• Helps international teams to communicate effectively across borders with a unified solution that offers multiple channels

• Enables IT teams to focus on providing better support to employees by reducing maintenance tasks

• Keeps commercial teams close to clients by enabling new digital experiences such as virtual tastings on Google Meet

When Franck Ostertag, CIO at Les Grands Chais de France, arrived at the company in November 2019, the group had already decided that it needed to renew its digital tools to align with changing work practices and accommodate its growing workforce. When the global COVID-19 pandemic arrived, it accelerated the process. The existing IT infrastructure didn't have the necessary tools in place for the transition to home working, so numerous solutions were quickly implemented to perform similar functions, including multiple tools to share documents and conduct video meetings. That made it difficult for team members in different locations to communicate effectively.

Franck wanted to replace the multiple tools with a unified collaborative solution that would make things simpler for employees. "Simplicity is a key factor for us," says Franck. "That's particularly important in the context of a pandemic, because if a tool isn't easy to use, people won't adopt it. That's why we chose Google Workspace, because it offers tools that are simple and intuitive, despite performing complex jobs."

Another goal is reducing the time IT administrators need to spend on system maintenance, in order to offer more support to employees. "We want to concentrate on essential work that brings value to the business," says Franck. "With Google Workspace, we're able to spend time helping employees make the most of the tools, rather than managing multiple email servers."

For the full implementation, Les Grands Chais de France is taking a phased approach for a smooth transition. Starting with the IT team itself, it's then migrating a number of Google Workspace "ambassadors" to spread the word among employees, followed by its commercial staff. After that, the rest of the group is also making the switch. "We want to make sure everyone understands the potential of the tools, and feels confident using them," says Franck.

By implementing Gmail, Google Chat, and Google Meet, Les Grands Chais de France employees can easily connect using the communication channel that suits them best. "And often, particularly since the switch to home working, we are using all three at once," Franck comments.

They can also work together on a single document in real time using Google Drive, Google Docs, and Google Sheets. "That's something that's really important, as it eliminates the issue of version control and means five people in separate locations can all work together at the same time," says Franck. And the ability to search across content using Google Cloud Search is also key in a business that handles multiple brands, products, and vintages.

"A deciding factor for us was the ability of Google Cloud Search to find the right information quickly,” says Franck. "Without Cloud Search, it's an extremely time-consuming task, however well you classify your files and emails."

For Les Grands Chais de France's non-factory-based employees, distance working doesn't just mean collaborating with colleagues from home. It means sharing ideas and experiences. "For us, being able to be very present with our clients, even from a distance, is crucial because we need to conduct tastings and help them understand our products," says Anne-Laure. "Conducting a tasting via Google Meet enables us to offer a similar experience and results, even though it's happening virtually."

Since making the switch to Google Workspace, Les Grands Chais de France is able to connect different teams and skill sets across the company using Google Workspace collaborative tools. "We're a family of 3,000 people that works together across teams, and we need to access each others' knowledge to serve our clients," says Anne-Laure. "With Google Workspace, we're able to do that."

The next phase in the company's transformation is to explore how Google Cloud tools can help it communicate in new ways. "We want to use technology to make it even easier to learn more about our products, especially under the current restrictions," says Anne-Laure. It's exploring options such as creating interactive labels that can be scanned using a mobile phone. It's also planning to implement Chromebooks and Google Meet hardware to support its employees in making the most of Google Workspace.

"We have an ambitious plan for transforming the company in the next five years," says Franck. "We believe that Google Workspace, and later Google Cloud, will help us do that, using technology to make our wine speak."