ZKW with new employee app

ZKW with new employee app

Seven corporate and six audit languages, several time zones, employees in the offices, employees in production, all spread across twelve locations worldwide - this creates major challenges for the automotive supplier ZKW when it comes to internal communication. An app developed by a Graz software company is now ushering in a new era of communication in the company.

As a leading supplier of premium lighting systems and electronic modules for the global automotive industry, the ZKW Group employs 10,000 people in Europe, Asia and America. The desire to inform all employees at the same time and in a targeted manner was the decisive motivation for introducing an employee app in the group: "While employees previously received information by email, workers were informed via (digital) bulletin boards and verbally by their managers. That should change fundamentally," explains the project team responsible for the introduction of the app around Sandra Simeonidis-Huber, Vanessa Sonnleitner, and Thomas Waldbauer.

Interactive exchange instead of one-way communication

Since December 2020, information can now be sent to everyone in the company in multiple languages ​​at the same time using the new employee app “myZKW” and ends up directly on their smartphone. In addition, “myZKW” offers a platform for discussion and exchange. Tips and tricks for increasing well-being can be communicated, as can smaller topics that would otherwise not have received a stage, confirms Sandra Simeonidis-Huber: “Classic one-way communication has been replaced by an interactive, direct exchange in the sense of a culture of dialogue.”

The app is based on LOLYO, a development by the Graz-based software company cycoders in 2018, which is a mobile social intranet that connects all of a company's employees quickly and easily via smartphone. The app offers numerous functions and almost limitless customization options. In addition to ZKW, LOLYO's customers include companies such as Liebherr, Merkur Versicherung, ISS Facility Services Austria and Salamander/Delka.

High interaction rates

At some of the ZKW Group's company locations, "myZKW" is already well on its way to becoming an all-encompassing means of communication, confirms Vanessa Sonnleitner: "We have been using the app for three months in Austria, Slovakia, the USA and Mexico. The interaction rates are very high, our colleagues appreciate the opportunity to exchange ideas. In the three months since its introduction, we have had around 33,000 posts read, around 58,000 likes and more than 24,000 comments refer.”

Competitions as a motivating factor

Which functions are mainly used and how well the app has been received so far varies depending on the branch. In some places, the pin board and the integrated feedback form are heavily used for questions, whereas in other locations the news page is used in particular. What everyone has in common is the joy of getting involved, explains Thomas Waldbauer: "Everyone loves collecting points for certain activities via the app and thereby taking part in our competitions. This promotes interaction and motivates people to engage with the app."

An additional driver for introducing the employee app in the company was the first lockdown in spring 2020, which dramatically demonstrated the need for functioning internal communication for workers and employees: "In the communications department, we have set ourselves the goal of implementing the app as quickly as possible in order to be prepared for another lockdown. Thanks to the great collaboration with the LOLYO team, we were able to implement this plan quickly. In the second lockdown in the fall, the app was ready for use. All updates on Corona protective measures are now always sent via myZKW communicates and employees can also have an interactive say in actions and measures,” says Sandra Simeonidis-Huber.