The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →National Grid’s pandemic-era workplace response centered on preparing for different employee needs, then improving digital tools and support as colleagues used them. A July 28, 2021 CIO BrandPost sponsored by Atos says the effort was intended to serve more than 15,000 global office-based colleagues. The account describes a case study from that moment—not a verified picture of National Grid’s workplace today.
What the 2021 case study says National Grid changed
The Atos-sponsored article describes National Grid’s End User Experience team working with Atos before the pandemic to study employees’ roles, work locations, digital preferences, and the tools different roles needed. That preparation helped the company accelerate digital enablement when COVID-19 disrupted office work, according to the article.
The reported scale was more than 15,000 global office-based colleagues. This is a figure reported in the 2021 article, not a current headcount or an independently audited measure.
The account frames the effort around employee outcomes rather than technology for its own sake. National Grid Vice President of Global Infrastructure and Operations Shannon Soland said, “The tools you provide are secondary to the goals of making it easier for our colleagues to do their jobs,” and described the aim as “making their experiences more seamless and helping them to be more productive.” These remarks appear in the sponsored article.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsHow the digital workplace approach worked
Plan around roles and circumstances
The workforce research and exercises informed personas that considered more than which technology employees used. The article says the work also accounted for role, location, preferences, and differing needs—factors that can shape which tools and support make sense for a colleague.
Improve iteratively
The case study describes a “progress over perfection” mindset: make enhancements to tools and services over time rather than treating the first version as final. It also says business partners were involved throughout the journey, with shared accountability for the change.
Offer several routes to help
Rather than relying on one support channel, the article names virtual tech bars, peer-to-peer digital pop-ups, discussion forums, self-service tools, and smart virtual advisors. It says both quantitative and qualitative feedback informed improvements to support.
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How National Grid said it assessed the effort
The article names adoption rates, digital experience scores, customer satisfaction (CSAT), and net promoter scores (NPS) as measures of success. It does not publish values, definitions, sample sizes, or methodology for those measures. As a result, the source identifies what the company said it tracked but does not establish the size of any improvement or prove that the program caused one.
What the account does—and does not—establish
Soland also emphasized planning for adverse events, saying, “What sets utilities apart from many other sectors are the attitudes and practices regarding planning and executing against adverse events.” The article connects that preparedness to National Grid’s pandemic response, but it is a sponsored case study, not an independent audit.
Its forward-looking remarks anticipated a return to offices and further digital operations, automation, and data-driven analysis. Those were expectations expressed in 2021, not confirmation of what happened afterward. The article does not establish which tools, suppliers, support channels, or workplace policies National Grid uses today.
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For readers assessing the approach as a workplace case study, the source points to five practical questions: whether support reflects employee roles and locations; whether people can access help through multiple channels; whether improvements incorporate feedback; whether business partners share responsibility; and whether experience and adoption measures are defined and reported transparently. The article offers examples for considering those questions, but not a quantified comparison with another employer or vendor.
Quick Recap
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