FernUni Schweiz
A Cosmic Connection: FernUni Schweiz’s Journey to a Modern Intranet with Microsoft 365
Branche
Elektronikfertigung
Zielsetzung
Umstellung auf die Microsoft 365 Cloud
Lösung
Microsoft 365 Cloud
FernUni Schweiz’s Journey to a Modern Intranet with Microsoft 365
FernUni Schweiz is Switzerland’s only state distance-learning university. With study programs offered in multiple languages and a strong commitment to flexibility, the university supports a diverse academic community across the country.
Challenge
FernUni Schweiz’s previous intranet was outdated and no longer aligned with the needs of a modern, hybrid university environment. The system lacked scalability, provided limited multilingual support, and did not meet the expectations of today’s digital workplace.
The introduction of a new intranet brought several key challenges:
- Designing a single platform that could address the diverse needs of staff across different departments, roles, and responsibilities.
- Delivering multilingual content in a consistent and user-friendly way to serve a diverse academic community.
- Meeting strict data protection and privacy requirements while introducing new collaboration capabilities.
- Integrating the intranet with existing systems to ensure a seamless user experience and continuity of processes.
- Implementing role-based access models that aligned with governance standards and respected the sensitivities of academic and administrative work.
Solution
To meet these challenges, FernUni Schweiz partnered with Experts Inside to design and implement a modern intranet based on Microsoft 365.
The approach included:
- Improved Communication: A structured, multilingual news portal delivers information in a clear and accessible way, ensuring that staff across all departments and roles receive timely updates in their preferred language.
- Enhanced Employee Experience: A modern, user-friendly intranet provides intuitive navigation and seamless integration with daily tools, supporting hybrid working practices and making essential information easy to find.
- Streamlined Onboarding: New employees gain faster orientation through centralized access to guidelines, policies, and resources, significantly reducing the time needed to become productive and connected within the organization.
"As a university institute with a decentralized, multilingual structure, it was important for us to create an intranet that does not divide but connects. Experts Inside has succeeded in delivering a platform that brings together both our administrative and academic teams across locations, departments and languages."
Joerg Andenmatten, Head of IT FernUni Schweiz
- Data Protection and Governance: Robust role-based access models and clearly defined governance standards ensure that sensitive information is handled securely while maintaining usability for all user groups.
- Scalable Foundation: The intranet is designed to evolve with the university, offering a flexible platform that can support future digital workplace initiatives and adapt to changing organizational needs.
The project was guided by the principle of creating a communication hub that was inclusive, scalable, and easy to manage.
Results
By launching the new Microsoft 365-based intranet, FernUni Schweiz successfully created a future-proof platform for internal communication and collaboration.
Key benefits include:
- Improved internal communication with multilingual news delivery.
- Enhanced employee experience and support for hybrid work.
- Streamlined onboarding and orientation for staff.
- Secure and compliant platform respecting data protection and role-based access.
- Scalable foundation for future digital workplace initiatives.
The new intranet enables FernUni Schweiz to connect its diverse academic community on a single platform, supporting collaboration, inclusivity, and long-term digital growth.
Do you have any questions about this project?
Or would you like to know how can we implement something similar for your business?