The Journey of Johnson Controls with the Digital Champions Programme

At the heart of Johnson Controls’ journey lies a story of digital transformation, a testament to their commitment to innovation and excellence. Facing the challenges of a rapidly changing workplace environment, Johnson Controls recognised the need to enhance their digital capabilities, particularly in the wake of the global pandemic. 

The Challenge 

The shift to a hybrid working model highlighted a critical need at Johnson Controls: to maximise the usage of their Microsoft tools and foster a culture of digital acumen and leadership. Nate Beck, Manager of Office 365 and Collaboration at Johnson Controls, reflected on this challenge: “We had a big shift with the pandemic around the hybrid working environment. We needed to get a better adoption and usage of the tools that we are paying for with Microsoft.” 

The Solution

In response, Johnson Controls initiated the Digital Champions Programme. However, as the programme rapidly expanded, it became clear that managing this initiative was becoming increasingly complex. This led to the pivotal decision to partner with Changing Social, specialists in driving digital transformation and user adoption. 

Changing Social stepped in with a comprehensive solution – their ‘Champions as a Service’ model. This approach offered not just training, but an end-to-end management of the Champions, keeping engagement high and driving continuous improvement. “We saw a lot of value in that,” Beck said. “Changing Social helped provide the training and manage the Champions, keeping the engagement high and driving that to the next level.” 

Expanding the Programme 

With Changing Social’s involvement, the Digital Champion Programme grew from 300 to 500 employees. This expansion wasn’t just in numbers but also in the depth of engagement and learning. “Soon after bringing Changing Social in, we were able to bring the champion programme up to the 500-employee level and continue to drive that engagement throughout the programme,” Beck shared. 

The programme’s success was evident in how the Champions embraced their roles as change agents. They were not only absorbing information but actively driving change and sharing their knowledge across the company. Beck observed, “We really are trying to drive the digital champions to drive change, to be the change agents within the company.” 

Reflections and Future Outlook 

The partnership with Changing Social has been highly positive, marked by excellent engagement and effective training. Beck praised the team, “They do a fantastic job with engaging with the Champions, keeping them plugged into the environment.”