OREANDA-NEWS. This year, the Pan American games, a major sporting event that attracts thousands of athletes from countries across the Americas, was held in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Featuring a wide range of sports, from fencing and diving, to baseball and boxing, the GTA became a hotspot for an estimated 10,000 amateur athletes and more than 250,000 visitors.

To support easy access to the games, the government established temporary high occupancy vehicle lanes (three or more passengers). In anticipation of higher traffic volumes, Steve Majer, VP of Human Resources at Ford of Canada, received inquiries about potential employee carpooling opportunities and reached out to IT to collaborate on a solution.

The IT team worked fast to determine the details of how to make the carpooling SharePoint site a success and had it up and running within in a matter of days. Together with HR ‘Flex Journey’ initiatives, employees had the option for flexible work arrangements – such as being encouraged to either work from home, or commute with fellow coworkers to help minimize driving times.

“The collaboration among coworkers was definitely the best part about working on this project,” said Maureen Trenkler, Business Information Technology Manager, Ford of Canada. “It’s great when a business partner can come to you for help solving a problem, and it’s even better when you know that your team is cohesive and supportive enough to work together towards a solution. It’s a good story that reflects the positive business relationships within the department, and it’s great to be able to celebrate these little wins together.”