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Guide

Planning and
deploying a successful
intranet
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Intranets: unifying
the digital workplace
Today’s intranets now sit at the very center of the
modern digital workplace.

T
he intranet has evolved and However, creating an intranet that will
changed dramatically since meet your business requirements and
its inception, shifting from successfully achieve your objectives
a simple document management can be a challenge.
platform to a comprehensive business
collaboration and communication Managing differing requirements and
solution. expectations, obtaining buy-in and
resource, or simply getting your users
The ability of the intranet to combine excited and onboard can all impact
process-specific applications, the long-term success of your intranet
communication functionality, project. Get it right, and an intranet
collaboration tools, and to unify could transform how your business
the corporate technology stack has collaborates or works. Get it wrong,
seen it secure globally recognized and you risk the costly repercussions
importance and growing popularity of project failure.
in recent years. Now, intranets form
an indispensable part of digital Effective planning and the smooth
workplace strategy. deployment of your intranet project
are essential. Our simple, step-by-step
Deployed successfully, these user- guide to planning and deploying a
centric digital platforms are proven successful intranet will help you get
to bring real bottom-line benefits started.
to business; whether by improving
efficiency, increasing productivity,
driving employee engagement, or
shaping an outstanding employee
experience in an age of digital noise
and continuous innovation.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Timescales and deliverables 40

Professional services and support for your intranet project 42

Contents Planning for risk 44

46
06
Part 3: Building Content and Information Architecture 46

Part 1: Building a Getting stakeholder buy-in 08 and deploying Conducting a content audit 47

business case Why do I need my management onboard? 08 your intranet What content do I need? 48

Mapping out your stakeholders 08 Creating an information architecture and structure 49

Identifying priorities and objectives 09 Personalization and tailoring content 52

Defining opportunity for your business 10 Building an intranet brand 54

Intranet objectives: projecting value and return for your project 12 Alignment with external brand 55

Generic objectives 12 Naming your intranet 56

Specific objectives 12 Creating an intranet identity, persona, or character 58

Determining the value of specific objectives 12 Tone of voice 59

A word about benchmarking 16 Technical consultancy and intranet build services 60

Crafting an opportunity statement 17 62

18
Part 4: Launching The ‘WIIFM’ factor 63

Part 2: Planning WHO will use your intranet? 19 your intranet Big bang, or secret squirrel? 64

your Intranet Step 1: Map your user communities 20 Soft and staggered, or company-wide roll-out? 66

Step 2: Define your audience and create personas 22 Launch ideas 67

Step 3: Consider any challenges for your users 24 Launch events 67

WHAT must your intranet do? 25 Virtual tours 68

Defining purpose 25 Branded goodies 68

Getting the right mix 27 Treasure hunts and competitions 69

What features and functionality do you need? 28 70

Beyond the feature list 29 Part 5: Ongoing Measure and act upon feedback 70

What your intranet provider must do 30 success Use analytics and telemetry 72

WHERE your intranet fits in your digital workplace 31 Evaluate success and revisit targets 73

Hosting your intranet 31 Strategic review 73

Custom building an intranet 33 Train and up-skill 75

Your intranet as part of the business technology stack 34 Keep learning 76

HOW you will deliver your intranet project 36 Revisit your brand – but not too often 77

Your intranet project team 38 Relaunch or re-engagement campaigns 78

Defining roles and responsibilities 40 Your intranet: the future of your digital workplace 78

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Part 1: Building a
business case
Given the investment associated with any software project,
your greatest chance of securing buy-in and delivering those
all-important returns is a strong business case.

This can not only be used to justify stakeholders should support your
cost and resource requirements but project, and the concrete benefits
to set out, in clear terms, the business it will deliver: a case for business
problem you are looking to solve. It change.
presents a logical argument for why

A powerful business case will:

Secure senior level buy-in, budget, and commitment

Ensure you gather the support necessary to deliver on the project


Looking for some additional
Define the opportunity, relating to sources of data to justify the
business need
support in creating your intranet
Outline the expected value and return to the business, its sponsors,
business case?
employees, stakeholders, and customers
Our handy 3-in-1 Business Case Toolkit is designed to get you
Set out scope, including required resource, timings, and investment motivated and prepared.

