250
United Kingdom
Museum
The Royal Air Force Museum (RAFM) has been telling the story of the Royal Air Force and its people since 1972. With locations in London and Cosford, plus a separate storage facility, the museum manages more than 1.3 million artefacts. Behind the scenes, hundreds of employees – from technicians and guides to administrative staff – work across these various sites.
That geographical spread made internal communication complex. Although the museum was already using Microsoft 365, there was no single place where employees could access news, documents or colleague information. RAFM therefore set out to find an accessible, integrated intranet solution that could simplify communication and bring people together.
What challenges did the museum face?
The biggest challenge was the lack of a central communication hub. Staff relied heavily on email, resulting in overflowing inboxes and a constant risk that important messages were missed.
Teams also tended to operate in isolation. The physical distance between locations meant that many employees felt disconnected from the wider organization. RAFM needed a platform that was not just informative but also fostered a sense of unity.
Finally, the museum wanted to get more value from its existing Microsoft 365 environment. The foundation was in place, but many features were underused. What they needed was a single, easy-to-manage platform that brought all these tools together without high development costs or technical complexity.
How did Involv provide the solution?
The Royal Air Force Museum chose Involv Intranet, which integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365. This allowed the museum to build on its existing digital environment rather than replace it.
A phased approach was adopted: launching a first version to deliver immediate value, then expanding and refining the platform based on user feedback. Over time, this grew into a recognizable communication hub known internally as “Museum Matters” – the new digital meeting place for all employees.
The intranet offered a clean homepage with news, departmental spaces and an interactive “Who’s Who” directory to help colleagues easily find one another. One of the standout customizations was the automatically updated organizational chart, synchronized with Active Directory to ensure it always stays accurate without manual edits.
Our sites used to feel like separate museums and the aim was to achieve a ‘One Museum’ ethos and culture. The intranet has really helped to bring everyone together. It now feels like one Museum because we have a central place where staff can go to find information about what’s going on across the whole organisation.
Niels Fulcher
Head of IT, RAF Museum
By working closely with internal intranet champions across departments, the project became more than a technical rollout – it evolved into a shared effort embraced by the entire organization.
What changed after the launch?
Since introducing Involv, internal communication has improved significantly. Important announcements are now published centrally rather than sent by email, reducing inbox overload and making information much easier to find.
The intranet has also strengthened the sense of connection across all sites. Employees now feel part of “one museum” again – aware of what’s happening in other teams and more engaged with the wider organization.
For the IT department, management has become much simpler. Integrations run automatically, maintenance needs are minimal and the museum now gets full value from its Microsoft 365 investment. Instead of juggling multiple tools, RAFM enjoys one cohesive digital workspace that brings efficiency and clarity.
While no formal KPIs were tracked, the impact is clear: fewer emails, higher engagement and stronger internal unity.
What can other organizations learn from this?
The RAF Museum’s experience shows that a successful intranet is not just about technology – it’s about people. By starting small, involving users and improving continuously, RAFM created a platform that truly lives within the organization.
Involv enabled the museum to unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365 while strengthening collaboration and internal culture. The result is a future-proof digital workplace that perfectly reflects RAFM’s core values: accessibility, education and connection – not only for visitors, but also for the dedicated people who make the museum come alive every day.
At Involv, we go out of our way to deliver the intranet you need with our highly customisable SharePoint intranet and where customisations aren’t available, we’ll build bespoke.
Not bad for an out-of-the-box solution!
Why not Schedule a Demo and find out more about Involv’s award-winning SharePoint intranet solution?