How Not to Implement an Intranet, but to Live It

ÖBV recognized early on that they needed an intranet system to coordinate internal cooperation to ensure constant growth and the development of new customer segments. However, the original in-house solution quickly reached its limits: it was high-maintenance, not very flexible and limited in its function. Moreover, because the old system made it difficult to distribute administration among several people, and thus only one department was responsible for publications, ÖBV decided to implement a modern cloud-based intranet solution.

“The fact that only one instance could manage and approve all intranet processes is now very much outdated and soon proved to be a bottleneck,” explains Angelika Gasser, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications. “This was not only uneconomical, but also far from user-friendly.” In the future, a cross-site editorial team should be able to publish articles and posts independently, without having to wait for approvals or take up service resources from other departments.

The choice fell on Microsoft 365, a solution in which the cloud-based SharePoint intranet system forms an integrated platform together with the proven Microsoft Office components. The system was implemented together with the international Microsoft partner COSMO CONSULT, which not only took over the technical implementation with its holistic digitization strategy, but also helped to anchor the new work processes in the company. The entire project, including change management and all necessary training, was successfully completed within just five months.

ÖBV's new intranet system is now exactly what those responsible for it wanted: attractive, friendly and dynamic. All documents are in one central location, and the clear filing system and automatic versioning make it easy to find all the content you're looking for. Joint, cross-site work on documents is also a matter of course today. The system promotes the exchange of information, all participants are up to date and everyone can contribute and share their ideas with the others.

The new SharePoint also offers the possibility to map company-wide processes on the intranet.

A key to the project’s success was the personal involvement of those involved. In doing so, those responsible proceeded step by step: the project started with a project group and regular feedback loops to get familiar with the system and the new workflows. “We have intensively networked IT and marketing within the project group,” says Angelika Gasser. Before the intranet went online for everyone, a test group was invited to exclusively test everything and give feedback. This multi-perspective view enabled many things to be optimized before going online. The internal team of experts then took over the coaching of the editorial team, which consists of around 25 people from various departments and locations. The individual training contents were themselves documented in the new system, meaning they can be used for reference or for training new employees.

In general, active communication and interaction are at the center of the new ÖBV intranet, as well as information and knowledge transfer. This starts with the editorial team, which exchanges ideas in regular meetings and also brings the project partner COSMO CONSULT on board for specific questions. Decisions about which stories to place rest with the editors. Suggestions and feedback from the company are gladly accepted and implemented.

ÖBV project manager Angelika Gasser sees the success of the new intranet also as a success of the feedback culture established between COSMO CONSULT and ÖBV. “The project has moved us forward not only on a technical level, but also on a human level. The open discussion atmosphere, the focus on problem solving and the consistent collection of feedback from all parties involved—that inspired us and was also a model for us for our own internal communication culture.”