For years, Calumet navigated a familiar challenge: ensuring that important information consistently reached every team member, wherever they were.

As a leading producer of specialty hydrocarbon products and renewable fuels, Calumet’s team spans plants and offices at multiple locations around the United States. Naturally, this geographical spread made timely, company-wide communication more complex.

Recognizing the opportunity to enhance connection and clarity, Calumet partnered with Haiilo to build a single, streamlined communication hub – designed to keep every employee, whether behind a desk or on the front lines, connected, informed, and empowered to act.

The challenge

Calumet saw an opportunity to strengthen engagement and streamline internal communication across its diverse workforce. A few key challenges highlighted the need for a better solution:

• Visibility gaps: Important updates weren’t always reaching field teams at the same time as office-based employees.
• An aging intranet: The existing system wasn’t intuitive, which made it harder for employees to engage with and limited its overall impact.
• Digital overload: The IT team was cautious about introducing yet another standalone tool – they needed something that could integrate seamlessly into their existing tech landscape.

To meet these needs, Calumet began looking for a modern, mobile-friendly platform that could serve as a single source of truth – keeping everyone connected, informed, and aligned.

The solution

After carefully evaluating more than 20 platforms, Calumet found the right fit with Haiilo.

Haiilo offered the flexibility and functionality Calumet needed, with features that supported both employees and IT:

• Built for everyone: A clean, user-friendly interface that’s easy to navigate. No technical know-how required.
• Ready for the field: A mobile-friendly design that keeps employees connected and informed, wherever they are.
• IT-approved: Seamless integration with key systems like SAP, Dayforce, and ServiceNow.
• All in one place: A centralized hub where employees can find the latest updates, resources, policies, and more.

Calumet’s communications and IT teams collaborated closely to implement Haiilo, ensuring the platform met both operational and technical needs. By aligning from the start, they laid the foundation for a sustainable, long-term solution – one that supports consistent communication and engagement across the entire organization.

Why internal comms and IT need each other

One of the key takeaways from Calumet’s journey? Strong collaboration between Communications and IT is essential from the very beginning.

Here’s what made the difference:

• Early IT engagement: Involving IT from the outset helped avoid potential roadblocks and ensured the solution aligned with technical requirements.
• Positioning it as a shared solution: IT recognized the broader value of Haiilo – not just for internal communications, but for improving workflows and system efficiency.
• A unified platform: Instead of juggling multiple tools, both teams supported a single, scalable solution that addressed a range of needs.
  

Too often, communications teams face hurdles when proposing new platforms, especially if they can’t clearly connect them to operational benefits. By demonstrating how Haiilo enhanced internal processes and reduced strain on IT, Calumet built strong cross-functional support and paved the way for long-term success.

The impact

Calumet’s efforts delivered clear, measurable impact:

• 80%+ employee adoption within the first three months
• 93% adoption by the end of the first year
• Average session time grew from 7 to 12 minutes

Improved cross-team collaboration: Employees used Haiilo to share updates, solve challenges, and work more efficiently across locations

Enhanced onboarding: New hires quickly found what they needed through a single, reliable source for company information and updates

Greater connection: Most importantly, employees felt more informed and aligned, with consistent access to up-to-date, relevant content

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“As we searched for a communication solution, we knew it had to be more than that. We wanted the team to get their information in a way that was woven into their workday, not separate.

Seeking out information shouldn’t be a stand-alone task. And with Haiilo, we’ve been able to provide a one-stop shop for each team member’s workday. If they start with Haiilo, they can get to any work application they need and receive important company messages, seamlessly."

_{Media Oakes | Communications & Public Relations Director at Calumet}

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What's next?

Calumet is continuing to build on this strong foundation by focusing on:

1. Reaching even more employees: Encouraging platform use across all teams and locations
2. Boosting social engagement: Adding more community-driven and interactive content
3. Expanding integrations: Exploring deeper connections with business-critical and IT systems

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The takeaway

When employees don’t have the information they need, the impact can ripple across the business. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

With the right internal partnerships and a solution designed for everyone, you can build a communication platform that truly connects your organization.