One platform, 70 countries, zero compromise: Shell's blueprint for enterprise-wide digital accessibility

The solve

Shell's response combined skill development, workflow redesign, automation, platform modernization, and pragmatic governance, all anchored in accessible-by-design practices built to scale across a distributed global footprint.

Capability came first: global training programs, accessibility webinars, and a dedicated PDF learning series helped teams build accessible assets directly in Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat Pro, with guidance embedded into Shell's core platforms so every contributor had a consistent baseline, regardless of market or agency.

Technology accelerated what followed. Siteimprove had been in place since 2023 but was underused until Tomasz revisited it through the lens of governance, automation, and efficiency, and found immediate leverage. "Siteimprove gave us a clear view of our gaps across the entire digital estate," he says. "By showing every team how they were performing against our standards, we were able to close issues faster and scale accessibility with far greater confidence." The result: automated remediation, code checking for development teams, and PDF monitoring that cut manual review effort by 82 percent and lifted first-review PDF approvals from zero to 29 percent.

That momentum unlocked broader value. As Shell rebuilt its web estate on a new codebase, teams reassessed component accessibility, retired legacy content, and consolidated 118 fragmented websites onto one platform. The payoff went well beyond compliance. "We saw a direct link between accessibility and discoverability," Tomasz explains. "After modernizing our codebase and removing legacy content, our SEO performance improved and our user experience strengthened. Siteimprove helped us prove that accessible content supports AI search and drives measurable business value," a capability Shell sees only growing more critical as AI reshapes how customers discover and engage with digital content.

Midway through the transformation, Tomasz captured the strategic shift: "Digital accessibility is a strategic enabler of trust, inclusion, and performance. Our collaboration with Siteimprove, along with platform modernization and accessible-by-design practices, has strengthened our approach, streamlined processes, and improved the quality of our digital experiences for both users and the business."

Shell's decision tree for regulated reporting brought clarity to time-critical deliverables, while VP-level endorsement reinforced accountability across business lines. "Siteimprove helped us reach every stakeholder across our digital estate," Tomasz adds. "Legal, procurement, contracting, and business line owners could see exactly where they stood, which created shared accountability and accelerated our accessibility culture shift." The European Accessibility Act served as a further amplifier, pushing teams to think about accessibility from the start rather than as a late-stage fix.

Today, across DCI, quality assurance, accessibility, and SEO, Shell leads industry benchmarks. "Our accessibility efforts were practical and effective," Tomasz says, "and Siteimprove played a central role in making that possible."

Together, Shell and Siteimprove have built a scalable, measurable accessibility operating model that strengthens brand trust, improves discoverability, reduces costs, and delivers more inclusive digital experiences across Shell's global footprint.