The Microsoft Technology Centre (MTC) in Reading, UK, hosts hundreds of customers per year – from start-ups to companies listed in the FTSE 100, a share index of the 100 most highly capitalized UK companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.
The MTC helps customers understand and improve their business processes. Depending on the complexity of their problems, customers' meetings with Microsoft's Developer and Platform Evangelist (DPE) team can last up to three days.
Identifying the challenge
With up to six people involved in these meetings, collecting information afterwards often involved using cameras to capture the drawings and notes written on dry-erase boards in the meeting room. Writing up all of the information from a meeting frequently took a day or more, during which time the meeting room could not be used, since no drawings or notes could be erased until they were recorded and processed.
Crafting the solution
Microsoft wanted to improve the productivity and effectiveness of these meetings and decided to install a collaboration solution from SMART. The company implemented SMART Board interactive whiteboard systems, SMART Meeting Pro software, SMART Bridgit conferencing software and SMART USB speakers.
This solution enables DPE team members and customers to write notes over any application or web page, then save them in PDF or PPT files. Or they can mark up files in common applications, like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and OneNote, as well as AutoCAD and Adobe Acrobat Pro, and save notes in the original documents. Marked-up pages, revised documents, diagrams, notes and comments can all be captured easily and e-mailed directly to all meeting participants.
Improving meeting efficiency
The productivity gains from using the interactive whiteboards are significant. SMART's collaboration solution is enabling Microsoft to work more efficiently. Martyn Davis, Manager, MTC Reading at Microsoft, explains, "Before we installed the meeting-room solution, we used to spend one full day writing up the notes of a meeting. Now, we can accurately record all of the meeting notes automatically on the interactive whiteboard – including all the annotations and notes made during the meeting – which wasn't possible using dry-erase boards. The information is then saved onto a USB stick and given to the customer immediately after the meeting has finished."
Expanding the sales pipeline
Another benefit of SMART's collaboration solution is that it has greatly improved the utilization of the MTC. Martyn continues, "Using the new solution from SMART Technologies, we have improved the effectiveness and efficiency of our meetings and write-ups. Because of this, we are now able to fit in additional meetings at the MTC. This has helped our sales teams to meet more customers and thereby increase our sales pipeline."
Enriching the customer experience
The new collaboration solution from SMART Technologies has enriched the way in which Microsoft and its customers work together. Previously, the meeting rooms had dry-erase boards, which limited the number of concepts to be introduced and worked on at a time. This also acted as a barrier between the Microsoft architect and the customer.
