Antares Solutions

Background:

Since its start over 100 years ago, the NRMA has expanded beyond its iconic roadside services and today includes a network of unique holiday parks and resorts across Australia, vehicle rental, an electric vehicle fast charging network, several cruise and ferry services and a new membership program that rewards members every single day.

This year alone, The NRMA team has responded to nearly 1.5 million calls from members needing assistance and rescued over 1,500 children and pets locked in cars. More than one million visitors have travelled further to one of their incredible holiday destinations, and its EV (Electric Vehicle) charging network has provided more than 74,000 charging sessions across Australia.

With a workforce of over 3,000, more than 80% of whom are on the frontlines interacting with members and guests every day and away from a desk, the NRMA is continually striving to provide a work environment that allows its people to develop, thrive and deliver fantastic member experiences.  It is why 87% of its staff feel proud to work for the NRMA.

The NRMA understand that attracting and keeping its people is imperative to delivering exceptional member experiences, so its focus is on unlocking people’s potential, unifying its culture, and positioning the NRMA Group as an Employer of Choice.

To do this, the NRMA recognise that investing in people management systems and technology is essential since providing quality digital experiences increases people’s ability to communicate and collaborate across the organisation and provides data and insights for better decision-making. 

The Challenge:

As a company with a predominantly desk-less workforce, cut-through is the heart of the issue for digital communication and collaboration.  On top of this, outdated information, loose governance frameworks, duplication, and an absence of structured document organisation made matters worse. These challenges resulted in a convoluted user experience that staff didn’t trust and led to disengagement from the intranet and low active users.

Technically, their current intranet system was built on the classic SharePoint framework which presented an array of limitations that forced the migration to an updated system using SharePoint Online.

The Solution:

The proposed solution for NRMA involved modernising their intranet using SharePoint Online, built on Microsoft 365. This approach seamlessly integrated Microsoft Teams and Viva Connections, prioritising a mobile-first strategy crucial for engaging their frontline workers. 

SharePoint served not just as a communication hub but also as a powerful document management platform. The teams collaborated closely with stakeholders to set up a relevant lifecycle management process. Leveraging the Power Platform, especially Power Automate, ensured regular reviews by business, page, and content owners, guaranteeing proper actions and storing the right content.

The team relied on a meticulously planned and gated project structure to navigate these challenges, the cornerstone of delivering this solution. This structured approach smoothly transitioned through distinct phases—discovery (gate 0), design (gate 1), and implementation (gate 2) — each addressing specific aspects of the intranet overhaul.