For Network Development Group (NDG) employees Joel Ratuita and Catt Regunay, Jollibee Group made such a good impression that the memory of them first joining the company remains vivid even after a decade.
When Regunay joined as an architect in 2013, she knew she was making the right decision. “In my first week alone, I felt I was already a significant part of the organization. I was given a lot of opportunities to contribute and learn the ropes through immersion. I felt like I was joining a team that was committed to making a difference,” she said.
While she resigned in 2017 to pursue her post-graduate degree, her story with Jollibee Group was not yet over. A year after, she rejoined as a materials research architect. “There’s nothing better than going back to a company I have no qualms about being a part of,” she added.
Ratuita, the lead architect for Jollibee and multi-brand stores, echoed this experience. Now in his ninth year with the company, he can still remember what it was like as a newbie.
“Since it was my first time working as an in-house lead architect, there were a lot of things I needed to learn on the business side. I am grateful that this company is very friendly to new employees, and this made my learning curve shorter and more productive,” he said.
Pushing boundaries
NDG is responsible for planning and designing Jollibee Group stores, among other things. With a company that was steadily growing, their work ensured that store expansions would be realized. However, the COVID-19 pandemic put everything to a halt.
“The pandemic has made us take a second look at how our stores will have to adjust to what’s happening,” Regunay shared. “Many questions were raised—are we planning for the long term? What do the stores need as support? What happens to the plans we are currently doing?”
It was fortunate that their team was already oriented on remote working pre-pandemic and had started digitalization such as paperless processing, so the transition was easier.
“The main initiative which my team achieved before and during the pandemic is the transition to digitalization. Architects are naturally technology-oriented because of the work tools. This is why we are exposed to different digital tools, and this made us the early adopters,” Ratuita said.
While the pandemic still challenged how they worked—from figuring out the dynamics of remote working to integrating in-person activities during store construction into their virtual set-up—it also allowed them to take their impact on the business to the next level.
“The pandemic pushed us to think of new ways to improve our current ways of life—and this includes how we generally function as a team,” Regunay said. “What was mostly done arbitrarily or according to how an individual does it, needed to be systematized and put in an orderly manner to streamline our functions as we work remotely. This resulted in creating the Design Support/Innovations team of Planning and Design (P&D), which I am proud to be a part of."
Some of the projects they implemented were guidelines for store planning to accommodate social distancing guidelines and for dining areas to comply with safety protocols. They created outdoor dining proposals for stores that did not have any.
“I would like to think that our efforts and initiatives contributed to how the stores and the company were able to move through the waves of the ever-changing policies of the country during the pandemic,” she said.
Regunay also spearheaded the automation of P&D’s services, including documents and plan requests and the launch of the Online Design Portal. They’ve done a pilot on online construction design audit and how they can facilitate site visits remotely by creating user documentation guides.
Ratuita continued to champion digitalization as well, not just within P&D but throughout NDG. “One of my proudest moments was when P&D was able to fully transition to digital processes and tools, fully paperless. It’s a yearly activity where our team explores every part of the process to improve, sustain, and be consistent in promoting digitalization,” he added.
Valuing care
“The company took care of their own during the pandemic; the company made me (and consequently, my family) feel safe and secure—especially at the onset of vaccine shortages,” Regunay said.
The company-wide measures to keep them protected have boosted the employees’ confidence in navigating the uncertainties of the pandemic. Now, Ratuita, Regunay, and the rest of NDG continue to create impact by supporting the company’s growth plans.
“I am very proud to be working at Jollibee Group and designing the stores that our customers enjoy today,” Ratuita said.
“I am proud of how much Jollibee Group values ingenuity and how open they are to innovations for the company’s betterment. The company wants to bring the joy of eating to everyone, but from how I’ve experienced it, being part of Jollibee Group is bringing the joy of living to us all,” Regunay added.