Identify and manage any risk associated with the project The kit includes our free Intranet Business Case Guide,
offering clear step-by-step guidance and practical tips for a
Evaluate options and alternatives, before setting out a
truly winning pitch for your project.
recommendation
A handy Business Case Template gives you a free structure
to work with, ensuring you present your case clearly and
A compelling business case will unique needs, ultimately creating comprehensively. Finally, if you need support compiling that
also guide you in the planning and an intranet that will deliver tangible all-important projected ROI, the free calculator will help you
deployment process: ensuring you results for your business. determine quantifiable returns for your project. Just pop in a
select the right solution to meet your few basic details about your business, and you’re away.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Getting stakeholder buy-in Identifying priorities and objectives

Securing buy-in from senior switch. Your stakeholders have to be While stakeholders do, by definition, Identifying each stakeholder’s
management can be one of the most committed. have a vested interest in the overall business priorities and what makes
significant challenges for anyone goals of the business, they are far them tick can be used to your
looking to roll out new technology in When it comes to pitching for an more likely to engage if you address advantage when trying to pitch your
the workplace. New software often intranet, you also face the added issues that affect that directly. Take project, and help focus your efforts
calls for major cultural adjustment difficulty of appealing for significant the time to understand what they care during planning.
and careful change management: investment – whether financially or in about.
it’s not a case of merely buying terms of time and resource – for often
off the shelf and pressing the ‘on’ hard-to-measure returns.
Below, we map out the main priorities and objectives for some major
stakeholders of an intranet project.
Why do I need my management onboard?

Getting a ‘yes’ from those controlling Given the potential impact an intranet Stakeholder Interest/Power Cares about Business objectives
the company budgets isn’t the only can have on your business and its
reason to invest time in winning over employees, your leaders are also CFO Keep satisfied Cost/return Budget management
your stakeholders. Management those who can champion the change
Return on investment
also has a significant role to play in a top-down cascade: motivating,
Financial reporting integrity and transparency
in safeguarding against common exciting, and engaging would-be users
project risks, such as overrun on to ensure you get the most important
CEO Manage closely Growth Determining and delivering on business strategic
time or budget, low user adoption, or outcome of all – people actually using
Business outcomes direction
resistance from senior representatives your new intranet.
Provision of necessary resources
in the business.
Oversee and deliver on company performance

Mapping out your stakeholders


CHRO Manage closely Employee engagement Recruitment and retention of talent
Talent management Build employee engagement
Simple as it sounds, the first step is to
High

Culture
identify and map out who your major Establish and communicate the business culture
stakeholders are. This covers anyone Develop strong employer brand
Keep Manage
with a stake in the project – from
sign-off and budgetary approval to roll satisfied closely
CIO Manage closely Security Future proofing and development of internal systems
out, implementation, and adoption.
Cost/return and processes
Consider their level of interest in your
POWER

Strategy and policy Quality and performance of all IT and internal


intranet project and their power to
systems
influence it. This will help you define
Data protection and usage policy
where to focus efforts during your
Monitor Cost management and investment
planning and deployment process. Keep
(minimum
informed
effort)

Low INTEREST High

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Defining opportunity for your business


Intranets, as complex digital For example, perhaps your
platforms, have the power to organization is undergoing


deliver gains across a multitude of international expansion and facing
departments, objectives, or business challenges due to a dispersed
It wasn’t a case of simply rolling out a new tool.
priorities. From improved efficiency workforce. Highlighting gains from
to knowledge management, or improved communication, cloud-
employee self-sufficiency through based accessibility, a centralized
The new intranet was introduced as part of a larger
to increased retention; the list is, in repository for business information,
theory, limitless. or digital processes for onboarding change management initiative, designed to encourage
and supporting remote workers may
knowledge sharing within an organization that faced
One of the first questions any be your benefit areas of focus.
stakeholder or member of senior challenges with collaboration and communication
management is likely to ask is, ‘what’s These then become the foundation of between business units. This meant we had to
the value? When will I see a return on your intranet objectives.
investment?’. Identifying opportunity demonstrate its value at all levels to achieve
and projecting ROI is a crucial part of widespread adoption.
your project planning process.
Admin
Reduced email traffic
However, listing every potential Josh deBerge - Director of National
Reduced costs of company-wide communication
positive outcome an intranet might to dispersed employees Communications and PR at Make-A-Wish
have in your business won’t create a Break down organizational silos
compelling business case. Use this
stage to outline the specific ‘unmet
need’ or problem within your business HR
that your intranet project will satisfy Faster onboarding/training

