• Empowered 100k global team members to collaborate across regions, time zones, and devices

• Reduced technology investments and IT support costs

• Fostered a culture of collaboration with agile solutions

TELUS' transition to Google Workspace required a carefully orchestrated change management strategy. At the heart of this initiative was the innovative Google Workspace champions program, which empowered teams to take an active role in the process. These champions continue to serve as valuable resources today, providing ongoing support and expertise.

"Our champions program is a key part of our change management strategy. It's a cross-functional network of team members with Google-first mindsets across every business unit at TELUS,"  says Tara McBean, senior business analyst at TELUS. "This initiative started when we first launched Google Workspace and has grown exponentially since then. We provide team members with real-time support including best practices, Google Workspace Learning Center resources, documentation, and guidance."

James Naylor, learning technology analyst and change champion at TELUS, even started an interactive bingo game in Google Chat to encourage adoption within his team. "I created a set of Chat Spaces and team members had to test out different features to fill in their bingo cards," he says. "This helped people discover new ways of using the tool that they otherwise wouldn't have known about."

Prior to TELUS' adoption of Google Workspace, TELUS team members had to share documents as attachments through email, which recipients would have to download to make changes, then reattach and send back to their colleagues. This resulted in slow approval and revision cycles with many versions of documents across various devices.

Now the company uses Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to create a core file that everyone with the right permissions can share, access, and modify in real time or asynchronously, confidently knowing their data is secure thanks to robust security protocols in Google Workspace. All documents are stored in Google Drive and secured with access controls, making it easy for people to find the information they need. With the implementation of strong version control, team members can more easily collaborate with increased confidence and efficiency. As a result, workflows have become more streamlined, fostering a more dynamic and responsive work environment.

Google Chat also allows TELUS team members to connect with colleagues quickly and easily, further reducing delays for approvals. "We used to spend a lot of time waiting for responses, and it could sometimes take days or weeks to get the necessary approvals," McBean says. "Now a team member or senior leader can provide feedback instantly by tagging in the appropriate people, which empowers us to collaborate seamlessly."

Meanwhile, Google Meet powers all virtual meetings at TELUS, hosting nearly 3.9 million meetings in 2024 alone. Its direct integration with Google Calendar means team members can view their colleagues' schedules and book meetings all from one tab. This then syncs with Gmail, allowing invitees to accept, modify, or deny the meeting request with one click.

The TELUS team also appreciates the agility of Workspace and its ability to work seamlessly across devices. For example, Trina Ho, customer experience business analyst at TELUS, says she uses the Meet app to take meetings on the go. "I can join a meeting from my phone and then transition to my laptop once I reach my desk," she says. "With our previous platform, I'd have to leave and rejoin the meeting, which is very disruptive. With Workspace, I can work without interruption."

This also supports a greater sense of work-life balance for busy team members. "I'm a parent, I'm active in my community, and I have a Border Collie. Sometimes we need to be away from desks," McBean says. "With Google Workspace, I can work from any device and all of my information is at my fingertips."

By embracing Google Workspace for communication and collaboration, TELUS has established a forward-thinking culture while optimizing operations. The platform's ease of use has reduced the need for additional IT support and enabled legacy tools to be retired. In addition, by streamlining these operations, TELUS is able to minimize investment in redundant technology and data centers, aligning with the company's sustainability goals.

Workspace has also improved the company's security posture with built-in features that automatically safeguard company data and ensure that only the right people can access the right information. TELUS demonstrates its commitment to cutting-edge security and operational excellence by partnering with Google to implement Chrome Enterprise Premium, an AI-enhanced platform that transforms the Chrome browser into a powerhouse of robust threat protection, sophisticated data loss prevention, and streamlined management capabilities.

As TELUS looks to the future, teams are excited to explore new technologies like Gemini for Google Workspace. "We're getting ready for the organization-wide deployment of Gemini across TELUS," Banick says. "We look forward to witnessing the enhanced productivity and innovation this powerful tool will bring to our teams."

Overall, TELUS' transition to Workspace has enabled rapid innovation while improving the company's culture. "Google Workspace has changed the way that we work at TELUS," McBean explains. "We have the ability to collaborate across time zones and departments, online and offline, to be productive no matter where we are and no matter who we're working with."