How Kubota Reached Every Employee and Created a Single Source of Truth

The Background

Kubota Tractor Corp., headquartered in Grapevine, TX, is a leading name in the agricultural and construction equipment industry with a workforce of 1,500 to 2,000 employees. The Japanese group, Kubota, is present in 120 countries, providing essential machinery and services to farmers, builders, and homeowners worldwide.

The Challenge

Before implementing LumApps, Kubota faced significant challenges with their internal communications. One of the most pressing issues was the lack of a unified source of truth for data and information. Employees struggled to find accurate and up-to-date information.

Without an intranet, Kubota relied on a variety of communication methods that, while effective to some degree, often lacked consistency. Important updates were typically shared through emails, which sometimes resulted in employees feeling less informed and connected. An employee survey indicated that many team members felt they were not fully aware of ongoing developments within the company, highlighting the need for a more cohesive communication strategy.

Kubota aimed to create a single, reliable location for all information and to establish consistent and strategic communication with employees. They needed a solution that could streamline internal communications and foster a sense of community among employees.

The Solution

Kubota chose LumApps because it checked every box on their requirements list. Despite a tight three-month deadline to launch the intranet, the LumApps implementation team managed to deploy on time and went live in August 2023.

In addition to the comprehensive features offered via desktop, Kubota has successfully adopted the LumApps mobile application, which empowers employees to access company updates and resources on-the-go. This mobile solution enhances flexibility and responsiveness, ensuring that team members remain informed and connected, regardless of their location.

We have several entities across North America, and in the past, each one had its own system and ways of communicating. But with our rapid growth and overall desire to improve how we communicate, we knew we needed a single platform that allowed us to reach everyone -- consistently and effectively. We implemented the LumApps’ solution, and we all feel this investment in our team members has exceeded our expectations. It’s working well for us, and we’re very pleased with how it’s helping us bring everyone together and improve the employee experience.

How Kubota Uses LumApps Daily

Strategic Communication

Kubota publishes at least one feature article daily, as well as regular updates in the people news and global news sections of the site. This structured approach has significantly improved employee awareness and engagement.

Building Connections

The introduction of department pages has provided a valuable way for employees to connect with different teams. This initiative has enhanced collaboration and made it easier for employees to find the information they need.

People-Focused Content

Analyzing analytics has shown that employees are most interested in content about their colleagues and products. This insight has driven Kubota to focus more on people-centric stories and product highlights, further boosting engagement and fostering a sense of community.

Enhanced Employee Directory

Employees can easily locate each other’s details through the user directory, making collaboration smoother and more efficient across regional divisions and offices.

Key Achievements

Implementing LumApps has transformed Kubota’s internal communications, creating a unified source of truth and fostering a sense of community among employees. The platform has streamlined information sharing, improved engagement, and set the stage for future innovations.

Kubota now averages well more than 1,000 users who visit the site weekly and spend more than a couple of minutes there each visit. Having started at zero just three years ago, the team is happy with its progress and encouraged about the growth yet to come as it continues building, improving and refining the site.

Future Vision

In the near future, Kubota plans to use LumApps for onboarding new employees, further integrating the platform into their daily operations, including potential integrations with applications such as ServiceNow.