From crisis mode to smart administration: How a municipality rethought its workplace management with Flexopus

A fire, four temporary locations, growing staff and suddenly hardly any permanent jobs – what would be an organizational nightmare for many administrations became a turning point for the Administration Communale de Junglinster in Luxembourg with around 60 employees in the town hall and another 35 in the technical service department. The solution: A radical rethinking of work organization and the introduction of modern Workplace Management with Flexopus.

State of emergency as a starting point

"A fire broke out during the night while work was being carried out on the roof structure, rendering large parts of our administration building unusable," the administration reports. Within a very short time, alternative rooms had to be organized, IT systems set up provisionally, and all employees distributed across several locations.

What followed was high-pressure improvisation: old buildings were hastily wired, additional rooms were rented, VPN access was set up, and new notebooks were procured. "The biggest challenge initially was simply to remain able to work," it says in retrospect.

From the traditional attendance model to flexible working

Before the fire, the work model was clearly regulated: fixed workplaces, classic presence culture, home office only in exceptional cases. However, due to spatial fragmentation and the growing number of employees, flexible office presence suddenly became a necessity.

"We have now introduced two fixed home office days and are consciously working with changing workplaces – also as preparation for the renovated administration building, which is to be operated almost entirely in flex mode," the administration explains.

The moment when workplace management became indispensable

One year after the disaster, it was clear: More staff, less space – permanent jobs for everyone are no longer realistic in the long term. This also brought a digital solution into focus for the first time.

“At that moment, the concept of flexible workplaces emerged for us, and Flexopus first came into play as a possible solution,” reports the responsible project manager, Majdi Hamzeh. “After analyzing several tools, the decision was made quickly, especially since Flexopus offered the software free of charge for the first year.”

Quick introduction thanks to simple operation

The launch went surprisingly smoothly. Technical integration played a particularly important role:

"The intuitive usability and seamless integration with Exchange have made the implementation much easier." The employees were able to get started immediately, without any extensive training.”

Nevertheless, one point remained sensitive: the departure from a permanent workplace.

"Especially long-term employees initially had respect for the change." “New colleagues were significantly less hesitant to make contact,” it says openly. Through transparent communication, instructions and regular updates, the teams were brought along step by step.

Structure, transparency and overview in everyday life

Today, Flexopus ensures clear processes in everyday work, despite still having distributed locations. The visual presentation of the office spaces is particularly appreciated.

"The live plan view with building sketches is extremely helpful." “Everyone can immediately see where there are still free seats,” was the feedback.

Currently, the most actively used are:

• Room booking
• Parking booking
• Workplace booking

All bookings are made centrally – via Exchange, Microsoft Teams, browser or app.

Tangible added value for employees and the organization

The effects are clearly measurable: "All reservations are now centrally bundled and much more transparent than before," reports the administration. Employees particularly appreciate the independence they have:

“Many people greatly appreciate being able to independently plan their workplace, vehicle or meeting room via various channels. The ease of use is repeatedly praised.

A glimpse into the future: The new building as a smart building

With the planned construction of the new administration building, Flexopus will play an even greater role. Workplace, room and vehicle management should be fully digitally controlled. The current phase already serves as practical preparation for the future flexible concept.

“Once the new building is completed, we will be able to properly assess the full effect – but we are already consciously preparing for it,” it says.

A clear recommendation from practical experience

For organizations that unexpectedly lose their work environment or need to fundamentally restructure, the administration has a clear message:

"Take action, communicate clearly and choose a solution that can be implemented immediately." Flexopus immediately gave us structure, reduced uncertainty, and provided all important connections directly on board.”

The support is also particularly highlighted: "The support is very good and helps enormously with implementation and introduction."

Conclusion

What began as a crisis situation became an opportunity for fundamental change. The local government not only reacted to the fire in an organizational way, but also took the step towards a modern, flexible working environment. Flexopus became the central tool for creating transparency, structure and planning security during a period of upheaval and today forms the foundation for the administration of the future.