As the old intranet of the SARIA Group in Germany, Austria and the affected business activities in the Netherlands could not be continued for technical reasons, a new, more modern and interactive alternative was needed.

In the sense of a holistic approach, the launch of a new intranet was also intended to support the global networking within the SARIA Group worldwide to finally create a platform on which simple interaction and exchange between ALL colleagues is possible – including both: operative and administrative or Blue and White Collar.

Since the frequently used and widely implemented SharePoint application from Microsoft will in some cases probably only be usable as an intranet solution until 2026, this platform was not an option. In the end, the decision was made in favor of a provider that is also used by large business groups such as E.ON, CocaCola, KPMG and Deutsche Bahn, and that offers everything the SARIA Group needs for its internal communications: an interactive user interface, app connectivity, compatibility with Microsoft applications, and an easy roll-out throughout the business units and divisions.

How did it started?

As a pilot project, the new intranet was initially introduced for GERLICHER, a subsidiary of ReFood. This allowed strengths and weaknesses to be identified in preparation for the major roll-out for the SARIA Group in Germany, Austria and the affected business activities in the Netherlands on April 25.
The launch was a complete success. The new platform, called Connect, can not only be accessed via the desktop workstation, but can also be installed on any mobile device via an app. Microsoft credentials or personally created credentials by the IT department for each individual employee without an email address serve as access data.

What are the next steps?

Next, the O2P division in France, Poland and Spain will become part of Connect. Since Poland does not have its own intranet, fundamentally raises the possibility that Connect could be introduced as a new platform. Spain and France already have existing platforms, which will initially be linked to Connect to enable easy exchange between the countries and different departments as well.
In addition, the project team will enter into an exchange with the other business units and divisions to determine how they can also be connected and integrated in order to get one step closer to the goal of global networking within SARIA Group.

Connect is the future of communication and exchange throughout the SARIA Group. Everybody can be a part of Connect, it doesn’t matter which division, which business unit or which country.