UMC Utrecht: development and migration SharePoint intranet

UMC Utrecht needed a connecting, user-friendly and manageable intranet. Evolve guided UMCU in the development and migration of the intranet to Connect; a completely redesigned SharePoint intranet that efficiently supports employees in their work. 

We started with a thorough analysis to determine how the intranet could offer the greatest added value. Based on this, we designed a clear navigation structure, developed intuitive templates for different page types and came up with various content formats. In addition, we established a clear governance and management structure with clear roles and responsibilities. An important part of the project was the content analysis: we brought the existing intranet back from 37,000 to 5,000 pages and migrated it manually to the new environment. To ensure the success of Connect, we developed an adoption strategy and trained content owners in the effective use of the platform. 

Finally, we accompanied the go-live and provided aftercare in the first months after the launch. Thanks to this structured approach and close cooperation with communication and IT, UMC Utrecht now has a future-proof, clear and well-manageable intranet that optimally meets the needs of employees. 

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A complex organization of 12,000 employees

UMC Utrecht is one of the largest public healthcare institutions in the Netherlands and the largest employer in the Utrecht region. In addition to patient care, it focuses on research and education, which makes it a complex organization with various directorates, divisions and areas of expertise. Every day, 12,000 employees and more than 4,000 students work in various positions to improve care and health. From doctors, professors, laboratory technicians to nurses, researchers and facility staff – everyone contributes to the mission of UMC Utrecht.

Full focus on the employee

The reason for the project was technical in nature: the old SharePoint intranet on premise had to be migrated to M365 SharePoint online due to requirements for security and reliability. This technical reason was immediately used to rethink the structure of the intranet. 

The design of the intranet not only had to meet technical requirements, but also fit in with the way employees use it. That is why the project started with a thorough analysis of how the intranet could best support the goals and ambitions of UMC Utrecht. In addition to extensive desk research, there have been interviews with employees who hold various roles and positions in the UMC. This not only gave insight into the course of the organization, but also how the daily practice-and thus the use of intranet – looks like for different types of employees. Based on this, personas and use cases were developed. 

Els Timans, digital marketing and Communication Lead at UMC Utrecht says about this:

‘For me, Connect is a starting point to be well informed and a place within the total range of channels where we give stories that we bring out, within a place. When employees know what is happening at UMC Utrecht, it contributes to their sense of pride. Connect fulfills a very important need.” 

The intranet design process began by developing the so-called wireframes for the most important and common pages, such as the homepage, profile pages, overview pages, service pages, and content detail pages, all based on SharePoint Online. These wireframes were created based on the previously determined added value and expected usage. The layout of the pages was tested with different groups of employees, and their feedback led to the final layout. The pages were then visually designed, with the use of color and image in line with the corporate identity of UMC Utrecht. 

Complex migration of 5000 pages

Parallel to the design, the process started to get the content in order. The old intranet of the UMC Utrecht had no less than 37,000 pages. through a combination of static analysis, consultation with around 300 content owners and a completely new navigation structure, this was drastically reduced to 5,000 pages. the navigation structure was developed based on the strategic themes of the UMC and the needs and tasks of employees. In various card sorting sessions, it was optimized and finalized.

With decorated and designed pages, a clear navigation structure and a clear overview of the content to be migrated, the content migration could start. This was a huge and complex operation, with Evolve handling the coordination, content alignment with the 300 content owners, and execution. This allowed the UMC to continue to focus on its core tasks: providing care, conducting research and teaching. 

Due to speed, cost and efficiency, manual migration was chosen, a process that took another three months despite this approach. Painstakingly transferring thousands of pages of links, images, forms, and tables required precision and attention. In addition, new content was created, such as overview pages that did not exist on the old intranet. 

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Deliver well, keep well

Setting up a new intranet well is one thing, but continuing to use it well is at least as important. Therefore, all content owners were trained to work with SharePoint Online. In addition, Evolve staffed a helpdesk in the two months after the launch where all employees of UMC Utrecht could contact with questions. 

For the online editorial staff of the communication department, workshops were organized on creating stimulating, strategically relevant content using formats. They also learned how to publish content in a structured and consistent way. 

In order to anchor the intranet sustainably, a governance structure was drawn up in which roles, tasks and responsibilities are clearly divided between the editors, content owners and specific departments within IT and communication. Finally, an adoption strategy was developed to guide the further roll-out of the intranet to all UMC colleges. 

In close cooperation with it and the Communication Department

A large and complex project like this requires strong collaboration. In all phases of the project, we worked closely with the IT and communication departments to achieve the best results. Evolve acted as an extension of the communication team, with a combination of substantive expertise and execution power.

Els Timans: “the success of this process lies in the good cooperation within a triangle: between the marketing and communication team of UMC Utrecht, Evolve and our IT management. I think that is also the only way in which such a large migration and strategy process can succeed. We really did this job together. There was almost no longer a customer-agency relationship. It’s all about the good connection with the people and the team.” 

‘The total relief at all levels in this process, that was the Great added value of Evolve.”

Els Timans: & nbsp;“the total relief at all levels in this process, that was the Great added value of Evolve. We also asked Evolve for things that were not part of the initial brief, as the brief became broader as this project progressed. Setting up and staffing a telephone help desk after going live, for example. You do it anyway and together you look very honestly at what you ask for and what you bring, always putting the content first.”

Next steps

About the further development, the next steps and the ideal role for Connect in the channel strategy at UMC Utrecht, Timans says: “the further development is based on the use and also on the attractive offering of information on Connect, so that it really becomes a place where people really like to come (back). This means that we have to ensure good management and organization from the marcom team.” “The further development is also in working with content formats. That is part of a communication channel: you have to look at how you bring the content, is it engaging, does it appeal? How do we highlight the important themes that play within the organization?

Another important theme for further development is governance: the good embedding and management in our organization. That is important for it to be a success, because the same organization must ensure that Connect remains “clean”, engaging and up to date.’Finally, we will start setting up a continuous process to translate the data obtained from Statistics and user surveys into better ‘user flows’. This ensures that employees will be able to find the information relevant to them more and more quickly and easily in the future. Paradoxically, we want them to be on Connect as short as possible so they can spend as much time with our patients as possible.   

Meer weten? Wil jij ook de kracht van een (nieuw) intranet ontdekken of heb je een ander vraagstuk waar we je bij kunnen helpen? Neem dan gerust eens contact met ons op via hallo@evolve.eu of 030 307 54 55.

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