or support your organization in Increased employee engagement

achieving.
Sales & Marketing
Take the time to explore pain Decreased time to access information and
points and opportunities across expertise

departmental lines. Then, funnel Reduced time to market for promotion

these down to the top, key priorities


that you can use to demonstrate Operations
potential value and return. Align Improved compliance
those potential gains to the priorities Headcount reduction and savings resulting from
you already identified for your automated functions

stakeholders.
Customer Service
Faster time to resolution for customer support
issues

Reduced call handling times

Increased customer satisfaction scores

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Intranet objectives: projecting value and Try to use established performance of overall staff numbers, or simply as a
metrics within your organization to numerical value?
return for your project
communicate value and establish
Objectives typically fall into one of two categories: generic, or specific. When credibility with your stakeholders. Here, we show the potential financial
defining opportunity for an intranet within your business, strive to include both Or put simply, try to speak their benefits an intranet can deliver on
generic and specific objectives. language. Do they measure success five key objectives for an organization.
using return on investment, or These are approximate and based on
using a cost-benefit analysis? Is the following assumptions:
Generic objectives
employee turnover measured as a %
Generic objectives are typically high- in a rush to present ‘bottom line
level and may be difficult to quantify. accounting’ benefits. These tend to
1,000 staff in the organization
They won’t necessarily be defined in have ‘soft’ measures or be broad in
business strategy, but they represent nature, like the examples given below. Average salary of $39,500
considerable potential for an intranet
project and shouldn’t be overlooked 37.5 working hours per week (7.5 hours a day)

Equating to $28.85 an hour salary

Generic objectives Specific objectives


Not all time/money saved will be recaptured by the organization

Improve internal communication Improve revenue by $X

Increase cross-departmental collaboration Reduce costs by X%

Enhance knowledge sharing Increase business growth by X% Objective: Reduce the IT burden

How? An easy-to-use intranet will result in decentralization of content ownership, enabling intranet Total saving per
Specific objectives users with varying IT abilities to upload and update content. This will reduce the burden on the IT team. year (approx.):

Specific objectives are more precise, process, or function. They may start as
and often quantifiable in terms of
a numerical value, timeframe or
a generic objective, but go further by
assigning a specific measurable. For
5 hours of IT
resource time saved
per week
48 working weeks
in a year
240 hours saved
per year
40% of hours
saved captured by
business = 96 hours
$20.25 average
hourly salary $ K2
aligned to a particular department, example:

‘Reduce email traffic’ >>>> ‘Reduce internal email traffic by


40% through the introduction of intranet social tools, reducing Objective: Decrease staff turnover by 1%

burden and cost overheads of internal servers.’


How? Research shows that for every 2% increase in staff satisfaction levels, there is a 1% increase in Total saving per

Determining the value of specific objectives retention. An intranet can increase satisfaction by improving engagement, keeping employees informed, year (approx.):
communicating mission and purpose, and supporting a common culture.
One of the greatest challenges when business. Demonstrating the financial

59K
planning and delivering an intranet value of an intranet and the return
2% increase in staff 1% increase in 10 fewer leavers 15% of annual $5,925 savings per
project is the perception by those in on investment is a powerful tool for satisfaction levels retention per annum (1% of salary average employee $
the C-suite that an internal tool won’t obtaining sign-off and support. 1000) cost to replace an
deliver bottom-line benefits to the employee

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Objective: Enable staff to self-serve, reducing dependency on HR

How? Centralized storage of critical policies, procedures, and company information on the intranet will Total saving per
allow staff to find information themselves, rather than going directly to HR. year (approx.):

1
HR Manager asked 30mins average Intranet reduces 60mins saved/ 48 x $20.25
a common question
about a policy
time to respond to
query and provide
enquiries by 40% week x 48 weeks
= 2,880mins, or
$ K
once daily information = 48hours/year
150mins/week

