- Chemnitz, Germany now communicates with its 4,400 city employees via a mobile app set to improve the flow of information and create a dialogue with all employees, no matter where they are or what device they use.
- Staffbase, a market-leading start-up headquartered Chemnitz, provides the infrastructure for the app.
Chemnitz, October 28, 2019 – The city of Chemnitz is the first major city in Germany to successfully introduce an employee app. Since August, all city employees can download the app—called “SVC2go”, meaning “City Administration Chemnitz to go”—to their personal smartphones and access the relevant information needed for their daily work, in addition to current news from the city administration, employee chat rooms, and more.
This initiative to digitize the city’s internal communications was born out of a desire to provide all employees with up-to-date and relevant information, no matter where they were. As the latest numbers prove, this interest flows both ways—around 1,500 users (roughly one-third of the city’s dispersed employees) have already registered with the app since it was launched at the end of August 2019. From kindergarten teachers to office workers and firefighters, they can all be reached within minutes.
This app is particularly important for employees who do not work at a desk. Until now, it has been difficult for them to receive timely information because of the long production times of employee newsletters and sporadic access to emails. The goal of SVC2go is to keep these employees informed on current topics before or, at the latest, the same time as the press: “We want to reach all employees with the app, from our young apprentices to our longtime team members. With the SVC2go app, our employees have up-to-date access to all of the city’s news, which has been very well received by many,” said Barbara Ludwig, Mayor of Chemnitz. “We are thrilled that the app is being used by so many employees. I think it’s wonderful that this idea could be implemented so quickly”.
The software for the app is provided by the Chemnitz-based startup Staffbase. Founded in 2014, Staffbase has established itself as the market leader in the area of employee experience and communication apps over the last five years. CEO and founder Dr. Martin Böhringer explains the company as a platform striving to meet current social expectations in the workplace:
“This digital transformation has fundamentally changed people’s expectations. They expect fast information and easy-to-use platforms – whether for calling a cab, delivery services, or daily news. This expectation is applied not only to people’s private lives but also to their working lives. Staffbase ensures that people benefit from the many advantages of apps at work. We call this an optimal ‘Employee Experience’, i.e. the focus is on the well-being of the employees”.
The award-winning startup recently secured $23 million in capital from renowned U.S. investor Insight Partners in their last financing round.
Sven Schulze, Chemnitz Mayor for Personnel, emphasizes why it was so important for the city to implement the idea for an app in such a short time: “With the employee app, we not only distribute news quickly and directly among employees but also offer employees the opportunity to network with each other and express their opinions. This wasn’t possible with our classic internal communication channels. This dialogue has been well received and has already fostered some interesting discussions.”
The news stream, chat function, and event information features are particularly popular with employees said René Kraus, head of the Chemnitz fire brigade: “Our firefighters travel a lot— the app offers networking opportunities within the team and is a great source of information”.
A section of SVC2go can also be used by the general public. Downloadable from the App Store, the app allows residents of the city to find information about job openings and stay tuned-in to local city news. The SVC2go app is available on smartphones, tablets, and as a web platform, adapting to the needs of different users.
About Chemnitz
Chemnitz is a modern industrial hub that looks back on an impressive past as one of the fastest-growing cities in Germany, even competing for the 2025 “European Capital of Culture” title. With its 250,000 inhabitants, it is Saxony’s third-largest city and also a hub for the automotive, supply-chain, information technology, and mechanical engineering industries. Home to intellectual centers like the Technical University and Fraunhofer Research Institute, the city offers a strong foundation for advancement. Tradition and modernity are also reflected in exciting urban contrasts through the Bauhaus and New Objectivity styles, while the Kaßberg neighborhood houses one of the largest examples of Gründerzeit architecture in Europe. The city center is also worthy of note, having been newly designed over the past 20 years by internationally renowned architects including Helmut Jahn, Hans Kollhoff, and Christoph Ingenhoven.
About Staffbase
Staffbase is the world’s leading provider of employee apps that improve business processes and internal communication within enterprise-sized companies. The mobile-first platform provides a secure channel for communication professionals to foster alignment, engagement, and relevance in their global workforce, connecting them with easy access to corporate information and workplace tools. With headquarters in New York City, US and Chemnitz, Germany, Staffbase makes the difference for hundreds of enterprise customers the likes of Adidas, Audi, Brinks, Rio Tinto, Siemens, and UC Health.
Learn more at staffbase.com.
Contact
City of Chemnitz
Matthias Nowak
Pressesprecher
Email: matthias.nowak@stadt-chemnitz.de
Staffbase GmbH
Dr. Juliane Kiesenbauer
Manager Marketing & Communication DACH
Email: juliane@staffbase.com
