Successful Restart: 8,000+ healthcare professionals united by LUMI

Two women dressed in medical scrubs, walking side by side outside a modern building. One woman is holding a smartphone and a leather bag, while the other is holding a cup of coffee and a laptop. They both appear to be smiling and engaged in conversation.
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The challenge

A digital divide where collaboration should thrive

University Hospital Leipzig (UKL) and the Medical Faculty of Leipzig University (MF) are central pillars of Germany's academic and healthcare landscape. Together, as the second oldest academic medical center in Germany, they look back on a rich tradition and, with more than 8,000 employees, rank among the largest employers in the region. 

Although both institutions work in close cooperation, their digital infrastructure long failed to meet the requirements of a modern, connected working environment. 

Key pain points included: 

  • Outdated, fragmented systems: An obsolete intranet based on Adobe Dreamweaver (with over 7,000 pages) and SharePoint 2013 led to duplicate content and an inconsistent user experience. 
  • Inefficient communication: Important news was often lost in email inboxes, and the monthly employee newsletter, sent as a PDF document, was no longer up-to-date. Urgent information could not be communicated as desired. News or notices for employees could not always be targeted effectively to the relevant recipient groups. 
  • Disorganized document management: Employees wasted time searching for forms or templates because content was scattered across the Adobe Dreamweaver intranet, roXtra, and SharePoint. 
Two people interacting with a large smartphone. One person, a woman, is standing on the left side, holding a circular icon representing Microsoft SharePoint. On the right side, a man is reaching towards a similar circle with Staffbase logo represented by a blue speech bubble. The background is minimalistic, with the smartphone being the central focus of the image. The characters appear to be engaging with technology in a collaborative manner.

The goal

One platform, two institutions, infinite connections

SUNZINET was tasked with designing a solution that would: 

  • Unify UKL and MF under a single, modern intranet while preserving their distinct identities 
  • Prioritize mobile access for 40% of staff who worked outside traditional offices
  • Replace the employee newsletter "NEWSMAIL" with a main digital communication channel and reducing email volume by providing targeted information via LUMI – the social intranet platform. 
  • Streamline document management by integrating SharePoint and roXtra repositories 

Success would be measured not just by technical deployment, but by behavioral change—shifting long-entrenched habits toward a more collaborative digital culture.

Strategy & implementation

  • The image shows three people sitting on a concrete surface. Two women are seated on the left and right, with a man sitting between them. The woman on the left is wearing a navy blue dress, and the woman on the right is dressed in a beige blazer with a striped shirt. The man in the middle is wearing a white T-shirt, light gray jacket, and blue jeans. They are all looking at a laptop that the man is holding, and they appear to be engaging in a discussion. The background consists of a metal wall, creating a modern and casual outdoor setting.

    To kick things off, we conducted intensive workshops with the user groups – analyzing various workflows and needs based on personas. The insights formed the foundation for our hybrid architecture. Using Staffbase, we created: 

    • Separate institutional spaces within LUMI’s unified platform, both maintaining the signature LUMI-blue branding while allowing distinct content structures. 
    • Shared service hubs for cross-functional resources like HR forms and IT support 
  • Three people gathered in a relaxed, modern office space. A woman with short blonde hair is holding a smartphone and showing something to a man sitting beside her, who is smiling as he looks at the screen. The woman on the right, with dark hair, is also smiling and appears to be enjoying the moment. The background includes greenery and a stylish interior with a reflection of a kitchen. The overall atmosphere is friendly and collaborative.

    Recognizing that 60% of clinical staff rarely used desktops, we optimized every feature for the Staffbase app. Critical innovations included: 

    • Push notifications for emergency alerts (tested during hospital drills)
    • Offline access to key documents like medication guidelines
    • QR code login for shared devices in sterile environments 
  • A woman with long brown hair, wearing a striped blue and white shirt, sitting on a table. She is smiling and resting one hand on the table while the other is placed on her knee. In the background, there is a vibrant green plant wall, creating a fresh and natural atmosphere. The woman appears confident and relaxed in a modern office setting.

