.

Be expert, keep it simple.

 
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