Canon has moved into brand new ultra-modern hot desk headquarters in Sydney, saying productivity is already up, and there is an optimistic vibe in the air.
It says the purpose-built premises in Macquarie Park shows Canon is back and rejuvenated ahead of its launch of the C800 digital production printer tomorrow (Tuesday) night.
Printers will be able to take a tour of the new facility at the launch of the company’s new imagePress C800. Canon has also invited Paul Clitheroe, financial analyst, to the event, to give printers a run-down of the current economic climate to continue to add value for its customers.
The new building is divided into zones tailored to different kinds of work – those who need a place to concentrate, mobile employees who do not need a fixed desk, and balanced workers who sometimes need a desk and sometimes don’t.
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Canon Australia managing director Taz Nakamasu says three months in the new building is already leading to greater productivity and will ‘define the next generation of high performance working in Australia’.
“A change to our work environment has provided a powerful opportunity to increase employee engagement and create a catalyst for cultural change,” he says.
“With a clear strategy and thoughtful design, we’ve successfully created a workplace which we believe brings a distinct competitive advantage.
“Companies like ours are looking to provide environments which suit the way our employees work. We are passionate about our people and strongly believe in the power of inspiring both creativity and imagination in all areas of our business.”
Canon professional print marketing manager Paul Whitehead says the new workplace and revitalised culture that has come with it is an example of Canon putting its money where its mouth is, in leading the industry to a stronger future by example.
Canon general manager of HR and communications Ian Flemington says the company has gone on cultural change journey where it has actively tried to break down silos, connect teams and bring people together.
“We wanted to make sure the physical environment took that one step further and allowed people to come together in ways they never had before,” he says.
The 18-month design process involved numerous working groups discussing specific areas of the new space and included ideas and consultation from all its hundreds of employees and at the end of the process the company fielded 400-500 questions from staff about the design.
It includes a variety of meeting areas to encourage staff to congregate on the fly to brainstorm ideas and get away from their desks, multiple cafes, a gym and facilities for its more than 40 keen cyclists to ride to work.
Rooms with whiteboards as walls, and communal tables are spaced throughout the building to encourage incidental meetings and collaboration between staff.
Canon also hit sustainability targets in the construction, reaching a 4 Star Green Star rating for the base building, and expecting to achieve 5 Stars for the fit out.
The new HQ is about 70 per cent more efficient than the old building, uses e-wood made from recycled toner cartridges in fittings wherever possible, and the design resulted in a 43 per cent reduction in storage space.
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