Between November and December 2020, the 250 employees of the Axione agency based in Pau gradually moved into their new site with its designer architecture. A pleasant working environment that allows all the different departments to be brought together on a single site to optimise activities.
An historic agency
The town of Pau is symbolic in Axione’s story. In 2003, the company – which had only just been created – was selected to jointly build an infrastructure and provide its maintenance over a 15-year period within the framework of a public service delegation named “Société Paloise Très Haut Débit” (“Pau Very High Speed Enterprise” or SPTHD). Within this framework, the Pau Béarn Pyrénées agglomeration community is the first to take the leap.
Previously, the teams responsible for deployment and operations and those in charge of back office activities (Network Maintenance and Supervision / IT systems operations / Sales administration) were located on two different sites.
The move went well for the teams, despite all the surprises inherent to the acceptance of a new building, and so the good brainstorming sessions on the site design by the shaker, the gradual arrival of the employees, the unfailing cooperation of the owner (SEMPP) in these start-up phases and the substantial investment by the site managers were a winning combination in achieving the overall satisfaction of Axione’s teams.
Thomas Fagart, Manager of the Pyrite site & IPSD Assistant Manager.
Credits: Olivier Dupont
Today these offices are a real shop window at the local level! Thanks to this terrific building, we have become more recognisable compared to the other large groups with a presence in Pau.
Hichem Mogaadi, Manager of the Occitanie-Pyrénées Production Unit.
All services attached to a single site for improved coordination of activities
Between November and December, employees therefore gradually began to move into the designer building called “Le Pyrite”, a structure that blends several materials such as wood and metal (the iridescent metallic structure that surrounds Le Pyrite in part lends it its name) and with a total surface area of 3,650 m². The aim was to allow the teams to adapt to this new environment while maintaining a sustained rate of production.
Several departments are now based in a single location: The network operations centre which manages all network maintenance and supervision activities in real time (NOC – operation of Axione IT systems, sales administration), the production unit in charge of operations in the territory and the La Fibre Paloise public service delegation, without forgetting the various business support functions (DEX, INGE etc.). All telecoms hardware is stored in the building to facilitate production and it serves as a launch pad for the area.
Hichem Mogaadi
The goal with the creation of the new buildings was to be able to optimise the activities for the various departments to facilitate their communication and collaboration.
The setting is pleasant, modern and colourful. From a functional point of view, these offices provide us with increased flexibility and the possibility of carrying out flex office activities, people work more closely together and there are more exchanges between the different departments. When we welcome customers to our site we can show them the supervision centre, the local teams and our material deposits.
Hichem
The supervision centre (NOC): the main stakeholder who supervises and manages the local and national network
The task of the network supervision centre is to provide maintenance and supervision services for the local Pau network and that of the national backbone on a continual basis.
95 employees therefore work 24/7 and help each other to meet the needs of customers (authorities and companies). All the NOC teams work closely with the various Axione agencies located throughout the French territory.
Supervision requires a high level of responsiveness to alert the customer in case of a technical issue and resolve the incident as quickly as possible.
“The NOC’s task is very important for the company. Our role is to guarantee the proper operation of the network to satisfy the customer. Our pilot function means that we need to be able to detect and diagnose any technical issues on the network so that it can be restored as quickly as possible. We therefore need to be responsive at all times. We also guarantee that the network equipment is changed.”
adds Emeline JARANTOWSKI, Manager of the NOC
A project that is proof of our collective success
Overall, we have only noted positives as a result of this move. The fact that this project has been such a success is partly attributable to the mobilisation of our employees. From the reflection phase on interior design onwards, everyone took part in the brainstorming sessions and responded to the voting sessions. This contribution has made it a collective project. As a result, the integration of the new site has been a success. The fact that we have been able to organise our working methods differently with the flex office was also something that was well accepted.
adds Eugénie VIRICEL (Networks and Services general engineering – INGE) enthusiastically. She is one of those who worked on the refurbishment project for the Pau agency’s site.
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