Sanquin reaches 450,000 donors and more than 2,000 employees with tailor-made information

How do you ensure that employees at dozens of locations have easy access to news, information and each other? And how do you reach donors at the right time with information that is relevant to them? Sanquin improved communication for donors and employees with Teams Meeting Rooms, narrowcasting and the Debble intranet. Hans Overbeek (Manager Technology Services ICT), Veerle van Dam and Monique Wigman (both Communication) and Joost van Leeuwen (Service Delivery Manager) explain how the organization is working step by step to improve reach.

Sanquin ensures that sufficient safe blood is available in the Netherlands for patients in Dutch hospitals. In addition, the organization collects plasma, which is used for the production of medicines for more than a hundred different conditions. Every year, more than 100,000 Dutch people depend on these medicines. Sanquin's more than 2,000 employees work together with approximately 450,000 donors for this purpose. In addition to the collection of blood and plasma, Sanquin conducts applied and fundamental research into blood-related diseases. In this way, the organisation contributes to a safe and future-proof blood supply.

The employees are often active at the locations, where they arrange the collection of donors and sit little or not at a desk. This combination of many locations, different target groups and changing contact moments makes communication complex. A uniform approach was also lacking for online meetings. "We used to supply separate screens to locations, but there was no fixed standard behind it. We were looking for a uniform approach to the technical possibilities and for a solution that would relieve us of all our worries as much as possible," Hans kicks off.

From loose cables to click-and-go

Sanquin tackled three components: online meetings, narrowcasting and the intranet. Each part had its own issue and approach. With digital signage, Sanquin wanted to inform donors and employees at the various locations in a more targeted way. Donors receive content in the waiting room and donation room that fits the moment in their visit, while employees are reached via the screens in the staff room. For the intranet, the challenge was mainly the large amount of information. "We already had an intranet system with a lot of content. That amount made it difficult to keep an overview and provide relevant information to the different target groups within the organization. In total, we went from 9,000 pages back to 900," says Veerle. The Debble intranet created one central place where employees can find and share information. 

Online meetings also required a simpler and more recognizable process. "In the old situation, screens had long loose cables and when a meeting started, there were sometimes up to six people working to get it working," says Hans. With Teams Meeting Rooms, this now works in the same way at every location. "The online meeting is available via the device on the table, you click on join and you're in it," Hans explains. By having the same working method everywhere, this is recognizable and easy for all employees. Reporting and solving malfunctions is also centrally arranged. "It works the same way everywhere. If something goes wrong, you can immediately report an incident or ask a question via the QR code," says Hans. The environment is then managed remotely. "As a result, we don't have to worry about it," Joost adds.

Communication that follows the donor journey

For digital signage, Sanquin wanted to offer targeted information to donors and employees from one national basis. Three channels are used: for donors in the waiting room, for donors in the donation room and for employees in the staff room. The content matches the place and time when someone sees the screen.

"Donors visit the collection locations with varying regularity. That affects communication," says Monique. Those who come more often will see groceries faster and therefore need more variety. The time in which donors can view content also differs per type of donation. "Giving blood takes about ten minutes, while donating plasma takes much longer. There is now about forty minutes of content ready for that," Monique explains. In this way, communication increasingly follows the donor journey and each channel is given a clear role: from the waiting room and the donation room to the staff room for employees. As a result, information is no longer offered separately. The screens move with the donor who visits the location, as it were.

The next step is to further support venues in adding local content. That requires more than just making messages. Employees also have to place the content in BrightSign themselves, which is not easy for everyone. Because this is not always a priority in busy locations, Sanquin is looking at how employees can be better guided in this. In this way, in addition to the national content, there can be more and more room for relevant information from the locations themselves.

Relevant content in view at all locations

The value of digital signage is not only in the presence of the screens, but especially in their actual use. Where screens were not always active before, Sanquin can now offer relevant content to donors and employees at all locations. Donors in particular are responding positively to this. This puts the basics in order: the screens are actively in use and visibly contribute to the experience at the collection locations.

This visibility is not limited to the areas where donors reside. Screens are also used in the staff rooms to take employees through news and information about the organization in an accessible way. This is especially valuable for colleagues who work a lot on location and do not sit behind a desk all day. "We understand that employees don't always have the time to read everything on the intranet or in the mail, so we try to bring it closer in a different way," says Monique.

