SBB

The technical side of such a software implementation is a real challenge for a large organization like SBB. Fortunately, we could leave that to other specialists. However, the impact on the way every employee works should not be underestimated. How do you communicate such a major change? What do you tell them, and when? How do you best inform and introduce the new system? How do you avoid resistance?

We developed a communication campaign for SBB around the creative concept "Onderweg naar bestemming AFAS." Visually, we referred to a train journey, with employees making stops along the way. The final destination: arriving together at a new, better software solution for everyone.

Welcome on board

We kicked off this transition journey with the unveiling of the planned trip. Posters were put up in every office, showing the various stops, while each employee found a train ticket on their desk, inviting them to visit the campaign website. This website was set up as a platform to communicate in more detail during all stages of the campaign.

In this first phase, the site revealed the plans, explaining the how, why, and providing a clear overview of the next steps.

We predicted that the employees would have many questions. At the first stop, we provided them with answers. With a question box on the site, we addressed the most common questions.

We also advised SBB to incentivize their employees. Thus, the employees received a sweet snack on their desks, with a napkin inviting them to visit the question box. If they were still hungry for answers afterward, they could submit a question themselves via a form on the site.

A journey like this is not undertaken without first sending out scouts. Therefore, SBB appointed key-users in each region. SBB provided extensive explanations for these select employees in the run-up to the transition, serving as test users.

On the site, we offered all employees an overview of these key-users. This way, they became contact points for practical questions about the tool. With this, we were able to gain trust at every level of the organization and even use the key-users as ambassadors for the new software package.

With the finish line in sight, it was time to prepare all employees to make the leap to AFAS. Thanks to various manuals and webinars provided by SBB on the site, each employee could prepare, while various matters were also readied at the office level.

The different offices were motivated to monitor progress by region. Naturally, the goal was to make the transition to AFAS all together at the same time.

January 1, 2023 was D-day for SBB. The implementation of AFAS was complete and projects, invoicing, and post-calculation were now processed through the new tool. With a nice New Year's gift, we welcomed all employees at the final destination.

The goal of this internal campaign was to inform, educate, and excite. A mission we succeeded in with a combination of fragmented communication, the well-designed site, the possibility for dialogue, and the appreciated actions on the shop floor. Everyone showed up well-informed and prepared at the final destination and was eager to start using the new tool. In other words: destination reached!