Nestle connects globally with enterprise collaboration platform

The ability to communicate and collaborate efficiently is an essential piece of any business. To that end, organizations must find the right enterprise collaboration platform to connect employees across offices, states and, in many cases, time zones. When Nestle focused on improving employee communications and collaboration to boost the overall customer experience, the food company -- whose products range from baby food to confectionery -- needed a way to expedite collaborative efforts across continents.

Switzerland-based Nestle adopted Workplace by Facebook as its global internal communications tool for employees in various locations, including Mexico, South Africa and the Middle East. In the last nine months, about 210,000 Nestle employees worldwide have adopted the platform, with several thousand more expected to join over the next year. 

Nestle CIO Filippo Catalano explained how the company's focus on meeting fast-paced customer demand required an enterprise collaboration platform that could connect its employees across the globe.

The following Q&A was edited for length and clarity.

What were the business issues Nestle was looking to solve?

Filippo Catalano: Our goal was to connect our workforce in order to better serve consumers. A good internal communications platform allows better interaction with people across an organization. It boosts freedom to experiment and share. This will help Nestle meet its pledge to move quicker in order to turn good ideas into great products that meet fast-changing consumer demand.

Our transition to the platform also comes alongside other initiatives underway to make Nestle a more attractive place to work for employees. For instance, many offices are adopting more flexible and informal office configurations.

What enterprise collaboration platforms was Nestle using previously?

Catalano: Our current and primary tool for internal engagement, Salesforce Chatter, is now being phased out. Workplace by Facebook will complement our set of digital tools. Microsoft Office 365, for example, will continue to be in use, including SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and Yammer.

What were Nestle's evaluation criteria for an enterprise collaboration platform?

Catalano: In keeping with the goal of faster turnaround on good ideas, the ability to drive internal engagement was key. We wanted a platform that empowered employees, while sustaining a high-performance culture. Today, using Workplace by Facebook, we are able to give our employees across the globe a platform to build connections, enabling faster and more engaging sharing of information. 

What is your deployment timeline, and how have employees responded to the new platform?

Catalano: While a large majority of users at Nestle have now joined the Workplace platform, the rollout will continue throughout 2019. We are providing ongoing support to colleagues.

It has been positive. We will continue to evaluate, but the first wave of adoption, including Mexico, Brazil, the Middle East and South Africa, saw 25 times higher engagement per post and a very high rate of use on mobile devices. Colleagues are connecting at all levels, including senior management.