Oxa is a company driven by the mission to push the boundaries of AI and autonomous vehicle technology. Engineers and innovators in this exciting field need their workplace to be just as cutting-edge and frictionless as the work they do. To achieve this, they've equipped their offices from head to toe with tech solutions that help them focus on what matters most.
One of the key tools in their toolset is Joan, Oxa’s trusted ally in optimizing their workplace. We spoke with Ben Sergeant, Oxa’s IT Support Manager, to explore how Joan has significantly enhanced their workplace environment.
Oxa’s vision for autonomous fleets
Originally known as Oxbotica, Oxa's roots trace back to the Oxford Robotics Institute and the University of Oxford. Since their founding in 2014, they've spearheaded significant advancements in AI and deep learning with a singular mission: to develop software that enables any vehicle to drive autonomously, anytime, anywhere.
With offices in Oxford and Toronto, Oxa’s dynamic team of over 300 employees works on pioneering self-driving software and services. Sergeant explains one of their ideas, "We're leveraging autonomy for things like passenger shuttles. Our concept is that rather than having loads of smaller vehicles on the road, we want to create fully self-driving buses.”
This strategic vision positions Oxa at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology, aiming to revolutionize mass transit and urban mobility worldwide.
“There's definitely a mountain to climb, but we're ready and we've got some incredibly intelligent engineers and people that work here who are trying to solve the problems of not just tomorrow, but the next 15 years. it's really exciting and cool place to be,” summarized Sergeant.
A workplace experience that supports a diverse workforce
Oxa embraces all working models: remote, hybrid, and fully on-site. They trust their employees to deliver top-notch work and foster a collaborative environment with perks like free lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, the flexibility of their work arrangements required an efficient solution for managing meeting spaces, leading them to Joan.
Addressing the meeting room challenges
Despite having enough meeting rooms, the need for efficient meeting space management became increasingly crucial. Oxa was facing several persistent issues:
- Meeting room squatters: Employees would often extend their meetings, occupying rooms longer than planned.
- Availability confusion: There was no clear way to see if a room was available, leading to constant interruptions.
- Booking friction: Attempts to streamline bookings with Google Calendar fell short, resulting in double-bookings and unnecessary frustration.
In response to these challenges, Oxa sought a robust solution that would streamline their meeting room management and enhance their overall workplace experience.
Why Oxa chose Joan
Oxa’s detail-oriented engineers approached the search for a meeting room solution methodically. Initially, they considered LED fully powered screens with high levels of customization. However, Sergeant’s superior suggested Joan, which quickly stood out for features like:
- Check-in capability: Users can confirm their presence in the meeting room.
- Connectivity options: Joan devices can operate on Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
- Smart magnet: A magnetic mount storing room information, ensuring any Joan 6 Pro attached to it automatically displays the right details for each specific room.
“We did a product demo, got a couple of massive iPads, tested the software in a couple of our busiest meeting rooms, and were really impressed. And then we thought, it fixes basically all of our problems as a first deployment and then there are features yet to turn on,” Sergeant reflected on the initial impact of Joan.
Bringing everyone onboard
Oxa’s commitment to clarity and self-service made the onboarding of Joan smooth and efficient.
They announced the introduction of Joan with a clear explanation of its benefits, ensuring employees understood the “why” behind the change. This approach, combined with comprehensive internal guides created from Joan’s resources, helped to seamlessly integrate Joan into their daily routines.
Sergeant noted, “The response has been really good; my colleagues think the devices are awesome and enjoy using and working with them.”
What Oxa loves about Joan
Joan’s impact on Oxa has been substantial. Not only did it resolve their meeting room issues, but it also enhanced their overall workplace experience. With Joan, the chaos of scheduling conflicts and room squatting became a thing of the past, fostering a more productive and harmonious office environment.
Some of their favorite features include:
- PoE wall mount: Provides a clear visual indicator of room availability, making it easy for employees to see at a glance whether a meeting room is occupied or free.
- Google Calendar integration: Fits seamlessly into their existing Google ecosystem, enabling direct bookings from Google Calendar and preventing double bookings.
- Ad-hoc reservations: The convenience of being able to make on-the-spot bookings has been particularly appreciated, as it supports the dynamic and fast-paced nature of their work.
These features, among others, have contributed to a more efficient use of space and resources at Oxa, helping their talented team to focus on what they do best.
Joan’s impact on workplace efficiency
Sergeant summarized Joan’s impact: “Joan has removed a lot of workspace headaches for us. It’s enabling our hybrid workforce and helping us maximize our assets.” By eliminating the chaos of meeting room management, Joan allows Oxa’s engineers to concentrate on their work in autonomous vehicle technology.
In the fast-paced, innovative world of AI and robotics, having a frictionless, tech-equipped workplace is crucial. With Joan, Oxa ensures their team can focus on driving the future forward, free from the distractions of meeting room challenges.
Reach out to learn more about how Joan can revolutionize your workplace.