Lotte E&C in Korea is Implementing a Smart Workplace With Microsoft Surface and Teams

Established in 1959, Lotte E&C is Korea's 8th largest construction company in terms of contract amount as of 2022. The company has built a reputation domestically and internationally for the completion and successful operation of Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in Korea and the fifth tallest in the world. With its construction capabilities, Lotte E&C has competitive advantages in all stages of construction projects, from planning, design, and procurement in the early stage of business to actual construction, project management, and operation after completion.

Since its establishment in 1959, Lotte E&C, famous for its urban luxury apartment brands such as Lotte Castle and LE EL, has continued its growth largely backed by its unlimited creativity and competitive spirit. The company has demonstrated a competitive edge in core business sectors, including housing, architecture, civil works, and plants. Coping with global megatrends like post COVID-19 and the Fourth Industrial Revolution and preparing for a further advance with IT competitiveness, Lotte E&C is now pushing ahead with IT transformation strategies. As a part of such strategies, Lotte E&C plans to build a paperless office and cloud collaboration through a smart workplace to enhance digital communication and productivity. The company selected Microsoft to make this possible.

With its sophisticated design, Surface delivers a tablet PC's portability and a laptop's performance. This 2-in-1 device optimizes a Windows-based work environment and offers powerful synergy when used with Teams.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the conventional way of doing business across all industries, and construction is no exception. As project management in construction schedules and deadlines significantly impacts the company's profitability in the construction industry, effective collaboration and communication that can maximize the team's efficiency are indispensable.

“With telecommuting becoming more common due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we looked into building a smart workplace. Microsoft Teams has a solid track record of productivity as a cloud collaboration solution and we did not have to pay extra for additional licenses with Microsoft EA. Surface was the clear winner with convenient mobility, built-in security, and optimum functionality in meetings and reporting.”

ChoongYeol Seo, General Manager, IT Strategy Team, Lotte E&C

Before using Microsoft Teams, the IT Strategy Team of Lotte E&C' thoroughly prepared for the implementation. The IT Strategy Team assessed the operational performance and feasibility of expanding Teams and they judged it to be the ideal solution. Lotte E&C purchased 180 units of Surface Pro 8 to be primarily distributed to major decision makers such as executives and team leaders as the first step. The Surface Pro 8 combines the powerful performance of a laptop and the flexibility of a tablet and is optimized for using Microsoft 365, such as Teams. The device features the iconic Kickstand which allows users to work any angle. During executive meetings or briefings, they can use Surface instead of paper thanks to this Kickstand feature of standing upright on the desk. This portable Surface also comes with a built-in Surface Slim Pen storage and a detachable Keyboard. Furthermore, its optional LTE and Microsoft security enable employees to work anywhere, anytime.

After introducing Surface, Lotte E&C is experiencing meaningful changes for the better, such as a remarkable reduction in paper usage and an improvement in work pace, efficiency, and convenience.

In the current global economic environment, all businesses must head toward not only improving productivity and efficiency but enhancing collaboration through a paperless working environment in both economic and environmental ways. This is even more so in the case of leading companies such as Lotte E&C, which received the Platinum Award in the Sustainability Report category from the "2022 LACP Spotlight Awards" in November 2022. Generally, paper usage is maximized during meetings and reporting in corporate and organizational settings. Through Surface and Teams, Lotte E&C could significantly reduce pager usage by adopting digital meetings and reporting from executives and team leaders. Currently, the estimated cost reduction amounts to KRW 4 billion per annum at Lotte E&C headquarters from using Surface and Teams, which made it possible to reduce paper print, distribution, storage, and shredding costs. Employees now have continuous access to these highly portable Surface devices to check reports and call videos in the field, without having to deal with heavy laptops on business trips. Surface with high-resolution camera and enhanced directional microphones & speakers let users look and sound their best in video conferences through Microsoft Teams, even in cluttered circumstances.

“In the construction industry, collaboration is more critical than in any other industry. We receive enthusiastic responses from the frontline workers on the performance of Surface and Teams in completing mission critical communications. There are many demands for this new solution especially from safety and design-related departments in the headquarters. Even field engineers, who must perform complex collaborations, actively use Surface Pen to directly mark up drawings.”

SungKi Jun, General Manager, IT Strategy Team, Lotte E&C

As the value of Surface and Teams is gradually being proven, there is a growing need for adoption among frontline departments and employees. Accordingly, Lotte E&C is proceeding with the second round of the project for Teams, which involves providing Surface to frontline workers such as site managers, the sales department, and engineers.

Microsoft will do its best to support the journey of digital transformation that started from Lotte E&C to bring fruitful outcomes by changing employees' mindsets and the corporate culture.

Currently, Lotte E&C believes in reaching about a 10% milestone of a smart workplace and paperless work environment. Yet, they are going to take their time because employees will understand and realize the efficiency and productivity that Surface and Teams have to offer, and will eventually participate in this digital transformation move. Lotte E&C is a valuable customer of Microsoft. Leading the global digital transformation, Microsoft will continue to provide solutions and services that innovate corporate culture and transform how people work for those valuable clients like Lotte E&C.

“We have witnessed Microsoft's innovation history and its growth DNA so far. I wonder what kind of future-oriented workplace Microsoft will suggest. I expect to see Microsoft introducing many sources for building a modern workplace in work methods, teamwork, and philosophy that Lotte E&C can refer to down the road. I hope that the two companies, which have pursued innovation in our respective fields, can advance our partnership even further for our mutual benefit in the long term.”

ChoongYeol Seo, General Manager, IT Strategy Team, Lotte E&C