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Love’s has more than 640 locations across 42 states, and so has a distributed, largely customer-facing workforce of more than 40,000. When Daryl Bowdoin and Kayla Geurkink determined the need for a new Intranet platform, they came to ClearBox for expert guidance around their strategy and requirements. We were then able to impartially advise on the best-fit intranet products and vendors.
At the start of the project, Love’s had multiple platforms for internal communications and was looking for a single platform for an intranet. One platform focused on providing a starting point, a hub, for laptop users while another engaged employees via their mobile phones with news and social aspects. And of course, there was another system for sending e-newsletters. Beyond this, Daryl and Kayla were even hoping to get a more sophisticated digital signage platform, so you can see they meant to enhance the digital workplace with cohesive communication channels.
“With four sprawling systems, we’re looking to implement something more consolidated; an all-in-one platform that can support a growing company like Love’s.” — Daryl Bowdoin, Love’s Travel Stops
Having done some internal assessments of the sort of intranet systems on the market and even conversing with some vendors, Daryl and Kayla still weren’t set on a solution to incorporate.
Then a colleague asked if they’d heard of the ClearBox intranet report and were “thoroughly impressed” as they browsed through the in-depth reviews of 20+ intranet platforms and products.
The software selection process ClearBox took Love’s through ensured that stakeholders were thinking about business goals and employee needs before shopping for a technology solution.
“We had a medium-long list of initial requirements,” said Kayla, “ClearBox helped us understand how the platform could meet our goals for a new platform.”
Wanting digital signage control included in the intranet solution narrowed down the choice somewhat, and really tested whether it’s a definite requirement or a ‘nice to have’.
“While we wanted digital signage, we were prepared to go without it;” Daryl said, “with ClearBox, we classified each vendor by their areas of expertise, so, in case we found somebody really good at the intranet, really good at mobile, we could go with them, and find another platform for signage later.”
The overall approach wanted, which many internal communications professionals will recognise, is the ability to easily create content and distribute it across multiple channels.
Daryl explained: “Through the ClearBox process, we found three vendors with the technology that can accomplish what all four of our current platforms do. An all-in-one approach will simplify our comms and content management and reach employees through the right channels for them.”
The process, including strategy and requirements workshops, ensured that senior stakeholders were heard, and that frontline workers’ needs were prioritised.
Daryl found ClearBox’s structured approach to assessing intranet capabilities against business requirements to be uniquely compelling, and so had no qualms about hiring a UK-based consultancy. “This is great, this is the process, this is what we need.”
“The process was very well laid out,” Kayla agreed, “all the workshops, and the requirements gathering; and I felt Andrew and Suzie really understood Love’s as a company.
“Andrew and Suzie helped us navigate the conversations with stakeholders and guide us along the path forward to finding our choice of products and reaching our goal of an all-in-one employee communication platform.”
“The team at Love’s have been great to work with. They are knowledgeable about the complex needs of their business and embraced ClearBox’s fast-paced product selection process with enthusiasm, being responsive and making decisions quickly where needed.” — Andrew Marr, ClearBox Consulting
The team were shown eight possible solutions, and how each would improve upon what was already in place. Discussing the requirements and getting into the details around functionality and cost meant ClearBox was then able to provide a final report, showcasing three candidate solutions, scored to highlight their strengths. The team at Loves’s are now busy making their final choice and looking forward to implementing a new digital communications platform.
“I think it’s fair to say ClearBox is a strong choice when it comes to assessing intranet software.” – Daryl Bowdoin, Love’s
“Your content and materials, your approach – it was just incredible, just the level of detail and the depth of knowledge. It made you really get a sense of the product.” — Kayla Geurkink, Love’s
“We were able to show our stakeholders,” says Daryl, “what other companies are wanting, where the industry is going, and you can see it all here in the report as to what these top vendors are doing.”
“I thought the whole engagement with ClearBox went so well, I felt they were a partner and understood where we were headed and where we didn’t want to go! Just having that kind of partnership, it was really refreshing.” — Kayla Geurkink, Love’s
You can see our detailed intranet assessments, and of course we’d love to work with you to consider your requirements and intranet vendor selection.
Truck photo credit: Greg Goebel.
Love’s Travel Stop photo, copyright Love’s.
