Brand Planning dilemma resolved at Heineken

 
With the launch of the new marketing year looming, and under the branding of Heineken in the UK, the Brand Planning team needed a much improved way to collaborate and manage their market campaigns, standards control and business operations for the coming year. The business needed an improved facility to distribute and maintain individual plans for each of the 9 brands whilst maintaining consistency of use, ensure learnings and best practice were easily exchanged and offer 24x7 user access. UniTech created the Microsoft SharePoint BrandPlanning Portal solution to make it happen.
 
Keeping things accessible, visible but simple was the formula for this project. The portal had to be a single, self-contained business environment focused on the Brand Planning activities. UniTech’s SharePoint Portal solution was delivered quickly and to great effect. The immediate need was to simplify and centralise in one single business space – The Portal.
 
Using the QuickStart for Portal approach (fixed days, fixed price under £10,000) the resulting solution addressed: 
  • The need to remove multiple storage options used by different groups throughout the previous yearSharePoint
  • Removal of the emailing of documents as attachments with no control over distribution or update
  • Greatly reduce confusion over versions (only ever ONE copy of the current plan but reference to past versions – auto updating the team when changes were made)
  • Ensure users have access to the RIGHT document (with no need to worry about naming conventions)
  • Remove errors caused by multiple user updates (implemented ‘check-in/check-out’ to maintain integrity)
  • Introduced intelligent collaboration with ‘Lessons Learned’ forum
  • Offered ability to post URGENT REQUESTS and general enquiries which would route automatically to the best responder
With only 1 week from briefing to launch UniTech adopted their ‘FastTrack’ approach to creating a solution. Working closely with the web design team for Heineken the first phase ‘look-and-feel’ offering was quickly accepted as intuitive and accurate. Introducing Document Libraries meant users knew exactly where to find, how to use and how to gain value from the collective build of Brand Plans. Reference materials had their own document library and ‘Useful Presentations’ provided quick access to good presentations, plans, sector and client knowledge with anytime, anywhere access to valuable assets to support success.
 
HeinekenTo create a better sharing culture the portal provided a Shared Learning forum to post or promote an idea, an insight, a win or just some new facts about the market, brand or sector (which others may not have known about). A simple ‘Ask A Question’ facility gave immediate ability to all 100+ users to post urgent requests or just make simple enquiries – as this was accessible by all it meant 100 people could help and not just one or emailed individuals; the power of intelligent collaboration.
 
With a long year ahead the Management team also needed everyone to have visibility (and auto-notification) of critical milestones, announcements and major events. The ‘Process Preview Calendar’ was introduced onto the portal with AUTO ALERTS ensuring everyone knew what changes or updates were happening and when; now there are no excuses but useful prompts. The last aspect of the mini-site service was the support and assistance through Help Services. Not everyone is familiar with web based technology – version control, standard updates, check-in/out, optimised browser set-up – so UniTech provided a graphical HELP GUIDE to ensure 24x7 assistance.
 
The SharePoint based business solution was quick, effective and delivered immediate value. Based on the UniTech FastTrack Methodology, the delivery from start to finish was a quarter of the expected time against traditional approaches – but now they have a year round service with greater control and intimacy than ever before. Team working is now a reality.