Carlsberg's Digital Transformation with Microsoft VIVA

Since 1847, Carlsberg has faced the challenges of being a global organization, including the growth of its workforce and internal communication. To address this, Carlsberg transformed the digital experience of its 29,000 employees with Microsoft VIVA, creating CarlsNet, a centralized platform built with VIVA Connections and Teams. This new intranet has improved internal reach and participation, connecting teams across every region and function of the company, and supporting Carlsberg's mission of offering an exceptional digital experience for its employees.

Technology as a Pillar of the Transformation

Technology has been a fundamental pillar in Carlsberg's DNA, shaping the way it works and communicates internally. "The old intranet did not reach the number of people we wanted", comments Anne Sophie Strandmark, highlighting the need for a more inclusive and effective solution. With this goal in mind, Carlsberg decided to implement Microsoft VIVA Connections integrated with Microsoft Teams, creating CarlsNet, a centralized platform designed to meet the needs of its employees from the moment they leave their homes until they return.

Built by and for Employees

The process of implementing CarlsNet was genuinely collaborative. Employees took part in the design and in choosing the name of the platform, making sure it reflected their needs and preferences. "What you see today in CarlsNet is truly built by employees", states Emily Dalterio. This co-creation has been vital for Carlsberg, and it is reflected in the widespread acceptance and use of the platform.

A Customizable and Friendly Solution

Tim Lauridsen describes CarlsNet as "a highly customizable and mobile-friendly solution". The platform allows integration with human resources systems and employee benefits, creating a single point of access for all the information and tools employees need. "The dashboard is really the gateway to everyone's workday", notes Anne Sophie Strandmark, highlighting the importance of a smooth and engaging digital experience.

A Connected and Inclusive Community

CarlsNet not only makes it easier to access information, it also fosters an active and connected community. Employees can comment and tag people in posts, creating an environment of collaboration and mutual support. "For me, it is a very powerful tool for building a community", states Xenia Valles Gamundi.

Thanks to Microsoft VIVA, Carlsberg has managed to significantly improve the digital experience of its employees, putting information and tools within their reach. This progress has not only improved productivity and engagement, it has also strengthened the culture of inclusion and collaboration within the company.

Bringing Together the Digital Experience of Employees and Customers with Microsoft VIVA

With a 175-year legacy of giving customers high-quality beer and memorable experiences, Carlsberg decided to apply the same user-centered approach to its internal digital experience for employees. Anne-Sophie Strandmark, owner of Microsoft Office 365 services at Carlsberg Group, reflects on this digitalization journey the organization has undertaken both internally and externally.

"We do not ask our customers to go into several applications when they order beer, so why do we ask our employees to open many different applications to start their workday?", says Anne-Sophie. This is where VIVA Connections and Teams come into play, allowing Carlsberg to use Teams as a one-stop shop for its employees.

Initially, this ambition proved to be a challenge. Communication between Carlsberg's markets relied on information cascading through several disconnected channels and, in some cases, through local communication tools. This meant there was no single source of truth when it came to communication.

To address this problem and encourage employee inclusion and engagement, Carlsberg partnered with Microsoft and its partner Open Communication Group to create a single branded platform. This platform enables a dashboard containing news, adaptive cards and resources built directly into the organization's most widely used collaboration application: Microsoft Teams.

"It is a solution that has really helped us bring together and involve our workforce", states Strandmark. Thanks to this innovative platform, Carlsberg has managed to improve internal communication, foster inclusion and engagement, and transform the digital experience of its employees, reflecting the same quality and attention to detail it offers its customers.

Siloed Ways of Working Made Communication Difficult at Carlsberg

"Our editorial teams were creating great content that employees were not seeing, largely because the previous intranet could not be accessed from mobile devices", comments Emily D'Alterio, Communications Manager at Carlsberg Group. "We needed a technology-driven strategy with a centralized approach that respected the different needs of each local market."

Previously, Carlsberg's markets and functions, from HR in Italy to Singapore, had their own intranet sites in the local language, which did not allow interaction with or translation of the content. This made the experience less engaging and depended heavily on the ability of local markets to cascade the information down. This fragmentation made it difficult for internal communications to reach employees and involve them.

In order to solve this problem, Carlsberg implemented CarlsNet, a platform that lets employees easily translate the content into their local language, as well as like, tag and comment directly from the Teams application on their mobile phones, adds Anne-Sophie.

To measure workforce satisfaction with digital tools, the organization runs surveys twice a year. "Our surveys revealed that our colleagues feel confident using Teams", says Tim Lauridsen, Director of Global Digital Workplace at Carlsberg Group. "This is backed by our usage data. Around 70% of our employees use Microsoft Teams and hold about 8,000 meetings a day," he adds. "So we decided to use Microsoft Teams as the key application to build on because we knew it met the needs of workers."

A New Digital Chapter at Carlsberg Thanks to Microsoft

Carlsberg partnered with Microsoft and its partner Open Communication Group to run workshops and exchange ideas about the ideal modern employee experience and the role of an intranet in creating inclusion. "Our conversation led us to create an internal communication strategy", says D'Alterio. "One element of that strategy was the use of Microsoft VIVA Connections to create an intranet directly inside Microsoft Teams that would improve our efficiency, respond to the needs of employees and create a sense of togetherness."

Carlsberg has achieved a remarkable digital transformation with Microsoft VIVA and Teams, improving communication and fostering inclusion among its employees. CarlsNet, the centralized platform it developed, has revolutionized the internal digital experience, connecting teams and optimizing resources efficiently.