Objective: Reduce time employees spend searching for information by 1%

Royal Mail Properties and Facilities Management Services


How? Research suggests workers spend on average 19% of their working week searching and gathering Total saving per achieved estimated savings of £2 million per year with the
information. An intranet, as part of an integrated and centralized digital workplace, provides a single, year (approx.): support of their intranet.
searchable version of truth, reducing time spent searching.
Utilizing workflow and forms, they could centralize and
drive the most time consuming and widely used processes

27K
19% of work week 7hrs x 1000 Reduce by 1% = 40% of time 1,344 x $20.25
via their intranet. In one example, they used the intranet
spent searching =
7hrs/employee
employees = 7000
hours/week
70hours saved/
week X 48weeks =
saved captured by
business = 1,344
$ to manage their review process, with all 4,500 employees
3,360 hours hours conducting their preparation via tailored digital forms.
While the performance review itself is face-to-face, quarterly
follow-ups and any training needs are processed on their
Objective: Reduce time taken to process common staff forms or workflows, such as booking a leave of absence intranet.

Typically, there is a two-month drain on HR admin when


How? Using digital workflows and forms on your intranet will allow staff to self-serve, reducing the Total saving per processing performance reviews. By automating the
burden on HR to process paper-based forms. year (approx.): process, this disappears. Users can’t submit forms without
all relevant information, reminders are automatic, and
reporting is simple.

17K
Manually Each employee Self-serve digital Hours saved 833 x 20.25
processing an
employee request
books on average 5
absences/year = 30
intranet forms
reduce processing
= 2,500 - 417
= 2,083 hrs
$ In addition, an estimated £80,000 a year was saved by
for leave of absence x 5 x 1000 = 2500 time to 5 mins = 40% of which is setting up a preferred supplier database on their intranet.
= 30 mins hours 5 x 5 x 1000 = 417 captured by the This meant they could benefit from economies of scale
hours business = 833 hrs through the integration of one process when departments
bought new supplies.

Based on these five key intranet objectives alone,


this organization could potentially save $106K in
the first year of deploying an intranet.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Crafting an opportunity statement

Once you have identified opportunity manner, the main aspects of your
in your business, determined your business case.
stakeholders and their priorities, Use your opportunity statement
and set clear objectives for your to highlight the problems your
project, you can create an opportunity intranet will solve and the expected
statement. returns. You may also want to set out
resources required, any significant
This is effectively your ‘executive considerations, or guideline
summary,’ and the reference point timescales for your project. Look
throughout the planning and to your stakeholder mapping to
deployment of your intranet project. determine what is important to
It sets out, in a clear and concise highlight for your organization.

“ The key objectives of the project are to replace the


existing intranet with a new one which:

Promotes organizational culture and reflects ‘one’


NSPCC

Enables staff to share stories, inspires and engages


staff, celebrates success and demonstrates impact

Encourages & facilitates learning, communication


& collaboration

Builds organizational knowledge

A word about benchmarking Helps staff to do their jobs

It sounds obvious, but it’s a step that of ROI, you need to have a clear Improves business efficiency.
can be easily missed in a rush to get an understanding of where you are now.
intranet project up and running. Taking time to evaluate and measure
current performance against those
To show the value and return your all-important objectives will give you
intranet has brought to the business, a starting point, and ensure you can
and to give a realistic estimate track success going forward.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Part 2: Planning WHO will use your intranet?

Adoption and engagement with your intranet are the biggest

your intranet and most important indicators of success. Ultimately, this


comes down to your users.

Identifying who will use your the top, who control the purse strings
intranet, and what they will use it for, or hold responsibility for agreeing
With your business case completed and hopefully signed off,
should form the foundation of your and signing off on crucial decisions:
you can move onto the planning phase. intranet project plan. There can be however if your intranet is not user-
a tendency to listen first to those at focused, it will quickly fall into disuse.
The process of planning a new intranet will fit in your existing
intranet includes identifying your technology stack, how it will evolve
users and their requirements, and grow with your business, and
selecting the correct features and what is required to deliver on your
functionality to meet their needs, business objectives.
and ensuring you have the internal
structures, resource, and processes in A well-executed plan not only sets
place to get your intranet launched out what you want to achieve; it also
successfully. identifies any risk factors for your
project and sets in place contingency
It also considers long-term plans to mitigate or minimize these.
implications such as where your

