Joules engaged Fuse in late 2019 to support a culture of social and collaborative learning underpinned by access to knowledge in the flow of work. Eighteen months post implementation, the Fuse platform is not only enabling Joules colleagues to access materials that help support their day-to-day work, but in the midst of Covid 19, has become the company’s central hub for internal comms and culture.

Headquartered in Market Harborough, UK, Joules is a global premium-lifestyle group renowned for its high-quality clothing and lifestyle collections. The group operates 130 stores across the UK and Ireland and employs +1,600 people worldwide. 

Commenting on the challenges that led Joules to engage Fuse, the brand’s Retail and People Director, Lyn Warren, explains, "We have a large product portfolio at Joules and one that is constantly evolving. This was presenting ongoing challenges with getting the right information to store colleagues at the right time, and we knew we needed a faster and more effective way of doing that." 

Lyn continued, "Fuse very much supports a culture of social and collaborative learning and presented the best solution in terms of enabling our people to easily consume and share content. The platform works by harnessing the skills and tacit knowledge that already exist within the workforce, and this makes for a very collaborative and value-driven learner experience."

The Fuse platform was launched to Joules’ colleagues in a staged approach, a process that was completed just six months before Covid forced the closure of the company’s retail stores, necessitating the overnight shift to a 100% online sales model. 

Lyn commented, "Thankfully, and as we quickly discovered due to Covid, Fuse also serves additional business needs beyond learning. It’s a fantastic internal comms tool that has been instrumental in helping us to support our people and create a sense of community during the pandemic."

Data pulled from Fuse shows a rapid uplift in engagement during the UK’s first lockdown, with active users skyrocketing to +80% despite the majority of Joules colleagues being on furlough.

Lyn concluded, "We even saw an uplift in overall employee engagement at the height of the crisis, and there’s no doubt that Fuse played a big part in that."

Luke Oubridge, CEO at Fuse, said, "Joules is a company that cares passionately about its people - a point that has been evident right from our initial discussions with Lyn and her team."

Luke continued, "To see Fuse empowering access to knowledge and in-flow learning is fantastic, but to know just how pivotal the platform has been in terms of creating connection and building a vital sense of community, has been phenomenal, and it provides a very strong case for the role of technology in driving company culture."