An exciting new digital workplace
A new digital workplace called the DS Community launched on 23 January 2018 replacing the global merger platform. The DS Community was designed with the idea that it would be an actual community for sharing knowledge, ideas and stories, which in turn would help employees to find answers to questions or work challenges facing them. In order to truly succeed as One Global Team, employees need to be able to connect with their colleagues and counterparts around the world. Therefore the DS Community provides access to collaboration tools as well as general information on when to use which tool. In the first 7 weeks after the launch almost 390,000 pages were viewed.
Features in the DS Community
The start page can be customized based on an individual’s location and areas of interest. That means that the newsfeed can be tailored to help each employee to keep on top of developments in areas that are specifically relevant to his/her work. An event calendar is available for help staying organized even when away from the computer thanks to a responsive design which works well on a smartphone or tablet.
By working on projects through the DS Community, no one is left out of the loop and everyone can be up to date on the latest version of documents. This is especially helpful when a project team is separated across different offices.
Getting ready for a business trip and want to learn about media coverage of a particular product launch at the destination but the reporting is in a foreign language? Not a problem. The auto translation function can help to read local news articles by translating them into a preferred language instantly.
Need to check the travel policy? That’s possible as well in the DS Community as it’s a one-click gateway to policies and other employee services such as booking travel or the IT Service Desk.
A social workplace
One of the challenges facing a company with locations all over the world is how to create an environment where knowledge and ideas help to spur innovation. Since employees across different geographies can’t literally gather around the watercooler, the DS Community has social functions such as Yammer groups, and the ability to share and comment within articles to help build a digital watercooler effect that fits a modern, international business.
Getting better all the time
The initial launch included the features, functions, and content developed for the pilot of the DS Community with select countries and SBUs involved. As more and more people use and contribute to the digital workplace, more features and functions will be added. The more everyone uses and integrates the DS Community into their workday, the better it will become.
Find out more
DS Community brochure
Download this brochure for more details on the new DS Community.