Having a say on the intranet

Informative, communicative and entertaining: The University of Freiburg is offering its employees new paths for internal communication and for online-supported collaboration in groups and on projects. The purpose of the Intranet is to make it easier for colleagues to share ideas and to simplify work processes, using the app “Share.” And uni’intern creates a new, editorially organized area, whose formats have been specially designed to serve the needs of employees.

The University of Freiburg’s intranet gives employees a protected space for communication to facilitate networking. Photo: Sandra Meyndt

The University of Freiburg’s intranet has been overhauled in the past few weeks. It is based on the software Intrexx, and is set to make an important contribution to informing employees about current developments and strategies at the university, and to showing how certain decisions affect the common working environment. The intranet also features the calendar of events, the job exchange, news from the administration, circulars and official announcements. It also holds the forum uni'ideen, through which employees can submit suggestions for improvements in administration, service, and technology.

More direct communications thanks to “Share”

Via the “Share” app, the internal platform now offers additional opportunities for online-based collaboration, exchange and participation. As with social media, there is a news page on which the latest posts can be seen. Employees can set up their own group for their respective work area or team, with visibility that can be set from private to public. Members of a group can chat with each other and exchange information quickly and easily. The network of secretaries has already registered its interest in setting up a group. Similarly, the system allows groups to set up projects for joint work via the intranet.

“With this app, we avoid the need for many e-mails and lengthy meetings, and communication channels are simplified,” says Dr. Reiner Fuest, head of knowledge management. He adds that there is a further advantage - that employees can exchange information online in a protected area, regardless of whether they are in their office at the university, on the road or are working from home.

Closer to work

In addition, the public relations office is designing a new, editorial area on the intranet. The aim is to inform employees about current developments at the university and to make the university and its people visible and tangible in all their diversity. To this end, uni'intern features texts and videos about the various fields and the people who work in them. The site also includes tips from experts for everyday life, for example on topics such as nutrition and dealing with stress.

The intranet also focuses on the progress made by the Connected Services team, which has been working on modernizing administrative processes since late last year. The associated intranet group “Connected Services” is open to all users for questions, suggestions and comments. It also seeks to promote the exchange of information on its topics. “We would be very pleased if as many people as possible took advantage of this opportunity right from the start,” says Andreas Friedrich, who heads the Connected Services team. He hopes the intranet will develop into a central contact point for administrative activities at the University of Freiburg. “So everyone is cordially invited to visit the intranet regularly and to take advantage of the opportunities it offers for everyday work,” he says.

Judith Burggrabe

University of Freiburg intranet