A new intranet in a short time

The implementation of Debble was an extensive process for Sanquin. A lot of content had to be reassessed and redesigned, while editors from different departments were prepared to work with the new intranet. "I was excited, because I had never done such a big project before," says Veerle about the switch to Debble. 

The external project manager of Opschudders took care of the project management and guided Sanquin in the internal organization of the process. Wortell was responsible for the implementation of Debble and supported Sanquin in setting up and using the platform. Despite the amount of content, the preparation and the impact on the organization, the project went faster than expected. "We started in September and went live with Debble at the end of January. In three to four months we really got through it," says Veerle. That has been a lightning-fast project. 

Sanquin was also helped quickly during the implementation. "We were very well assisted by Wortell and helped quickly every time. It went very smoothly," Veerle continues. The fact that questions were quickly picked up and explained in understandable language helped to embrace Debble more quickly within the organization. "Wortell explained answers to questions very simply and so I was able to explain it to colleagues during the intranet editor training," says Veerle. 

An important difference with the previous intranet system is that editors in Debble can immediately see how the information is displayed on the intranet. "The front and back of Debble work the same. This is especially pleasant for colleagues who have less experience with a CMS," says Veerle. This makes it easier for departments to manage content themselves and keep it up to date. "Each department has its own editor-in-chief, so that we can properly distribute the maintenance of information. I was very pleased with how difficult or challenging it was. Debble works very well and logically."

Building simplicity together

"The people at Wortell are very involved and want to do well," says Monique. Sanquin sees this involvement as an important part of the collaboration, even when projects go differently than previously thought. "If something took longer or went differently than expected, the employees involved felt responsible."

The collaboration has led to a more unambiguous working method in various places. The Debble intranet offers employees clearer and more relevant information, Sanquin can reach donors and employees in a more targeted way via digital signage, and Teams Meeting Rooms make online meetings easier. 

For Teams Meeting Rooms, Sanquin uses Wortell's as-a-service service: for a fixed amount per month, Sanquin has a managed Teams Meeting Room that is ready for use. New spaces can be registered via a standard request, after which Wortell supervises the entire process: from inventory and furnishing to delivery and management. "This is useful for new Teams Meeting Rooms. It is a standard request for all locations and you can indicate what you want and which space it concerns. Then a quote will be requested from Wortell. In general, the Teams Meeting Room is set up within a month. Wortell takes care of everything: from measuring to qualification, delivery, delivery and management. During the design and delivery of the Teams Meeting Rooms, everything is neatly concealed. We don't have to worry about it," says Joost. Hans adds: "We know Wortell as a flexible party. As organizations, we fit well together, in terms of size and culture. You can see that in the collaboration. Wortell can switch quickly. If I need a flexible or innovative solution in the short term, I can rely on Wortell."

Tips for other organizations

Joost, Hans, Veerle and Monique advise other organizations to coordinate their expectations internally in advance. Make clear agreements about the costs, duration and delivery. Equipment is often available quickly, but in most cases you also have to deal with planning and the availability of people. "They can't always just be pulled out of a can," Joost adds.

In addition, it is important to have a clear idea in advance of what needs to be achieved and what the end result should look like. The substantive part also requires a lot of attention. Therefore, look not only at the technology, but also at the time, cost and commitment required to properly use and manage the solution. So involve the end users early in the process. Screens and other solutions are ultimately used at the locations by the people who work with them on a daily basis. Their experience and practical knowledge help them to make choices that fit well in practice. 

Sanquin + Wortell = partnership

"When we started working with Sanquin, we immediately posted a message on our own intranet with a video about blood donation. Subsequently, several of Wortell's colleagues became donors at Sanquin. We have a warm heart for this wonderful organization. For us, that is also partnership: Sanquin chooses Wortell and Wortell chooses Sanquin. When I'm there to donate, it's nice to see the renewal of the screens at a location, read the new content and see the difference with how it was before. And if, for example, I hear that a screen is not working, I ask us internally whether that is already known. There is really an extra bond with Sanquin because we come there often," concludes Layla Jongerius of Wortell.