Dannon Intranet Case Study

The Company

Dannon Inc is the worlds largest manufacture of Yogurt and is the American based subsidiary of Danone Inc (Forbes 100 largest companies 2004)

The Challenge

Dannon Inc. required an Intranet to centralize control over its data resources and provide a communication system for its many employees to access the vital reports and systems which provide a wide array of information for the company. Dannon had spent several years implementing new systems at many levels based on employee or department need. It however had not maximized its return on these systems or leveraged the knowledge base of its many employees because they did not have an ability to communicate effectively the available resources or provide a way for its employees to collaborate.

The Solution

DannonCulture a web based Intranet application with a wide array of highly scalable enterprise applications. The Intranet is a purpose driven website available only to Dannon employees. The Intranet provides:

• A sense of community and expresses company culture
• A comprehensive source for everything Dannon
• Access to online resources for all departments organized in a easy to navigate and intuitive fashion
• Employee access to Human Resources, Benefit and Bonus Information
• Real Time information of Company events, major projects and important developments
• Online tools and applications for better work flow. Such as:

Development Project

Purpose

The Dannon Intranet is designed to integrate access to all company resources. The website provides advanced communication and collaboration allowing for better distributed control allowing Dannon’s employees access to the resources needed to support the company’s growth.

Key Attributes

• The Intranet allows tiered access privileges to employees based on their departments, seniority, sales group or business unit (region).
• Intuitive online access to sales initiatives, presentation files and brand portfolio assets.
• Administrative controls to allow headquarters to easily direct files to the employees who need them.
• Online forms & reports will allow for easy retrieval and site personalization keeps the site clutter free.
• Real Time information of Company events, major projects and important

Development Steps

• Discovery & Analysis
• Wire Frame & Scope Documentation
• Design
• HTML
• Programming
• Quality Assurance

Development Analysis

The discovery analysis phase of development provides a comprehensive review of company needs and current workflow process. ECommercePartners worked with Dannon to conduct an employee survey and provided detailed analysis of the results. After reviewing the feed back and consulting with the core project team at Dannon we encouraged specific focus group meetings to compile specific details regarding core functionality of the site and to assure that the development would maximize Dannon's usability.

Wire Frame

The wire frame process assures that the form will meet the function in the design procedure. By spending several days wire framing key pages and the architecture of the intranet ECPGroup will provide a comprehensive view of the application flow and functionality before design and programming begins. This allows administrators and manager to make important decisions regarding the application.

Flat Design & HTML

The design process provided Dannon with three original design concepts from three different designers. From these designs Dannon selected the design which met both the style and functionality they were trying to achieve with the Intranet application. Once the design was chosen ECP worked with the design to incorporate all of the necessary functionality. When we complete the design layout our programmers turn the flat design into a functional HTML template.

Programming

Once the site was designed and coded in HTML the programmers at ECP worked to add the functionality and integrate each required application seamlessly with the content management system. The result is an award winning Intranet application which provides Dannon with control, communication and collaboration which enhances productivity and access to vital data.

Applications

• Universal Sign On (USO) – The function of the USO is to allow administration of the user authentication table which allows dynamic generation of content according to user preferences and permissions The USO definitions are groups based according to industry standards.
• Media and Data Archive – This application provides easy control over file documents, spreadsheets, presentation templates, reports, video and audio files and any other online media which can be accessed through the intranet. This referential database provides incredible flexibility and enhances the organization of any intranet.
• Web Directory – This directory of all employees is searchable by Name, Title, Group, and Keyword on Roles & Responsibilities. User profiles are maintained in this directory along with employee photo and some fun personal information (i.e. Favorite Joke). The directory also offers multiple tiers of Administration.
• Calendar – The ECP Calendar application allows multiple levels of integration and dynamically driven views. The Calendar can be used by different groups across your organization without confusion or clutter.
• Online Survey – Allow the Intranet Administrator's to conduct online surveys of employees on any topic. Conduct instant polls online.
• Bulletin & Message Boards
• RSS Broadcast feed integration for real time stock quotes, weather, and news.
• Meeting Minder and Event Planner – This online tool gives administrators the ability to send online invitations and receive respondents RSVPs. This application works for small office meetings as well as large corporate events.