NTS

"I am very proud to work for a company that helps its customers accelerate their innovations. In doing so, we contribute to a more sustainable, healthier and future-proof world, says Dorothy Baijens, Communication Advisor at NTS. If you take a closer look at what NTS does, you'll understand why. With more than 1700 employees spread over several locations worldwide, NTS develops, manufactures, assembles and tests complex (opto)mechatronic systems and mechanical modules. Not just bolts and nuts, but high-tech parts that have to do their job with nano millimetre precision. NTS components can be found in microscopes used for groundbreaking scientific research, in medical equipment used by ophthalmologists to treat patients with extreme precision and in machines used to produce microchips, for example. The pride in the product and craftsmanship can be found throughout the company. On the factory floor, but also on Meet, as the NTS social intranet is called. Via the "Proud to share" channel, employees share stories and news they are proud of.

"On Meet you can see what people find important," says Dorothy. "We recently won an award and when we published about it on Meet, a lot of reactions from all over the organisation. People also post about a colleague retiring or a project being successfully completed. Everyone loves those kinds of posts and it's good for engagement."

Working with Plek is also the logical translation of working as one NTS. "NTS originated from various companies and the customer has a clear need to do business with one company, one NTS. This cannot be achieved overnight, but there is a strong awareness that we must work together internally in the interest of the customer. Our strength lies precisely in the fact that the knowledge of the manufacturing companies is included in the development of modules and systems.

Good cooperation is indispensable for this. As a first-line system supplier, NTS offers that extra bit of knowledge about manufacturability that makes cost-efficient production possible. This reflects in how NTS has organised its internal communication with employees. When asking about the most important goal of internal communication, Dorothy doesn't have to think long. "It's about connecting. That people know how to find each other, that news is shared with each other and that important news is well received in the organisation. That employees feel they are part of one NTS." It goes without saying that this is not always easy, in an organisation with different locations on three continents. Moreover, the majority of employees work in a production environment and do not have access to a computer or mobile phone during working hours. An integrated package of channels and resources is then needed to reach everyone and strengthen the feeling of belonging.

"When I started here, there already was an intranet, but it was very static and there was no interaction possibility for employees. There was a lot of top-down communication and employees had little opportunity to share their own successes or questions. Moreover, not everyone had access to the intranet, let alone via mobile devices. We were looking for a platform that would allow us to connect everyone in a simple way. That's how we found out about Plek three years ago and introduced Meet to NTS." Meet is literally about "meeting" each other within NTS. Dorothy: "We currently have about 1000 active users. The fact that you can find all these colleagues in one place is extremely important in an organisation with multiple locations". Next to the other internal channels, Meet is a place where all the important news is shared. Through a corporate news channel, but also through the previously mentioned "Proud to Share" channel, where there is plenty of room for news from the employees themselves. In addition, various departments and locations use groups. "In particular, colleagues from our development division use Meet very actively. To share news, exchange knowledge and introduce new colleagues, for example.

But it is also used by locations to create their own group, just like our team in Singapore recently did. And of course, there is also room for groups about hobbies and leisure. As far as groups are concerned, we have agreed in principle that all groups are open. This way people from different teams can learn from each other and it also creates new connections.

Meet is not an isolated platform. Online and offline channels within NTS complement and strengthen each other. Although all important news is always shared on Meet, the notice boards, mail and narrowcasting screens at the production sites are also important. The information on the notice boards and screens often refer back to Meet for more information. Specific subjects or themes that require extra attention - such as emphasising the importance of a safe digital working environment - are tackled on a campaign basis. Then meetings, posters and banners are added to the mix. The introduction of Meet, for example, was preceded by an entire internal campaign. And, is it possible to better connect people through Meet? Dorothy is realistic: "It certainly contributes, but we can still do much more."

She cites examples of topics that are close to people and that you should give a place on your platform. "The IT group is popular. It shares information that is important for employees to work safely. Further cooperation with HR is also important for sharing current information about, for example, working conditions and vacancies, but also for organising feedback from the organisation."