The successful transition to a hybrid work model presented a significant challenge for UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group as they sought to optimize their office space utilization. This case study demonstrates how the Bank, in partnership with technology partners Span and YAROOMS, found a solution that not only meets modern workplace organization requirements but also significantly enhances employee experience.
UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group is one of Ukraine's largest banks and part of the international BNP Paribas Group. With 60% of shares owned by the international BNP Paribas Group – Europe's sustainable financing leader – and 40% by the EBRD, the Bank serves as a stable financial partner offering modern and reliable banking services backed by a leading European group, caring for clients and employees while contributing to Ukraine's economic strength and positive societal development.
CHALLENGE
Following renovation, the Bank opened three office locations in Kyiv and transformed its approach to employee workspace organization according to the nomadism concept. This concept provides employees with greater freedom in choosing convenient workspaces, allowing flexible adaptation of work processes to personal needs for maximum comfort. Employees can use any workspace, room, or equipment within the renovated offices. Consequently, the Bank needed an office space management solution that would automate the booking process and provide transparent access to information about space availability.
"After implementing a hybrid work format, we needed a modern solution for organizing and utilizing office space. We were looking for a comprehensive approach that would meet our high standards and have the potential for scaling and integration with the Microsoft ecosystem," explains Iryna Zmii, Head of Real Estate Department at UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group.
IMPLEMENTATION OF YAROOMS WORKPLACE BOOKING SYSTEM WITH MICROSOFT 365 INTEGRATION FOR HYBRID OFFICE
The Bank chose the YAROOMS workspace booking service as their project implementation tool, with Span serving as the technology partner. The successful project implementation deepened both the Bank's expertise and that of certified Microsoft partner Span in deploying the YAROOMS service and creating a tool that fully meets modern hybrid office needs.
For user convenience, the YAROOMS service was integrated with the existing Microsoft software environment, allowing employees to work with the booking system directly through the familiar Microsoft Teams application. The convenience and simplicity of the YAROOMS service provided additional flexibility in daily work planning – employees can easily book necessary spaces and confirm their presence with just a few clicks. The interactive floor map feature significantly simplified teamwork by making colleague locations in the office transparent, enabling employees to easily find needed people and organize collaborative work.
Particularly valuable was the ability for Bank service administrators to centrally manage all three locations and their workspaces through a single interface, while employees can see workspace availability and necessary equipment across any office and choose the most convenient option. Employees use their standard accounts with multi-factor authentication to access the YAROOMS platform, eliminating the need to remember additional passwords, while all Active Directory changes automatically replicate to YAROOMS. Another significant achievement was the YAROOMS integration with Microsoft Outlook email service, providing a single point of control for space booking: reservations created in Outlook instantly appear in YAROOMS and vice versa.
WORKPLACE BOOKING AUTOMATION: OFFICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH ANALYTICS FOR HYBRID OFFICE
The YAROOMS implementation enabled the Bank to transition from centralized workspace administration to autonomous employee planning with the ability to independently book workspaces in renovated offices.
A key project element was the close collaboration between Span's technical team, YAROOMS developers, and the Bank's IT department to implement customized solutions tailored to the financial institution's specific needs. At joint request, the system manufacturer implemented several unique modifications that Span successfully integrated into the client environment: automatic user profile synchronization with Active Directory, flexible user group distribution system with manager and role assignments according to organizational structure, new communication template types, and Ukrainian interface language, significantly improving employee interaction with the system.
Team leaders maintained full control and transparency regarding employee office presence. They have access to real-time workspace occupancy statistics and can use advanced analytics showing: average office space utilization levels, number of confirmed and missed bookings, usage statistics for different room types, and more.
The workspace management process automation not only optimized office space utilization but also significantly improved employee experience by providing them with a convenient tool for planning their office workday.
"Adapting YAROOMS for a large Ukrainian bank with European standards was an interesting challenge for us. We implemented flexible, client-customized solutions. Thanks to professional collaboration with UKRSIBBANK and Span technical teams, we managed to quickly integrate all necessary functions. It's particularly gratifying to see how our platform created a flexible work environment with employee autonomy and powerful analytics for management," says Jenifer Rhodus, VP Sales, EMEA/APAC, YAROOMS.
