Case Study: 3M achieves faster knowledge flow and global lab collaboration with Socialcast

3M - Customer Case Study

3M, a $30 billion global innovation company with 84,000 employees and R&D labs across more than 65 countries, needed a way to improve communication among geographically dispersed labs so scientists and engineers could solve problems together, share ideas quickly and protect proprietary information. The goal was to create the feel of “one big lab” where asking a colleague a question is as easy as turning down the hall, while meeting strict security and usability requirements.

3M selected Socialcast (branded internally as Spark) for its security options, ease of use, mobile support and on‑premise deployment capabilities. Spark captured “knowledge in motion” through activity streams, private groups and analytics to surface experts and streamline collaboration. The community grew to 2,000 members in its first year and now reaches 6,000, accelerating problem solving, reducing time spent searching for information and strengthening cross‑lab innovation.

3M

John Woodworth

Tech Forum Chair-elect and Head of IT Lab Collaboration, 3M