Building Your Modern Software Factory
Software is rewriting business, and at CA Technologies we are helping companies to rewrite their future to succeed in the digital economy.
CA Technologies is one of the largest independent system software companies in the world. Our mission is to help our customers eliminate the barriers between ideas and business outcomes.
W e have been working with companies worldwide – from the Fortune 500 to the digital innovators – to change the way we live, transact, and communicate.” Lenka Viková, IT Customer Support Analyst at CA Technologies, opens our discussion. Wo CA has created a world-class development facility in Prague for next-generation software solutions, designed to help customers win in the digital economy. The CA Team focuses on the value generated for the customer using an agile approach to software development. Agile means cooperation and communication as well as readiness for change. “To compete in the global market, we engage the best talent in the industry, and provide a nurturing work environment for our people to unleash their full potential while collaborating with colleagues across the world,” says Lenka.
At CA Technologies, we are one team that succeeds together by innovating with a creative and agile approach to how we work – while making the most of our collaborative expertise to help our customers build their modern software factory.”
Lenka Viková, IT Customer Support Analyst
“Achieving our mission requires a diverse workforce because diverse perspectives are key to driving innovation and creativity.” CA Technologies has a highly culturally diverse team with more than 40 nationalities in the Prague office, bringing together a blend of viewpoints and experiences to achieve rich results.
Authentic original ideas are not created by email or electronic chat. It’s fact, team meetings and informal discussions stimulate creative thinking. “At CA Technologies we have an agile working environment that encourages employee collaboration through a layout that entices interaction in different spaces away from our desks,” says Viková.
Boosting creativity and collaboration in software innovation.
Engaging offices
“The design of CA Technologies offices in Prague evokes a look and feel of factory buildings at the time of the first industrial revolution associated with mass production of goods. It is a flashback as well as a link to the digital transformation when software becomes a standard, daily used commodity present in all areas of our everyday lives,” says Libor Kaplan, architect at Kaplan Architects.
The purpose of the architectural design by Kaplan Architects for CA Technologies is to develop innovative space across two levels that have an H-shaped floor plan where people can feel comfortable. The design supports the socio-cognitive interactions of individuals not only during formal meetings, but also during focused work or creative team cooperation.
The resulting space – combining retro furniture of industrial design with modern design components and meaningful integration of audio-visual technology – brings a new perspective that disrupts the traditional and often rigid style of corporate offices.
An agile way of thinking is a desire to learn and improve things.
Technology supporting innovation
If it is true, that more heads generate more ideas, then people getting together in meetings cannot be replaced by anything else to achieve these results. Good communication and collaboration clearly result in enhanced team performance, better atmosphere and greater employee engagement. For meetings to help achieve this, they should run as a dynamic and passionate exchange of opinions with clearly defined goals.
In addition, meeting rooms should be well equipped and adapted for teams to communicate and share their content on different platforms. Audio-visual technology is a key feature in the meeting rooms and it has a fundamental impact on the success of team meetings.
Inspiring work spaces
To reinforce team commitment, as part of the company s agile culture, scrum meetings are held regularly. These self-managed meetings are joined by 5 to 7 people - analysts, testers, developers, Scrum Master and Product Owner- to review progress against required tasks and time schedule, in order to successfully complete common goals. “We also have Scrum of Scrum Meetings, typically attended by over 10 people, to discuss the most appropriate technical solutions.“
Regular meetings of Scrum Masters and Product Owners are the best way to share knowledge across the organisation. “Even if we work on different projects we take every opportunity to learn from each other. The aim is to keep the teams in one place and organize workshops during which they can discuss tools, technology, development, testing, documentation....” The Training Room is the most appropriate environment for this purpose. The room that can be split by a mobile wall into two large sections.
We believe that innovative solutions mainly result from collaboration of people.
If there is a need to communicate with colleagues, customers or development specialists based abroad, the videoconference room is designed for this purpose based on the Microsoft or Cisco platform.
“The more social areas of our office are the kitchenette and the Open Arena relaxation zone, which are also fitted with digital screens to share business updates. These spaces encourage us to interact and learn more about each other, while strengthening our relationships. ” Lenka Viková concludes.
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