On a typical Monday morning, the People team at Cart.com would brace themselves for the week ahead—hundreds of messages to draft, approvals to chase, and a dizzying array of Slack channels and email lists to wrangle. “Curating this amount of messages is simply overwhelming without a tool like Change Engine,” one team member confessed. Before Change Engine, every announcement, reminder, and campaign felt like a mini project, requiring coordination with IT, endless copy-pasting, and a constant fear that something would slip through the cracks. The frustration was real: Why did communicating with employees feel so much harder than it should?
The answer, as Cart.com discovered, was that the old approach simply wasn’t built for the pace and complexity of modern, distributed teams. As companies grow, so does the volume—and importance—of internal communication. But the traditional process, reliant on manual effort and scattered tools, quickly becomes unsustainable. The result? Burnout for People teams, inconsistent messaging for employees, and missed opportunities to build culture and engagement.
The Problem: When Communication Becomes a Chore
For years, internal communications at Cart.com followed a familiar script. Someone on the People team would draft a message in Google Docs, then email it around for feedback. Once approved, the message would be copied into Slack—sometimes into multiple channels—or sent out via email, often requiring help from IT to update distribution lists. Each step introduced friction and delay. Scheduling messages in advance? Forget it. Even the most diligent team members found themselves scrambling to send reminders or follow-ups at the right time.
As the company scaled, the volume of communications ballooned. Campaigns that once felt manageable now demanded hours of manual work—drafting, editing, scheduling, and tracking. “It was a massive lift effort just to make sure we sent the messages every single day,” the team recalled. The process was so labor-intensive that it sometimes forced them to choose between quality and consistency. Worse, it pulled People leaders away from higher-value work: supporting managers, building culture, and listening to employees.
The Opportunity: Rethinking How We Communicate
Cart.com’s experience isn’t unique. Across the industry, People teams are grappling with the same challenge: how to keep employees informed and engaged without drowning in manual work. The old way—piecemeal tools, endless coordination, and last-minute scrambles—just doesn’t scale. It’s not just about saving time; it’s about unlocking the strategic potential of internal communications.
Forward-thinking teams are asking: What if we could automate the busywork and focus on what really matters? What if we could deliver timely, relevant messages—without burning out our teams or relying on IT for every distribution list update? What if internal communications could be as seamless and smart as the best customer marketing campaigns?
The Shift: Embracing AI-Powered Automation
That’s where Change Engine came in for Cart.com. Instead of patching together Slack, email, and spreadsheets, the team turned to a platform purpose-built for internal communications. The difference was immediate. With Change Engine, drafting and scheduling messages became a breeze. The AI generator offered a starting point for every announcement—no more staring at a blank page. Messages could be tailored for different audiences, scheduled in advance, and sent across multiple channels with just a few clicks.
“It just saves us more time than I can even possibly communicate,” the team shared. The platform’s automation meant no more manual copy-pasting, no more chasing down IT for email lists, and no more worrying about whether a message would go out on time. Instead, People leaders could “set it and forget it”—confident that communications would reach the right people, at the right time, in the right format.
Real-World Impact: From Overwhelmed to Empowered
The transformation wasn’t just about efficiency. By automating the mechanics of communication, Cart.com’s People team unlocked new capacity for creativity and strategy. They could focus on crafting messages that resonated, experimenting with new formats, and measuring what worked. The AI generator didn’t replace their voice—it amplified it, making it easier to get started and freeing up time for thoughtful customization.
The ripple effects were felt across the organization. Employees received more consistent, timely updates—whether it was a benefits reminder, a DEIB initiative, or a note of recognition. Managers appreciated the clarity and cadence. And the People team, once bogged down by logistics, found themselves with more bandwidth to support leaders, listen to feedback, and drive engagement.
The business benefits were clear: less time spent on manual tasks, fewer errors, and a more connected workforce. But the human benefits were just as important. People leaders felt less stressed and more empowered. Employees felt more informed and included. And the entire organization moved a little faster, with fewer bottlenecks and more transparency.
A Smarter Way Forward
Cart.com’s journey is a powerful reminder that internal communications shouldn’t be a burden. With the right tools—and a willingness to rethink old habits—People teams can reclaim their time and focus on what matters most: building culture, supporting employees, and driving business outcomes.
The shift to AI-powered automation isn’t just a tech upgrade; it’s a mindset change. It’s about recognizing that the value of People teams lies not in sending messages, but in shaping the conversations that move organizations forward. By letting go of manual busywork, teams like Cart.com are leading the way—showing what’s possible when you combine smart technology with human insight.
What could your People team accomplish if you spent less time on logistics and more time on impact? The answer might surprise you. Maybe it’s time to find out.
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