How do you do efficient and impactful communication in large tech organizations? In an organization such as Ørsted, there are many and extreme diverse stakeholders which you need to address – e.g. if you want to make a technological change possible. Ranging from the CEO and top management to the different departments involved in the change.
Challenge
Ørsted’s R&D department engaged us in creating a visual platform with the ability of simplifying the R&D division's Executive Summary.
- How to create an overview tool for a clear understanding of the R&D division's Executive Summary
- for the dialogue with internal stakeholders
- To get go-ahead acceptance from management
- How to create an overview of an evolutionary game-changing technology within wind power
Several goals need to be achieved: the (executive) management need to approve direction, while other departments need to see the value it provides them, and they need to get prepared for the change. Ones own department and the projects teams need to get the feeling of being ambassadors, by seeing that their rather complex and technical work is reflected in strategy and materials.
That was the context when supporting the Wind R&D division of Ørsted (former Dong Energy):
- Many, diverse stakeholders
- Keep the balance between deep technology knowledge and the overall lines
- Multiple usability (many contexts)
- Target = Primary internal use, but also possible for external use (not to the consumer)
So commonly, we needed to create an understanding – discussing new ideas and take decision, not using main time clarifying issues and simply not understanding, and thereby resulting in keeping the known technologies.
Deliverables
We delivered an infographic onepager that illustrated the importance of the complexity but at the same time in a simple manner. The onepager indicates the various working areas and the different stages the projects enter in a process. Clearly showing the pre stages from input to outcome and the process of R&D projects. Furthermore the onepager is key in explaining employees and colleagues how collaborations with other companies functions in the R&D division’s own projects internally.
- Infographic onepager showing both complexity and simplicity at the same time
- Printed in A3 formats it serves as a hand-out to colleagues
- Graphical sub elements to be used afterwards in keynotes
"It is always highly complex to communicate Research and Development (R&D) work to executive management and colleagues not involved directly. When the technology development strategy for Wind Power in DONG Energy should be reviewed, approved and communicated, we decided to do it in a slightly new way. (With this new communication design), the rather technical and complex story was all of a sudden to be understood by all. So the tricky questions on what is it, how does it work, what value does it bring etc. were answered in these posters and handouts."
Christina Aabo
Head of R&D, Wind Power, Ørsted
”The visual output (from KIRT THOMSEN) - of a series of factual numbers - really lifted the knowledge sharing in our organization.”
Maj-Brit Strømdahl Flaskager
Manager, Head of Performance Reporting, Ørsted
"This is a absolutely essential tool for internal communication - and should be a need-to-have in every multinational corporation. "
Jesper Skov Gretlund
R&D Project Manager, R&D Wind Power, Ørsted
Case:
Supporting the wind R&D function in Ørsted to enable the company to switch from oil to wind
Client:
Ørsted (Formerly Dong)
Industry:
Energy
Year:
2013-Now
Capabilities:
Visual communication
Design
Concept visualization
Services/Products/Deliverables:
Infographic boards
Facilitating workshops
Videos:
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