Agile change management and hero’s journey storytelling for a successful intranet relaunch at Wintershall Dea
Sectors: Non sector-specific
References: Wintershall Dea
Wintershall Dea decided to relaunch its intranet with social communities and an optimized user experience. The new intranet is characterized by new navigation features, a search function, global networking and a decentralized editorial team. The key success factors include well-planned change management, targeted communication, and a customized training concept. Wintershall Dea relied on the expertise of Data One (an ORBIS subsidiary) for the implementation.
Sector: Crude oil, natural gas, carbon management and hydrogen
Sites: In 13 countries; head offices in Kassel and Hamburg
Employees: Approx. 2,800 worldwide
Website: www.wintershalldea.com
Intranet relaunch with a well-designed user experience
Wintershall Dea* – a German oil and gas producer – was formed in 2019 through the merger of Wintershall and DEA Deutsche Erdöl. The company operates in 13 countries within the oil and gas exploration and production sector. After the merger, the intranet needed to go live quickly, as all the employees around the world had to be integrated into internal communication – and quickly. This led to many compromises. So it was high time that the intranet was redesigned, this time with a focus on good user experience.
The decision was made to set up the intranet entirely on SharePoint Online and to phase out the existing third-party provider, which was no longer being developed from a technical standpoint. The transition is doing more than just saving annual licensing costs; it is also simplifying the IT landscape. SharePoint Online also impresses due to additional features such as a modern user experience, an integrated search function, audience targeting, analytics, and Power App integration.
The intranet relaunch focused on two additional important milestones: social communities with Microsoft Viva Engage, and the use of Microsoft Office profiles (Delve). The communities promote stronger networking among staff and give colleagues the opportunity to participate in internal communications, whether in work-related or recreational communities. The Office profiles allow staff to showcase their individual skills, expertise in specific areas, and experience throughout the company, while – at the same time – making it possible to find subject matter experts. The aim is to grow closer together globally and promote exchange among employees.
Copyright: © Wintershall Dea
First things first: streamlining the homepage with selected features
The best way of describing the new intranet’s homepage is clearly structured and focused on the absolute essentials. Users can find all the relevant content they need at a glance: news, focus topics, and calendar entries. The communities are just a click away too. Access to the intranet is gained directly from Microsoft Teams – the platform for communication and employee engagement. News is structured better, and important information is immediately recognizable. An additional benefit is that SharePoint pages can be favorited, so staff can customize the news section on the homepage. Users receive exactly the information that is relevant to them.
A topic-centered approach rather than a department focus
The homepage isn’t the only aspect that has been given a facelift. The navigation has also been completely reconceptualized too. Unlike before, the new intranet is organized by subject areas and services, rather than by organizational units and departments. The structure is now geared towards readers as opposed to content publishers. Anyone looking for IT or HR topics will be able to find them quickly. Likewise, the individual country operations are represented with their very own country hubs, providing local editors and news with a dedicated communication platform integrated into the global intranet. A smart search function completes the package. Whether you’re looking for news, people, documents or more besides, the search integrated into SharePoint Online is both powerful and comprehensive. So users can find relevant content quickly – finally solving one challenge from the old intranet.
Continuous communication and training – essential elements of the change project
The project phase was supported by a variety of measures from start to post-going live – from change management and targeted communication, to a comprehensive training concept. The goal was to generate enthusiasm, provide support, and inform all employees of the new portal, all the while enabling them to actively get involved in its development from the very outset. This approach is reflected in the “for #teamwintershalldea – by #teamwintershalldea” project vision. Right from the beginning, there was transparent communication about the project, its content, its objectives and its methodology – both digitally and in many face-to-face meetings.
Copyright: © Wintershall Dea
The results of a large-scale survey assessed the status quo and the functionality of the existing intranet, while also addressing people’s wishes and expectations for the relaunch. Employee feedback was thus directly incorporated right from the start. Thanks to agile development in sprints, reviews could be conducted at any time and be optimized through user acceptance tests. In addition to extensive feedback opportunities for the entire workforce, above all else it was the specifically established Creator Community that contributed valuable insights and developments to the relaunch. It was structured in a similar way to a key user group. Employees from all country operations could apply to actively support the project team in workshops throughout the entire project phase, provide feedback, and review and optimize preliminary implementations. This ensured a consistently user-centric approach and collaborative development of the new intranet together with colleagues. But this wasn’t just about collaboration with the project team; it was also about the concept of opinion leaders. The Creator Group communicated the vision, goals, and milestones to their colleagues and, in so doing, sparked their curiosity. Active participation and co-development ultimately ensured acceptance and generated anticipation – a fundamental component of the project team’s change management approach.
„As part of our change communication, we kept employees transparently informed about the status quo and upcoming milestones at all times. Engaging, supporting, and encouraging participation was a major priority for us in creating a user-centric intranet.“
Julia Nicole Kies, Communications Manager Culture, D&I and HR, Wintershall Dea
Storytelling: embarking on a hero’s journey with avatars
Beyond direct collaboration with colleagues, there were many other information and communication touchpoints between the project team and the workforce. One communication-related challenge in the project was the fact that Wintershall Dea’s employees around the world are not only based in different cultures, but also work in a wide variety of fields.
A comprehensive communication campaign spanned the entire duration of the project from start to finish. It was important to consistently engage all colleagues in a targeted manner, taking into account different levels and formats. In addition to purely informative communication, emotional and creative communication played a major role too. Digital avatars were developed for this purpose. Representing both the workforce and their needs, these avatars formed part of a continuous storytelling process based on the hero’s journey concept and ultimately experienced the tremendous success of going live together with colleagues.
It was absolutely essential to support all colleagues before, during, and after the new intranet went live. A training concept tailored to all the target groups was developed for this very purpose. Intranet editors and community managers received specific training to prepare them for their new role and to train them in using the new technological foundation. Both in-person and digital information sessions were held and multimedia e-learning content was provided for all colleagues. The range of solutions on offer was rounded off by central help pages on the new intranet, featuring FAQs, videos, tutorials, a support community and, of course, extensive support from the Creator Group.
Agile collaboration and a successful go-live
After an active project period of one year, the new portal went live in December 2023.
„The motivated project team and our agile project planning provided a firm foundation for collaboration.“
Annika Linke, Communications Manager Corporate Channels and Events, Wintershall Dea
Work and planning were carried out in agile sprints, supplemented by regular retrospective meetings, feedback loops, and additional formats such as on-site workshops, community meetings, and project work in Microsoft Teams. Colleagues’ enthusiasm for the new intranet was also reflected in initial usage analytics. Increased page views, the creation of new social communities, and active maintenance of Office profiles underline just how successful user acceptance has been. Ms. Linke summed up the entire process by stating: „I have been inspired by the commitment shown by our colleagues around the world. Such anticipation and dedication have made the intranet what it is, and we have turned our vision into a reality. It has truly become an intranet by colleagues, for colleagues.“
*Note: On September 3, 2024, Wintershall Dea’s E&P business – excluding Russia-related activities – was transferred to Harbour Energy plc.
