General Motors needed to standardize and reduce the number of internal websites it maintained across its global operations. It selected ChannelNet's software to create a centralized system supporting over 500 sites in 22 countries. The ChannelNet solution standardized websites, provided tools for non-technical users to easily create and update sites, and reduced IT support costs and time to build sites by 75% and 80% respectively. As a result, GM estimated savings of $45 million over four years since the ChannelNet system was implemented.

1. Case Study
ChannelNet® builds an innovative
internal communications vehicle
for General Motors.
HIGHLIGHTS Founded in 1908, General Motors is the demonstration of ChannelNet’s SiteBuilder™
largest and one of the most successful software, and the light went on at GM’s IT
• Standardizes the look, feel and vehicle manufacturers in the world. Its department. Not long after that, ChannelNet
navigation of all intranet websites
marketing department has done a brilliant was chosen to create a turnkey program for
in 22 countries around the globe.
job of making GM brands—including Buick, GM, and new websites were soon rolling off
• Provides simple, self-service Chevy and Cadillac—household names from the “assembly line”.
capabilities for non-technical Indiana to India. But the Internet is a whole
end users to create and manage different animal for the automobile industry, Changing content is now as easy as
sites without IT resources. and its roads can be harder to navigate. writing emails.
Which is why, in 2002, GM found itself
• Reduces the time to build internal
sites by 75%, and reduces technical running into a traffic jam of major proportions To meet GM’s need for a standardized system
support time for GM’s Information with its internal websites. of internal websites with centralized control
Systems and Services by 80%. of the hosting and software platform—and
The problem: after years of letting its global education and support for end
• Has saved GM approximately
individual departments, divisions, brands users—ChannelNet employed its unique
$45 million over the past four years.
and groups create their own custom websites combination of strategic thinking, creativity
• Currently running over 500 internal as part of a company intranet, GM found itself and technology.
sites in 22 countries. with the time-consuming, budget-breaking
task of supporting almost 1,000 sites. Their At GM’s request, we re-purposed existing
IT department was allocating far too many content and systems wherever possible. At
resources to building and maintaining them, the same time, we standardized the look, feel
and needed to focus more on GM’s core and navigation of the sites so that anyone
business. A radical re-design of the whole accustomed to using GM’s intranet in Mexico
system was definitely in order. would have no problem using the ones in
Luckily, that same year, a director of GM’s Sweden, New Zealand or China.
Information Systems and Services saw a
© 2006 ChannelNet. All Rights Reserved.

2. The sites are so easy to build that each GM • Technical site development time is now
end user only has to spend one day in a just 5% of total development time—
hands-on workshop to have a live site by the the rest goes into organizing, writing and
end of the class. This is quite a contrast to the updating content.
previous average of six weeks that it used to
take to develop an individual GM site. • Since the SiteBuilder™ solution was
And the process of updating sites is so simple implemented in 2002, GM has saved
that one user compared it to writing emails. approximately $45 million.
But just in case anyone has questions or
problems, ChannelNet provides three levels As an added bonus, SiteBuilder’s™
of help desk support for GM’s entire end user architecture easily integrates with GM’s
community in 22 countries around the world. existing business applications, saving the
company even more time and money.
Four years, $45 million in savings.
Thanks to ChannelNet, GM’s internal websites
With a payback period of less than 6.2 are now on cruise control. And no one could
months, the time and cost savings for GM be happier than the drivers.
have been enormous:
• Ongoing costs have been reduced by as
much as 46%, and technical internal site
ABOUT CHANNELNET maintenance time has been reduced
by 80%.
For 21 years ChannelNet has created
multichannel solutions that help
• It now takes 75% less time to build a new
companies sell complex products and
services through traditional sales internal website as it did in the past.
channels. Each solution is developed
with its patent-pending software
product, ChannelNet SiteBuilder™,
which significantly reduces the costs
and development time of custom
solutions. As a full-service company,
ChannelNet also offers expert
professional services for everything
from multichannel sales strategies
and best practices to dedicated
solution support. The privately-
held company is based outside San
Francisco in Mill Valley, California,
with offices in Detroit, Michigan.
ChannelNet
100 Shoreline Hwy.
Building B, Suite 300
Mill Valley, CA 94941
Tel. 800-677-6858
Fax 415-332-1635
Email: sales@channelnet.com
www.channelnet.com
© 2006 ChannelNet. All Rights Reserved.