In the past EnBW relied mainly on the intranet as the most important communication channel for the distribution of corporate news. However, as not all members of the company’s staff have their own permanent computer workplace (e.g. technicians in the field), it was not always possible to keep all members of staff fully informed by this means. The company also publishes a staff magazine with a wide circulation that due to the long intervals between issues is hardly up to date at all and thus only suitable to a limited extent for providing the staff with the latest information.
EnBW thus set itself the goal of increasing the reach and level of awareness of corporate news. Awareness of local issues was also to be improved and, in addition, printed posters were to be replaced by the new, digital system. These objectives have been achieved through the installation of a kompas-controlled digital-signage network at several of the company’s locations.
To achieve this, EnBW first of all developed a new three-stage editorial concept: The digital signage screens installed at the various locations of the company display Group-wide corporate news, information from the individual business segments and the latest news about the individual locations. Thus, when passing by, the staff receive information such as corporate news, statistics, information about events, canteen menus as well as a news ticker and the weather forecast at a glance. The use of digital signage means that this information immediately catches the eye and thus achieves greater reach compared to news items in the intranet. The simple and centralized control of the content through kompas means that the news is always up to date. Printed posters are thus completely eliminated. Also members of staff without a fixed computer workplace now receive important information.
Requirements on design and technology
To begin with, EnBW equipped 20 locations with 38 digital signage installations. A further expansion is planned for 2017. The digital signage software solution kompas controls the entire network. A special feature is the use of kompas’s split-screen mode to display different content on the screens concurrently. 47- and 65-inch screens are being used in the portrait mode on columns, walls and stands.
Markus Mußgnug, project manager for internal media at EnBW, about his choice for dimedis:
“We decided to use digital signage in order to be able to communicate with those members of staff at our various locations who do not have constant access to the intranet. Furthermore, the new communication channel helps us increase awareness of issues relevant to the company. To control the large network and display different content on the individual players, we chose the kompas digital-signage software from dimedis. We were particularly impressed by the flexibility of the software and its simple use.”