Swiss Sense is a leading sleep specialist with an online store and over 125 owned stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Denmark. The organization successfully adapts existing software applications and implements new ones in an efficient and effective manner.
Swiss Sense is a leading sleep specialist with an online store and over 125 owned stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Denmark. The organization manages to efficiently and successfully adapt existing software applications and implement new ones.
Swiss Sense has experienced significant growth as an organization over the past few years. As a result, many software applications have been adapted or replaced. Nick van Nunen, Process Change Manager at Swiss Sense and responsible for guiding changes from start to finish, explains how this impacted users:
“Changes can create tension among users, which sometimes leads to resistance. Together with my direct colleagues, it is our job to ensure that we involve users in the changes and ensure that they are successfully implemented.”
Before the implementation of SelfGuide, instructions were created in many different ways (e.g., screenshots in Word/PDF, Stream) and made available through various channels (e.g., email, the internal communication platform, and the e-learning environment). In addition to being a time-consuming process, it often happened that instructions were missing or that outdated instructions were being used.
Based on the current situation, Swiss Sense identified the following needs: uniform instructions for all software applications, quick creation of instructions, easy updating of existing instructions, and a central location for managing instructions. Nick van Nunen explains how SelfGuide meets these needs:
“With SelfGuide, we have achieved significant benefits in creating and maintaining instructions, both in terms of time and quality. Initially, we wanted to continue sharing instructions through the existing information systems while also having the ability to update them as needed. Thanks to the unique URLs for instructions, this is possible.”
Within Swiss Sense, SelfGuide was quickly received positively. Users log in using single sign-on (SSO) and can navigate through a clear instruction at their own pace, allowing them to find the desired answer quickly. Administrators are also enthusiastic, as they can create valuable instructions in a short amount of time.
Through a series of short training sessions, Swiss Sense was prepared for the implementation of SelfGuide. What’s unique is that more and more people are proactively wanting to create instructions using SelfGuide. Nick van Nunen shares his experiences:
“Het was goed om te zien hoe soepel de implementatie verliep. The communication and collaboration during the implementation were smooth and quick. People found SelfGuide very user-friendly from the start. It was great to see how seamlessly the implementation went.”
To ensure the uniformity and quality of instructions, Swiss Sense further refined its internal policies after implementing SelfGuide. It is wise to carefully consider these aspects prior to implementation, as the user base is growing rapidly thanks to the system's user-friendliness.
Instruction managers are actively working to implement all 1,600 expected instructions in SelfGuide. Although the instructions are not yet available in one central location for users, Nick van Nunen already sees the significant value of SelfGuide in practice:
“Instructions make users more self-sufficient in the workplace and enable key users to support them more quickly and effectively. With SelfGuide as a central hub for managing instructions, we know which instructions we have and do not have, as well as who the administrator is. In my role, it helps me clearly explain internal processes (what you need to do and in which steps) and identify opportunities for process improvements.”
Recently, searching via the REST API has been added as a feature to SelfGuide. This allows users to search for instructions directly from their browser or the search bar in Teams/SharePoint. Additionally, instructions are displayed in the browser based on the page you are currently on.
In addition to software application instructions, practical work instructions are also created in SelfGuide. Examples include measuring a mattress and using devices by delivery personnel. Nick van Nunen is clear about future plans:
“We aim to make instructions available from one central and clear location, rather than scattered across different areas. At the launch of SelfGuide, we intentionally opted for a 'soft launch' to avoid disrupting the existing process. It’s great to see that more and more users are getting on board. Once all instructions are incorporated, we will explore how we can further integrate SelfGuide into the work processes.”
