On November 6, the new EVA digital workplace at Merck, a leading science and technology company, was recently recognized with multiple Ragan Intranet Awards, an internationally renowned competition. The platform received prizes in the “Best Internal Social Networking” and “Best Design” categories. It also garnered an honorable mention in the “Grand Prize: Best Overall Intranet” category.
EVA, a digital workplace for internal collaboration and knowledge sharing, has been available to all Merck employees Group-wide since September 2015, when it replaced the existing intranet. EVA stands for “Expertise everywhere, Virtual teams, Access to information” and represents an important step towards digitizing communication and collaboration.
“Our value proposition as an employer is defined by more than competitive salaries and benefits,” says Kai Beckmann, Merck Executive Board Member responsible for Human Resources and IT, among other areas. “Digital workplaces in innovation-driven growth businesses make Merck an attractive employer for the talent we need.”
EVA brings Merck employees together from across the globe, uniting them in one large community. The system is broken down into different rooms that represent organizations, projects, topics, processes, or sites; these in turn likewise function as platforms for sharing ideas and communicating. Using EVA, virtual teams can be formed across departmental boundaries and national borders, exchanging knowledge and best practices. A total of around 40,000 users have access to the system.
“EVA is already seeing heavy use. In response to Merck's rebranding alone, employees posted hundreds of comments and thousands of likes within a very short period of time,” notes Frank Sielaff, Head of Digital Media Merck Communications and project leader for EVA. “EVA was developed and launched in close collaboration with Group Communications and Merck IT.”
EVA’s launch is yet another step toward creating a modern, future-oriented work environment, which also includes flexible working hour models such as MyWork@Merck. This initiative enables many employees to freely choose when and where they work. The new Innovation Center in Darmstadt also offers an inspiring, motivating environment. Here, employees can collaborate in an open atmosphere to find creative solutions as well as try out new approaches to project work.
According to Ragan’s website, its award competitions are the most prestigious in the PR and corporate communications industry. With nearly 800,000 users per month, the platform serves as a source of information for communications professionals around the world.
