Browns Shoes Intranet
Digital Workplace Implementation
Highlights
- 35% to 88% adoption: A single destination for news, documents, people, and culture — fully integrated with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams.
- 40% less internal email: One governed hub replaced the inbox as the primary way information moves through the organization.
- 30% less time searching: Content structured, governed, and findable in both English and French — no IT support required to maintain it.
- 50% fewer IT tickets: Employees can find answers and manage content independently, reducing the burden on internal resources.
Background
Browns Shoes, a Montreal-based retailer specializing in fashion footwear, has been a staple in the Canadian market since 1940. With 67 stores across Canada and a workforce comprising 200 corporate and 1700 retail employees, Browns Shoes has established itself as a prominent player in the industry. Despite their investment in Microsoft 365 (M365), including Teams and SharePoint, email remained the primary communication method. To enhance communication and fully leverage their M365 investment, Browns Shoes aimed to build an intranet integrated with Teams, streamline communication, and modernize workflows through automation.
See Powell in action
Browns Shoes went from no intranet at all to a digital workplace that reduced internal email by nearly 40% — built on Powell, integrated with Microsoft Teams, and still evolving two years later. Watch the webinar to see exactly how they did it.
Approach
Unique StitchDX Rapid Discovery: Conducted a rapid discovery phase to understand Browns Shoes’ specific needs and challenges.
Foundational Intranet Platform: Built the intranet platform on SharePoint, providing a solid foundation for future enhancements.
Leveraging Powell Software Templates: Deployed home site, department sites, enhanced search experience, directory, and custom content types using Powell Software templates.
Training and Support: Provided comprehensive training and support to ensure smooth adoption and usage of the new intranet.
Ongoing Strategic Consulting and Technical Assistance: Offered continuous strategic consulting and technical assistance to help Browns Shoes adapt and grow with the new system
Solution
Working with StitchDX and Powell Software, Browns Shoes built SoleTrain — a SharePoint-based intranet integrated directly with Microsoft Teams. The platform gave employees a single destination for news, documents, people, and company culture, in both English and French. A continuous feedback loop built into the homepage helped shape ongoing improvements, including a full relaunch a year after go-live. The result is a governed, findable information environment that employees actually use — and that the business continues to build on.
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