Improved content production and clearer internal communication: How we helped implement the new intranet of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

THL

Over time, THL's intranet had accumulated over 400,000 pages. We helped THL implement a new intranet to improve their content creation and internal communication.

A cloud-based intranet improves content management and enhances communication

Transitioning to a new cloud-based intranet with the goal of enhancing content management and streamlining communication, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) implemented a new intranet along with department and unit sites (26 in total) in February 2024. The project's aim was to replace an old Confluence-based intranet that had grown out of control, resulting in challenges in locating essential information.

The renewal at THL was led by Workplace Communication Specialist Terhi Seppälä.

"We had a long-standing intranet that had accumulated over 400 000 pages over the years. The wiki-based intranet was free for everyone to update and was used as a note-taking platform. As a result, the intranet had become confusing, and it was difficult to find up-to-date instructions. We wanted to reduce the content, reorganize it and create a new approach to content production. Of course, cost savings were also a motivating factor," says Terhi, describing the project's starting point.

The project's schedule was tight because the old platform no longer met internal communication needs. Additionally, due to upcoming licensing changes, there was a precise deadline for launching the new intranet. The project was carried out in collaboration with the State Information and Communication Technology Centre (Valtori).

The project's progression

The project with twoday started with a definition phase in June 2023, with workshops to clarify the role, structure, content and necessary functionalities of the intranet and departmental and unit websites. For reasons of consistency and, to some extent, timing, it was decided to define a single site template for the departmental and unit websites, which was taken as a base for all departmental and unit websites.

After a thorough definition phase, the implementation phase was carried out using a sprint model and agile development practices. Towards the end of the implementation phase, all end-users and content producers were trained and supported.

The entire project took about 9 months. About 3 months were set aside for content production on the new platform, but content planning and preparation had already started earlier. The whole project was launched on time and on budget in February 2024.

"The project work with twoday went smoothly and it was easy to trust that what was agreed would indeed be delivered," says Terhi.

The result: a clearly defined intranet that supports information search and retrieval

It was agreed that in the future, the Intranet will only contain current communications and guidelines for the whole organisation, with departmental and unit websites focusing on supporting departmental and unit-level needs.

In addition to the role of the Intranet, the content production models were clarified, particularly for instructional content. Content about news and current topics was re-categorized, and identified categories were given clear, dedicated highlights on the homepage, using twoday's own customizations.

The findability of information was also a key area for improvement for the intranet's functionality. This was improved through the introduction of metadata and a range of search centres focused on content retrieval. In the THL intranet, separate search centres were implemented for the most important and largest content sets, i.e. news and guidelines. Content management was also supported by an automation-based lifecycle management solution.

"We have now had the intranet with its departmental and unit websites up and running for a couple of months. The renewal has been a big cultural change for us and has brought with it a lot of new things to learn. However, it is already clear that many things have gone much better than before. The new sites serve our needs very well," says Terhi.

About twoday's and Valtori's Collaboration

twoday and Valtori are partners in delivering the productized Sivi service, an internal communication publishing platform. THL's intranet solution was implemented as part of the Sivi service.

Organizational descriptions

THL is an expert and research institute that provides reliable information for decision-making and activities in the field of health and welfare. Our goal is to promote the welfare, health and safety of the population.

twoday is a full-service solution partner that helps its clients succeed in digital transformation through data and analytics solutions, artificial intelligence, software development, digital services, and business applications. twoday employs nearly 3,000 experts in the Nordic countries.

Government ICT Centre Valtori provides sector-independent ICT services for the Finnish government, as well as information and communication technology services and integration services that meet high availability and security requirements. In service production, Valtori combines its own production with services acquired from the market.

Interested? Leave your contact information, and we'll be in touch.

Arto Ignatius

Sales Executive, Microsoft Biz Apps

arto.ignatius@twoday.com

040 484 5446

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