How a healthcare non-profit used Kumospace to bring a hybrid team together

Meet FALP

Nestled in Providencia, Chile is a forward-thinking non-profit with a philanthropic mission: to provide high-quality screening, education, treatment, and care to cancer patients and at-risk individuals. Since being established in 1954, FALP has helped thousands of patients receive the care they need to achieve a higher quality of life.

But it hasn’t always been easy.

With roughly 2,000 employees across a variety of departments, cross-departmental communication was always challenging but ground to a halt when the pandemic struck. Luckily, the crisis helped the company discover a new way of working - in a Kumospace virtual workspace - that it continues to use to this day. All thanks to one intrepid innovation and digital transformation manager.

How one innovation and digital transformation manager is changing the way FALP communicates

Marcelo Herbert Fuchs Fiebich, an HR veteran now in charge of innovation and digital transformation, knew the importance of creating and managing effective teams. As an experienced remote worker, he had a history of embracing digital applications and alternative methods for building camaraderie and collaboration.

So, when Marcelo encountered frustrated team members who didn't have a clear sense of who what accountable for what, he knew Kumospace was the perfect solution. In Kumospace, Marcelo found an easy and accessible tool that allowed FALP’s team to work together and succeed in their life-saving mission.

Finding a space for hybrid companies

When the pandemic struck, it forced FALP to rethink the workplace. After all, working with at-risk individuals meant that it was essential to limit face-to-face contact wherever possible. FALP adopted a hybrid work model out of necessity.
The transition from traditional in-office work to hybrid work ultimately proved to be so beneficial that FALP still uses the hybrid system today. Here’s how Kumospace helped Marcelo and FALP reap the rewards of online offices.

Problem: Online employees aren’t being seen

Keeping track of hundreds of employees in an office is difficult enough. Once you go hybrid, things get even tougher. Zoom offered a satisfactory way to meet virtually — but short of scheduling a meeting ahead of time, how could you know when your manager or co-worker was online and available?

With a portion of their workforce clocking in virtually, employees had no means to get quick answers and assistance. Even worse, it was nearly impossible for managers to easily find and help struggling team members.

Who’s free to meet?

As a remote worker, you can’t visit your manager’s desk to see if they’re available for a meeting later that day. Likewise, you can’t pop over to your teammate's space and ask a quick question or engage in a quick catch-up. And, if you’re a manager, there’s no way to see if your team is prioritizing important work or struggling with a problem. So when you work online, how can you easily tell “who’s in the office” or check in with your team without blocking everyone’s calendar with yet another Zoom meeting?

One of the most difficult challenges hybrid companies face is ensuring they can provide an equitable and accessible workplace for their remote teammates. As a manager, that means ensuring your remote team has the right tools that will allow them to see, connect, and collaborate without upsetting their work-life balance.

Solutions: Take the traditional office plan online

A virtual workspace combines the best features of an in-person office with the convenience of remote work. Here’s how FALP’s decision to implement Kumospace resulted in big wins for their team.

Visibility

Kumospace virtual offices offer immediate visibility into who’s working, who’s available, and what your team is working on.

This solution makes it easier for remote managers to help struggling team members and ensures everyone on your team prioritizes their time wisely. For the remote worker, dedicated office spaces make it easy to see who’s available to chat, meet with, or work with — thus eliminating unnecessary meetings and saving everyone valuable time and sanity.

Replace Google Meets with Kumospace

In Kumospace, it’s easy to see when your coworkers meet — and just as easy to join in. That’s why FALP opts to hold board meetings in Kumospace. Even employees working in the physical office sign into Kumospace so that they always know who’s online.

Embrace workplace equity

Done correctly, the hybrid model offers a massive boost to workplace equity. In FALP’s case, using Kumospace to increase visibility means that 

For example, managers walk around in the morning to say hi to their team, and there’s always someone in the contact center to provide support.

Make collaboration easier

Stop wasting time scheduling — virtual office spaces make it easy to connect and collaborate, even with a hybrid work model.

Unblock your team

When team members are blocked by similar problems, solving one person’s dilemma can put your whole team back on track. In addition, virtual spaces make it easy to discuss roadblocks and demonstrate solutions to multiple people at once. That way, you don’t have to call unnecessary meetings or waste precious time showing things repeatedly.

Is your team struggling?

Does your hybrid or remote team struggle with visibility outside of the physical office? Dedicated virtual office space is ideal for agile companies looking to maximize online productivity. Like Marcelo and FALP, you and your company can succeed in the right space. How?

Marcelo’s advice for implementing virtual offices

Ready to jump on board online offices? Here are Marcelo’s three tips for teams looking to take work out of the office and onto the web.

1. Find the best solution for your team.

There are plenty of tools out there to choose from. But first, have a firm idea of what you need and want, then test solutions until you find a good fit.

2. Acknowledge there will be friction in the transition.

Transitioning to a hybrid or remote-first work model can be difficult for managers and teams. Be firm in sharing why your solution is the right one. Focus on the benefits of your chosen tool and have an implementation plan in place to make the transition easier.

3. Commit to the tool.

Once you’ve found a solution for your team, don’t back down until everyone is on board. Remember that you’ll need to invest time and effort into any tool you choose if you truly want to reap the rewards.

It’s time to bring your team together

If FALP’s story inspires you, come check out Kumospace for yourself. We’re a virtual office and events space designed to solve some of the most common challenges facing remote and hybrid businesses today. So whether your team needs a place for collaboration or you want to strengthen your company culture, we’ve got a space for that.

Kumospace is free to use, with free trials for every paid account. So feel free to sign up online or (if you want to speak to one of our stellar team members) schedule a demo with us today.