Koenigsegg revs up its digital workplace with Omnia
Megacar manufacturer Koenigsegg has built a new intranet on the Omnia platform incorporating an integrated Document and Management System. The new solution boosts internal communications, reduces lead times, and sharpens qualitative processes.
“We’ve certainly revved up our digital workplace with the Omnia platform. The new solution enables us to streamline our internal communications, work processes, and collaborative environment in an easily accessible and efficient manner”, says IT Director Gert Mårs at Koenigsegg Automotive, and continues:
“Seamlessly integrating Microsoft 365 and our Omnia-based Document and Management System, it offers users single-view access to news, HR information, administrative tools, and work processes. All of which leads to improved efficiency, shorter information and decision pathways, and better process quality.”
GhostNet lifts internal communications
Koenigsegg Automotive began its journey in 1994, with founder Christian von Koenigsegg in the driving seat. From the very outset, the company’s mission has always been to develop high-tech, super-fast, and sustainable premium sports cars. The creations of Christian von Koenigsegg have awed the world and his cars are constantly advancing technological and aero-dynamic frontiers, setting new world records for what is physically possible. The latest record was set in 2023 when a Koenigsegg Regera drove 0-400-0 km/hour in just 28.81 seconds.
With headquarters in the Swedish town of Ängelholm, Koenigsegg has 500 employees and their cars are built in a former flight hangar, previously used to house one of Sweden’s oldest flight squadrons and the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets. Pilots often took off and landed in the dark, earning them the nickname of flying ghosts. The squadron consequently marked their planes with a ghost symbol. To honor them and their bravery, Koenigsegg puts the flying ghost symbol on every car. The new intranet was subsequently also given the name of GhostNet.
Before the introduction of Omnia, Koenigsegg lacked both a traditional intranet and a Document and Management System. Nor did they have a structured system for information-sharing, with information being fragmented and difficult to navigate and keep updated. Internal communications and the distribution of news were chiefly channeled via e-mail.
“Initially, we approached Omnia to help us create a new Document and Management System. In particular, we needed to improve the management of controlled documents. We then realized that we could in fact accomplish a whole lot more and radically upgrade our entire digital workplace by building an integrated internal communications and management system on the Omnia platform”, Gert explains.
Gert started working at Koenigsegg with the objective of creating a new infrastructure for IT, communications, and process management. With Microsoft 365 and Teams already established as the organization’s primary work and meetings applications, Gert and his team wanted to continue developing the digital workplace based on Microsoft software. This strategy led them to choose Omnia as their platform for internal communications, process and document management:
“Since Omnia offers smooth integration with Microsoft’s products, this was a compelling reason as to why it was our first choice. Another reason was our requirement of a standard-based solution with high flexibility and adaptation capacity, which is also one of Omnia’s features.”
The new intranet GhostNet, with an integrated Document and Management System, was launched just six months after the start of the development and implementation project. The intranet was quietly rolled out in the organization, without any preparatory training or blaring fanfare. It was quickly adopted and embraced by super-users. In order to get everyone else on board, all email-based distribution of company and product news was discontinued, which was a highly effective method since every employee naturally wants to stay updated on what’s going on in the company.
“We have really lifted internal communications to a new level. In addition to it now being so much easier to find information about one’s employment, our work processes, and cars, we can also ensure that all employees are reached by the same information simultaneously. For the new solution to reach its full potential, however, we realize we’ll need to focus a little more on educating our workforce”, Gert concludes.
Many of Koenigsegg’s employees are constantly on the move without access to a computer. Omnia’s responsive design, however, enables them to access GhostNet via their mobile phones. The company has also installed a big screen in the factory’s canteen, called GhostNet-TV, where factory workers can catch up with the news and surf the intranet.
An Integrated Management System improves quality and security
One of the main goals of the new solution was to create better structured and organized information, processes, and internal collaborations. The end objective of which is to facilitate procedures for employees, improve transparency and findability as well as the quality of information, certifications, and processes.
“Today it’s very easy to find, understand, collaborate on, and update processes and documents. Under the tab How we work, all our work processes are accessible via linked and clickable process maps on GhostNet. Users can now click their way down to selected processes and controlled documents”, Gert points out and adds:
“Another advantage of using an integrated Document and Management System is that we can now ensure that there’s only one version of every document. In an unstructured system with multiple storage instances, you can get into quite a dangerous situation when all users believe that they are editing the last version of a document.”
