How Avarn Security Connected 12,000 Frontline Workers—and Unified the Company

The initiative aligned closely with Avarn’s broader purpose: delivering first-class security solutions by helping customers succeed in a smooth and secure operational environment. To achieve this, the organization recognized that its people—especially those on the frontline—needed to be better connected, better informed, and better supported.

Avarn Security is a leading Nordic provider of guarding, surveillance, and security technology services, with more than 16,000 employees across several brands in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The company had grown through mergers and acquisitions, creating a complex landscape of systems and internal communication challenges—especially between headquarters and the frontline.

Most frontline workers lacked a digital identity and had no consistent way to access company news, tools, or resources. There was no joint platform to support daily frontline work, governance was inconsistent, and there was little interaction across subsidiaries. This stood in stark contrast to Avarn’s values of Commitment, Compassion, and Collaboration—values that underpin the organization’s service ethos and internal culture.

As Stefan Brockman, Business Digital Lead at Avarn Security, put it when presenting the initiative at Gartner Digital Summit earlier this year:

“It was a real challenge to connect the dots. At times, it felt like there was a wall between management and the people delivering our services on the frontline. Reach was low, we received little to no feedback, and we couldn’t be sure our messages were getting through.”

To address these challenges, Avarn defined a clear vision for the future: every employee—regardless of location, role, or device—should be able to access the tools and information they need to stay informed and productive. Connecting the entire workforce, including the 12,000 frontline staff, meant introducing a new platform that could bridge physical and digital divides.

But this transformation wasn’t taken lightly. Before selecting a solution, Avarn conducted a thorough pre-study and evaluation process. Representatives from all business areas and countries collaborated to define and prioritize requirements, ensuring the initiative would reflect the real-world needs of both frontline and office-based employees. This process also included a structured comparison of potential vendors and platforms—focusing not just on features, but on finding the right long-term intranet partner.

At the same time, the company saw an opportunity to unify the organization across brands and regions. The new intranet needed to provide a consistent foundation while allowing room for local customization and brand identity—reflecting the diversity of the business without losing coherence.

Finally, the goal was to simplify work. Avarn wanted the intranet to become a trusted part of the employee experience: a go-to destination for news, updates, and tools that would deliver value from day one.

The result was “Connect”—a modern intranet built on the Omnia platform, co-designed by central and local teams across Avarn’s business units. The name came from an internal naming contest and captured the essence of the project: connection.

From day one, the focus was on usability and accessibility. Frontline staff received digital IDs, enabling secure access from mobile devices and kiosks. The intranet’s design was clean, intuitive, and mobile-first—requiring little to no training. Local brands could customize their homepages, while the group retained a shared structure and governance model.

Key business systems like ServiceNow and SAP SuccessFactors were integrated directly into the platform, enabling employees to retrieve HR information, submit tickets, and find information without switching systems.

Adoption of Microsoft Teams and SharePoint also surged—Teams usage rose by 122%, and SharePoint by 74%. These increases reflected how well Connect complemented the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. Employees were now using Teams more frequently for real-time collaboration, while SharePoint became the natural home for document access and knowledge sharing—all reinforced by the new intranet experience.

“Giving employees access to the information and tools they need—when and where they need them—has transformed the way they work,” says Matilda Pettersson, Head of Communication at Avarn Security Sweden. “And for us as a company, the ability to connect with our entire workforce, around the clock, has been invaluable.”

Since launching Connect, Avarn has seen measurable improvements in employee engagement, access, and satisfaction. A before/after-survey revealed a 48% increase in user satisfaction, with employees citing improvements in usability, content relevance, and ease of access. The intranet is now viewed as an essential part of the digital workplace—and not just by office workers. Frontline staff who previously felt disconnected are now part of the daily flow of communication and collaboration.

The benefits go beyond adoption statistics. Communication is now smoother across teams and borders, and employees have greater visibility into what’s happening across the business. The organization has also reduced its reliance on unofficial communication tools, increasing security and ensuring that critical information is shared through proper, governed channels.

Most significantly, the cultural shift is real. Employees feel more informed, more included, and more connected to the company’s mission.

“Unifying the organization across business areas, countries, brands, and languages has been a key goal from the start,” says Jonas Lynghaug, CDO at Avarn Security Sweden. “Today, we work with greater confidence, productivity, and cohesion—a connected frontline truly makes for a stronger organization.”

The success of Connect wasn’t just about launching a great product—it was about getting the strategy, structure, and people involved right. From the beginning, the project emphasized cross-organizational collaboration. Group-level teams and subsidiaries co-created the solution, ensuring it aligned with shared goals while accommodating local needs.

A strong governance model defined roles, responsibilities, and content quality standards—keeping the platform relevant, trusted, and up to date. Avarn also engaged in a strategic partnership with expert consultants from Omnia, focusing on UX design, channel strategy, platform structure, and long-term adoption. This collaboration ensured that the launch of Connect wasn’t just a rollout—but a true transformation in how Avarn communicates and works.

“This wasn’t just a technology implementation,” says Jonas Lynghaug. “It was a shift in how people communicate, collaborate, and stay connected—especially on the frontline.”

With Connect now fully embedded in the daily work experience, Avarn is looking ahead to what’s next. The roadmap includes expanding mobile capabilities even further—ensuring access in low-bandwidth areas and optimizing for native mobile use. There are also plans to develop more dynamic SharePoint and Teams-based collaboration spaces that integrate seamlessly with the intranet, enabling project teams and frontline groups to work more effectively together.

Another key focus is enhancing document management and compliance workflows. By improving how information is structured, accessed, and governed, Avarn aims to raise quality standards and ensure that employees can always trust the content they find.

As Connect evolves, one thing remains constant: the commitment to making the intranet better, smarter, and more supportive of real user needs. By continuously learning from employee feedback and platform analytics, Avarn is turning its intranet into a living asset—one that adapts, improves, and delivers value every day.

“In the end, Connect isn’t just a platform—it’s a reflection of what Avarn set out to achieve: empowering people, simplifying work, and strengthening culture across the entire organization”, Stefan Brockman concludes.