The opportunity
The Access Group completes many acquisitions each year, ranging from small start-ups to larger organisations of up to 400 people. The company works hard to connect recently acquired employees with their new team members while giving them all the support they need to get up to speed with different systems, processes and ways of working.
With each acquisition, Access faces the challenge of onboarding colleagues who are often accustomed to working within Google Workspace, while their central environment operates on Microsoft 365. This transition creates an immediate need for upskilling to help colleagues make connections in the business and to prevent productivity gaps - particularly in areas such as collaboration, file sharing and the use of tools like Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint.
To address this, The Access Group required a structured and efficient approach to quickly bring new users up to speed in using Microsoft 365. Without effective trining, they knew recently acquired colleagues would find it harder to feel at home at Access and risked inefficiencies, increased support demands and inconsistent practices across the broader organisation.
The Perspicuity solution
Perspicuity delivered tailored training sessions to support The Access Group in helping new team members transition from G Suite to Microsoft 365. The solution consisted of six core training sessions, delivered multiple times to accommodate both the UK-based and international teams, including out-of-hours sessions to address time zone differences.
The training focused on an introduction to Office 365, file management using OneDrive and SharePoint, and communication and collaboration through Microsoft Teams. Each session drew parallels between familiar G Suite tools and their Microsoft 365 counterparts, enabling new team members to quickly get up to speed and begin working productively from day one.
By reusing existing training materials and customising them to suit The Access Group's specific needs, Perspicuity provided a scalable, efficient training solution. The content was made available virtually and asynchronously, ensuring accessibility regardless of location.
The outcomes
The benefits to the business have been substantial; the standardised training scope has provided a consistent and repeatable process, supporting continued growth and future acquisitions. Teams adopted Microsoft 365 quickly, boosting productivity from day one, while the repeatable process saved time and resources.
Head of Employee Success, Acquisitions and Change, Tony Wittmann, said: "We work hard to make sure colleagues joining Access through an acquisition feel informed, engaged, equipped and connected. That includes helping them get up to speed with new tools and systems they may not be used to.
"Microsoft 365 is central to how we work, so we focus on giving people the right training to get productive quickly and feel part of the team. It's not just about tools and tech; it's about helping our new colleagues feel connected, confident and at home."
