Nearly 900 employees, diverse locations, a continuously growing team - almost all your internal communication challenges in one place. A domestic logistics company has moved into digital terrain and experienced sweeping changes. A journey from the pale results of paper-based internal publications to an activated, modern community.
Trans-Sped, a Hungarian-owned company, started as an international freight forwarding business in 1990. More than 32 years later, the group provides complex logistics services with 13 regional centers and nearly 900 employees. These services range from classic warehousing and transportation to complex warehouse logistics and full service of webshops, supported by digital solutions. Bringing together an organization of this size, which is highly fragmented both geographically and in terms of activities, is no small challenge. Trans-Sped's communications specialist Barbara Balázsi, who played a key role in the company's rollout of Blue Colibri, says that, as many companies struggle with, they have also found it "difficult to keep real-time information flowing to everyone" and to keep their driver colleagues on the road informed. And when the flow of news and information is fragmented, it can also affect community life - it's harder to forge a team.
In the past, a quarterly printed internal newspaper was used to address these problems, but in many ways, it was not a perfect solution. On the one hand, there was a lot of paper waste and, on the other hand, the content was limited because of the scope of the paper. Barbara Balázsi added that the paper could only contain retrospective information of the past period, of course.
The management of Trans-Sped Kft., on the initiative of the communication team, decided due to the forcibly accelerated schedule caused by COVID that it was time to digitize their internal communications. It was at this point that they partnered up with the Blue Colibri team. The Hungarian company, founded in 2019, developed software to address corporate HR issues that, if not before, almost all companies unfortunately faced during the pandemic.
How to inform blue-collar / non-office staff effectively, in real-time? Can we provide two-way communication to bring management and the team closer together and improve community life? How can we say goodbye to paper-based administration? Can pre- and onboarding processes be simplified with digital solutions? Can e-learning make training more effective?
Blue Colibri's app is now used by over 84,000 employees in healthcare, commercial, construction, and more. The application, which is tailored to the needs of the companies, is simply downloaded to the mobile phones of the employees - but can also be accessed from desktops and company kiosks - and they receive all the information and documents they need from their workplace in real-time, on a single platform.
Barbara Balázsi said that Trans-Sped wanted to introduce the new digital solution in several stages, but when the crown virus hit, the process was completed very quickly, in 1-2 weeks.
"Our colleagues understood the importance of the changeover and started using the app, as it was the fastest way to share our rules and news about the coronavirus."
Employees were encouraged to use the app through the involvement of managers. New entrants are in an even easier position, as they start to get to know the company by getting access to the app. The introduction of digital onboarding is expected to further facilitate the transition of new colleagues to the digital platform.
At certain special sites of Trans-Sped some traditional forms of communication (billboards, posters) are still used too, but the company app has made internal communication easier and faster. In addition, it has become searchable and they have been able to introduce other useful features (administration, community interfaces, prize draws), Barbara Balázsi explained.
After switching to their own company app, the first positive changes at Trans-Sped were in the area of administration and information flow, while the amount of paper used started to reduce. Barbara Balázsi pointed out that the company app also makes it easy to reach targeted groups and to segment content.
"Without extra work, you can reach just one business or one site, but you can easily produce content for white- or blue-collar workers or executives only as well."
In addition to the flow of information, the e-learning function is increasingly being used, but it will also be used to provide training for new entrants, as well as for recurrent mandatory training and other in-house training materials.
Employees love it, and more and more people are using the application. Various organizational units have recognized the potential of the app and have already requested the launch of special modules. Barbara Balázsi said that the app is also used by colleagues to request business cards, and to submit ideas and questions. The most popular contents are introductions of new entrants, internal referral ads, interviews with colleagues, and messages from the CEO.
And thanks to digitalization, there has also been a big improvement in community life. Trans-Sped employees have become more open to healthy lifestyles, demand regular health-related content, and are interested in the possibility of playing sports together.
"In the Trans-Sped Community Giving Programme, our colleagues could nominate NGOs in their area to receive financial support. They also take part in charity and fundraising activities following appeals", Barbara Balázsi explained, adding that "as a community, we work together to support local communities in our area".
