FM Logistic, another family-owned business, delivers supply chain solutions to global brands on three continents. Out of 28k employees, 75% are frontliners. Claire Schmauch echoed the point about the importance of a seamless experience that connects those in the field with the wider business. “Maybe it’s obvious, but we do this by removing as much friction as we can,” she said. The determination to avoid clashing systems, passwords, or misalignment across devices is a core driver behind the company’s LumApps-powered, award-winning intranet app. 

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Showing Up Matters

Schmauch notes that the best way to get buy-in for new ways of doing things – using digitized reporting tools, for example – is to meet with frontliners. Showing up where people work to demonstrate the value of intranet-powered tools and getting their feedback is worth the effort to increase engagement. “The way to do this is to go on the shop floor, talk to people, show them.” 

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Jamie Wardynski agrees. By visiting retail teams and asking them about their strategies, objectives, and where they need support, Isabel Marant has “created stronger relationships and greater trust among frontline workers, who feel listened to and appreciated, while the specific needs of their location – whether it be Miami or Shanghai – are considered.”

Wardynski went on to explain that one of the big challenges at the iconic fashion label is in fact a product of the brand’s success. With so many different time zones, cultures and languages across 90 stores globally, his goal is to “engage with people while they're working and I'm actually at home watching TV or asleep,” he said. 

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The answer has been a comprehensive training app for the retail sales community, which he called “internal social media, with enticing graphics and modules,” that speaks to every individual, culture, and community. “It's an engaging, one-stop shop they want to connect with every morning to see what’s new.” From collection notes and visual merchandising guidelines to new procedures, everyone on the shop floor has access to the same messaging. At the same time, employees all over the world share their tips and tricks. “I’m not just informing my teams and my colleagues,” he said. “I need them to tell me what they want.” 

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Community Power

For Galeries Lafayette, intranet-powered communities have been especially useful for sharing information that fosters development. With LumApps, “employees can share tips and news with their colleagues without any barriers, and it’s been really successful,” Beaudou says. This type of platform-based knowledge dissemination has been so successful that the company plans to roll out a learning module next year to further engage its sales teams. 

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Wardynski has similarly established a community of training ambassadors who “fly the flag high” at each Isabel Marant location; this ensures the right messages are reaching colleagues, and that information flows back to head office. “That word, communication, is the key to it all,” he said.  

For these three companies, the goal is to foster inclusivity and belonging among frontliners. That means eventually going beyond communications and using the intranet as a full-service platform. To this end, FM Logistic has foregrounded its learning management system to give all employees easy access to career development opportunities. “Inclusivity starts with accessing information,” Schmauch said. “But also accessing possibilities.”

Hear more about the real-world challenges and solutions shared by these global brands. Watch the full talk here.