Understanding the value of a purpose-built intranet solution can be challenging—especially when you have an existing SharePoint solution. Learn the route an Australian engineering company took, and why they have no regrets. Overview When Genus, a fast-growing Australian engineering firm, needed a better way to connect its team, Group General Manager of IT Andrew MacBeth took on the challenge. The company’s existing intranet was built on SharePoint, but it wasn’t cutting it. It was clunky, hard to use, and barely anyone engaged with it. It also was used solely as a knowledge repository, and lacked tools for engagement and collaboration. Andrew wasted no time in proposing ThoughtFarmer—an intranet solution he knew and trusted could provide what was needed. Here’s how it transformed Genus’s communication and culture. The problem with SharePoint When Andrew joined Genus, the company was growing quickly, from humble origins to over 1,000 employees. With that growth came a major challenge—communication. The old intranet, built on SharePoint, wasn’t doing its job. “It was a rather poor SharePoint setup,” Andrew says. “It was sold to us with a skin on top that was supposed to give us intranet functionality, but it was really lacking.” At its core, SharePoint was mostly being used to store documents, with very little user engagement. Employees didn’t see the point in using it. Andrew needed to find a solution that wasn’t just a document repository but rather a system that would enhance communication and bring people together. It also had to be a solution employees actually wanted to use. Genus continues to use SharePoint in a supporting role alongside their ThoughtFarmer intranet. Andrew admits that SharePoint has its strengths, especially for document management and integration with tools like OneDrive. However, for intranet functionality, it simply didn’t measure up. “SharePoint is great as a document repository, but it’s not an intranet,” Andrew says. “We needed something more—something that would help us communicate and share news across the company.” ThoughtFarmer offered Genus exactly that: an easy-to-use platform that encouraged collaboration and communication, without the complexities and disengagement they faced with SharePoint. “ThoughtFarmer provides that human touch, rather than a cold calculating system. It feels like a product that was put together with an end user’s needs.” ThoughtFarmer allows OneDrive and SharePoint Online files and folders to be linked and embedded in intranet pages, and searched from the intranet using ThoughtFarmer’s cloud drive integration features. This integration lets users benefit from both applications, combining SharePoint’s powerful document management with ThoughtFarmer’s user-friendly interface and collaboration tools. Finding the right solution: ThoughtFarmer With his extensive background in IT, Andrew knew the intranet options on the market. Due to the diverse roles of their employees, Andrew noted that having an easy-to-use solution that could be equally accessible from deskless field employees was key. “It had to be a Fisher Price approach. It had to be easy.” Fortunately, Andrew was no stranger to ThoughtFarmer; he had used it in a previous workplace. He knew that ThoughtFarmer solved common problems in the workplace—like siloed communication, over reliance on email, fragmented communication channels, and difficulty reaching deskless workers. ThoughtFarmer stood out for another reason too: it was easy to use. “ThoughtFarmer was unique because anyone could set it up quickly, and it just made sense,” Andrew explains. “When I put together a pilot and showed it to senior management, they immediately loved it.” What made ThoughtFarmer different from SharePoint was its ability to act as a real communication hub, not just a place to store files. Andrew customized the platform to include company news, updates on ongoing projects, and fun, social elements to create a sense of community that SharePoint never provided. Core benefits included: Simple setup and customization Andrew was able to configure the entire system himself, with no need for outside developers. He added features like news feeds and live data dashboards that made the intranet much more dynamic. “There are simple things in ThoughtFarmer that make a huge difference,” Andrew says. “We embedded live news feeds and real-time clocks, which instantly improved the user experience.” Better engagement Employees went from barely using the SharePoint intranet to actively engaging with ThoughtFarmer. With new features like project updates and social elements, the intranet became a place people actually wanted to visit.“People don’t log into a SharePoint site with their coffee in the morning to see what’s going on,” Andrew says. “But with ThoughtFarmer, they do.” Boosting company culture One of Genus’s core values is “mateship”—an Australian term for camaraderie. ThoughtFarmer helped bring this value to life by giving employees a space to celebrate achievements, participate in company events, and stay connected. “We even held competitions like designing banners for our ‘Are You Okay?’ day. Employees loved it and were much more engaged than they ever were with SharePoint.” High adoption Andrew is extremely satisfied over the current level of adoption. “We have a LOT of systems here, but our intranet is the most used. Everyone knows it. Everyone uses it. Everyone talks about it. And everyone refers to it.” Andrew added, “You can see who is online, and it’s common that when I look at the last login, it’s under a minute ago.” Overcoming initial resistance At first, there was some concern about moving away from SharePoint. There were concerns about both the functionality of the new platform as well as the difficulties transitioning to it. But once Andrew showed them how ThoughtFarmer could work alongside SharePoint, and how easy the migration process would be, people got on board very quickly. “At first, they thought it would be too much work,” Andrew recalls. “But after using it, they became some of the biggest advocates.” The impact Switching from SharePoint to ThoughtFarmer transformed the way Genus operates. What was once a dull, disengaged intranet became a vibrant, interactive platform that employees love. ThoughtFarmer connected the team, supported company culture, and made communication easier than ever. “It was one of the first things I did when I joined,” Andrew says. “ThoughtFarmer had the biggest impact on people’s day-to-day work. It’s been transformational for us.” By transitioning their intranet to ThoughtFarmer, Genus solved its communication challenges and built a stronger, more connected team.