Customized Employee Portal Replaces Lotus Notes Intranet and SAP Portal

Family-owned Heraeus is a precious metals and technology business that employs more than 11,000 employees around the globe. Its electronic communications lean heavily on state-of-the-art channels, including an intranet, an employee portal, and Internet-based telephony. Up until 2007, Heraeus maintained its intranet and employee portal separately. While content for the intranet was maintained in Lotus Notes, the portal was based on an SAP solution. Neither employees nor management were satisfied by this division, so in mid-2006 Heraeus decided to move to a single platform. The goal was to add more support for everyday tasks and to simplify usability, which would in turn increase employee acceptance.