Delivering communications to workers out in the field

Severn Trent plc is a water services company listed on the London Stock Exchange. It employs over 15,000 people, many of whom work out in the field. The company wanted to deliver effective internal communications to its entire workforce by creating a modern, attractive intranet.

Unlike the previous solution, the intranet had to be available to field employees who work everywhere from busy city streets to remote reservoirs.

A modern intranet and app

Severn Trent engaged Content Formula to implement a LiveTiles (formerly known as Wizdom) intranet and accompanying mobile app.

To define requirements, we interviewed stakeholders and employees to gain an in-depth understanding of work and communication needs. We then worked in close partnership with the Severn Trent team to deliver the new intranet and app.

Introducing 'On Tap'

On Tap is a modern intranet that streamlines effective internal communication and knowledge sharing throughout the company. Thanks to LiveTiles's easy to use interfaces and ability to aggregate updates from different intranet areas, Severn Trent has introduced an effective distributed publishing model for the very first time. Local teams can publish updates and key operational content.

A branded, attractive mobile app with native features

All employees can access the On Tap mobile app on their corporate-issued iOS devices. A small modification to the LiveTiles app means it can be accessed via Severn Trent’s corporate app store, through a custom "On Tap" icon.

The app provides a stream of corporate news that is either distributed to all staff or specific to the two main divisions within the company. The stream can include critical emergency and operational updates, for example when there is a crisis situation.

The app also takes advantage of native functionality in order to deliver push notifications for urgent alerts and key strategic communications that appear even when a screen is locked.

Accessing relevant news and finding colleagues

Employees access targeted news based on grade and location, and topics of interest via a subscription facility. Each employee can add comments and likes; “trending” items based on interactions are highlighted.

Employees also access the employee directory that includes rich profiles; a convenient type-ahead search helps locate the right person.

A fully secure solution

Severn Trent operates in a tightly regulated industry where high security around access to the water supply is critical.

The LiveTiles intranet and app fully meet Severn Trent’s stringent security requirements, but without compromising on employee experience. Because the app is installed and protected through the AirWatch Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution, IT retains full control and the intranet remains behind the firewall.

Effective mobile communication for all employees

It’s still early days for "On Tap" but for the very first time all Severn Trent employees can access internal communications, critical alerts, colleague details and more from whenever they are.

At last the entire workforce is fully connected, using a critical and vibrant platform that drives a better employee experience and helps deliver essential services to customers.