Results Beyond Expectations: MAN Energy Solutions digs for Intranet Gold

With the introduction of a new Omnia-based, Microsoft 365-integrated intranet, MAN Energy Solutions (ES) has successfully digitized their workplace. This move marks a significant milestone in their digital transformation journey.

– “Our vision was to establish a modern intranet as the hub of our digital workplace and a fundamental part of the digital experience for all employees. And we have seen great results,” says Joseph Purse, Solution Consultant and UI/UX Team Lead, MAN ES.

The corporation’s success has not gone unnoticed, as MAN ES was honored with awards in both 2022 and 2024 by the Intranet and Digital Workplace Awards, recognizing their exceptional progress on the digital front.

Based in Germany, MAN ES is a global leader in large-bore diesel and gas engines and turbomachinery. With over 14,000 employees spread across 120 locations worldwide, the company has long focused on decarbonization and digitalization to deliver value to its customers. A few years ago, they recognized that their outdated intranet, which had served the company for over a decade, no longer supported their evolving needs.

“We wanted to create an intranet that would adapt to new, more flexible working habits and make it easier to find and share information,” Purse explains. “Our new intranet has really boosted employee engagement across the organization.”

When the company adopted Microsoft 365, the decision was made to integrate Microsoft tools into the new intranet. With this, Omnia was chosen as the best platform to fulfill their requirements in a cost-efficient manner.

The internal UI/UX Team at MAN ES played a central role in designing the intranet. They began by developing five digital workplace personas to understand the diverse needs of users, followed by one-on-one interviews and extensive usability testing.

Purse explains, “Several years ago, we decided that all new applications must go through the UI/UX Team to ensure the solution meets the business's needs. This approach has had a huge positive impact on end-users.”

The team’s user-centric process, which included interactive wireframes and feedback loops, ensured the intranet would support the company’s new ways of working.

A critical element in the success of MAN ES’ intranet adoption was the involvement of key stakeholders, super-users, and early adopters. The project team created a group of “Champions” who would help drive adoption across the organization.

In addition to an internal marketing campaign, Champions were trained and introduced to the new intranet before the official rollout.

“The Champions were the first movers, and we made sure they were ready to assist users on launch day. With 350 Champions to start, we now have 277 active Champions across 75 locations in 47 countries, and they continue to support their colleagues,” says Purse.

In addition to focusing on user engagement, MAN ES learned from their previous intranet experience the importance of a solid governance model. The lack of structured content ownership and management in the old intranet led to frustration.

With Omnia, they implemented a robust governance model that includes user roles, content lifecycle processes, and continuous monitoring.

“Having a governance model in place from the start has been crucial for adoption and long-term success. It ensures the intranet remains updated and easy to use,” Purse emphasizes.

The results of the digital transformation have far exceeded expectations. The new intranet, #CULive, is supporting flexible, mobile work, enhancing communication, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing. It has fostered a stronger sense of employee engagement and cohesion across the global workforce.

“The impact of the new intranet has not only exceeded our expectations, but it has also led to improvements we didn’t even anticipate when we began the project,” Purse concludes. “The initiative required more time and resources than planned, but it’s been worth every effort. A user-centric approach, the power of Champions, and a strong governance model have been the key success factors. We’ve truly transformed from dinosaur to digital.”

CASE STUDIES

"Our employees can now find all information quickly and easily, and with full confidence in its reliability.”

International auditing and consulting Rödl & Partners streamlines processes and knowledge-sharing with a new intranet based on Omnia and Microsoft 365.

Read the full case story