    New technology alone couldn’t drive adoption. Our change management strategy included: 

    • LUMI Editors - 125 early adopters across departments who modeled platform use 
    • Interactive training featuring scenario-based simulations (e.g., "Submit a research equipment request")
    • The Great Egg Hunt—a launch campaign where employees unlocked features by finding virtual eggs, achieving 726 participants in two weeks 
The image shows three people sitting on a concrete surface. Two women are seated on the left and right, with a man sitting between them. The woman on the left is wearing a navy blue dress, and the woman on the right is dressed in a beige blazer with a striped shirt. The man in the middle is wearing a white T-shirt, light gray jacket, and blue jeans. They are all looking at a laptop that the man is holding, and they appear to be engaging in a discussion. The background consists of a metal wall, creating a modern and casual outdoor setting.
Three people gathered in a relaxed, modern office space. A woman with short blonde hair is holding a smartphone and showing something to a man sitting beside her, who is smiling as he looks at the screen. The woman on the right, with dark hair, is also smiling and appears to be enjoying the moment. The background includes greenery and a stylish interior with a reflection of a kitchen. The overall atmosphere is friendly and collaborative.
A woman with long brown hair, wearing a striped blue and white shirt, sitting on a table. She is smiling and resting one hand on the table while the other is placed on her knee. In the background, there is a vibrant green plant wall, creating a fresh and natural atmosphere. The woman appears confident and relaxed in a modern office setting.
A laptop and a smartphone displaying a website. The laptop screen shows a webpage from

Results & impact

Dramatic growth in visibility and engagement

Six months post-launch, LUMI had transformed how UKL and MF operate: 

Browser mit Pokal als Zeichen für Auszeichnungen - Digitalagentur SUNZINET LUMI is well on its way to becoming THE central communication and work platform by connecting various systems and making important content available in a structured manner. 

meeting-team-monitor-1-work-office-companies_black Approximately six months after its launch, 86% of employees have already registered on LUMI.

advertising-megaphone-business-products_blackThe work of the editorial team has shifted from monthly to daily reporting. Employees are now informed of updates in a timely manner, often tailored to specific target groups.

conversation-smile_black"Likes" and "comments" contribute to an open corporate culture. The social wall "My LUMI Contribution" allows all employees to post their own contributions. This provides greater insight into work areas outside one's own field—more openly than ever before.

Two illustrated characters in a conversational pose, each holding a speech bubble with key statistics. On the left, the first character highlights

Key takeaways for healthcare institutions

  1. Dual identities can coexist: By creating separate LUMI spaces for UKL and MF with shared service hubs (HR, IT), we preserved each organization’s autonomy while eliminating workflow barriers—proving even legally independent entities can benefit from unified digital infrastructure.
  2. Mobile access is non-negotiable for frontline staff: Nurses and technicians, who represented the fastest-adopting user group, turn to the Staffbase app for department news - contributing to the 60% engagement rate.
  3. Gamification drives rapid engagement: The "Great Egg Hunt" launch campaign—where staff unlocked features  by finding virtual eggs—achieved: 
  • 726 participants in two weeks 
  • Organic peer-to-peer training effects 
Frank_Gaunitz
Frank Gaunitz Scientific Director of the Research Laboratory at the Department of Neurosurgery

This is a major, major gain

What is absolutely crucial about the new intranet, Lumi, is the very clearly structured news channels that we now have — news channels that are target-group-oriented, where you can subscribe. This is where people really come together, and through the shared information you receive there, cooperation opportunities can definitely emerge. This is a major, major gain.

About the customer

Universitätsklinikum Leipzig (UKL) and the Medizinische Fakultät Leipzig (MF) are among Germany’s oldest and most prestigious academic medical centers, with their origins dating back to the founding of Leipzig University in 1415. With 1,451 beds, UKL cares for more than 400,000 outpatients and inpatients annually. These patients benefit from the innovative research strength of its scientists, as the latest findings from medical research are transferred swiftly and reliably into clinical practice. 

Today, UKL and the Medical Faculty combine excellent patient care with groundbreaking medical research. Although both institutions are legally independent, they work closely together in a cooperation model, sharing some personnel and resources. This successful collaboration is now being extended into the digital realm with LUMI. 

Every great institution deserves a modern foundation.

If your people are still navigating outdated systems and scattered information, let's talk. We'll help you build something better.

Simply fill in the form to arrange an initial, no-obligation meeting and we will get back to you within 24 hours on working days.

Dominik Krusemark - Business Development Manager - SUNZINET

Dominik Krusemark

Business Development Manager

krusemark.dominik@sunzinet.com