We split the planning phase into four key elements:

WHO: planning for users and their needs

WHAT: mapping out features, functionality, and requirements for


your intranet

WHERE: considering your intranet project in relation to the digital


workplace as a whole

HOW: factoring in resource, roles, support, and risk factors for the
delivery of your project

We explore each of these now in turn.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Step 1: Map your user communities Each can appeal to individuals of department or role and requires
across the traditional boundaries different tools to achieve their goals.
While it’s easy to look to the serve a multitude of communities
To determine their needs, you can use a variety of techniques including:
organizational chart and segment outside of these silos. We define the
users by department, level of seniority, four most common as communities of
or job role, it’s important to remember purpose, practice, interest, or event: Stakeholder interviews
that a well-designed intranet can
Surveys

Focus groups
Definition Definition
Workplace observation
A group who connect to work A group who connect due to shared
towards a shared objective profession or expertise Usability testing

Examples Examples Usage statistics, analytics, or search logs of existing platforms


Project team, committee, tender/bid Linkedin groups, geographically
team dispersed experts
Map out the different existing and them. When designing your intranet,
prospective communities within use this to ensure your intranet is
Tools needed Tools needed
your business, their challenges, their relevant, useful, and serves a defined
Document collaboration Forums
priorities, and the individual ‘wish list’ purpose.
Calendars Ideation
of tools or features that will support
Tasks Questions and Answers

E PRAC
OS
P

TI
P UR

C E I NTE
TS
N

RE
E ST
EV

Definition
Definition
A group who connect due to a
A group who connect over a
physical or virtual event
common interest

Examples Examples
Facebook groups, conferences, Corporate Social Responsibility,
training courses charity work, sports, social

Tools needed Tools needed


Calendars Blogs
Timeline Conversations
Forms Galleries

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

A call center representative for 6 months. She works on the frontline, taking calls
Step 2: Define your audience and create personas from customers on a wide range of topics.

One way to map out user Often brought to life with a name,

E
requirements and create a checklist personality, and photo, these are Emily Roberts mily is relatively new to the business, the latest product updates. They may be facing
coming to us from a background in a service issue with the product or looking to
for your planning process is through easy to keep front-of-mind during an
customer service. Her role is to engage make a complaint. Emily works closely with
the use of intranet personas. intranet project and can help inform directly with existing customers, processing a medium-sized team and knows her peers
design decisions. enquiries and answering common questions. well, but her job often requires her to speak
Key content accessed Answering a large volume of calls a day, she with people in different departments who she
These archetypal users stand in as a
needs to be able to find the right information doesn’t know. She spends a lot of time flicking
fictitious representation for real users, An example persona may look like the quickly. She has to know what she’s accessing is between different sources/systems, which she
created from real knowledge and following: Shared drives the latest information, is accurate, and that it is feels is a waste of time.
research to demonstrate goals and approved to be customer-facing.
Bookmarks Emily enjoys getting involved in company
personal characteristics of employees.
Emily might take a call from a customer asking activities, volunteering for charity initiatives
News
to update their contact details, or enquiry about and regularly attending social events.

Events


Team directory
I never know if I’m accessing the most up-to-date information. If there’s a
Service updates ticket open on service desk for a problem with the product, it doesn’t show on
Product FAQ forum the intranet. I need to know I’m giving customers the right information.

Challenges & barriers Work-arounds User journeys


Knowing information is correct/accurate Builds her own systems and uses third- Respond to enquiry about the launch date
party apps not endorsed by the business to of the next product update. Look up the
Knowing when things change support her work relevant developer on org chart, find contact
details, request information and update the
Not knowing is the information she finds Saves or creates her own information, saved customer.
on the intranet is OK to give to an external locally, when she identifies information
caller gaps or struggles to navigate to and find Change customer contact details on the
what she needs CRM and the company mailing software
Low level of influence, resulting in
frustration when the information she needs Creates bookmarks to key intranet content, Look in company news for upcoming social
isn’t accessible and she can’t challenge or but is frustrated when it moves or is deleted events or charity initiatives
change processes or outdated information
Log a customer complaint and raise a
Accessing multiple systems to gain support desk ticket with the product
information, resulting in delays getting development team
information to the customer Wish lists
Accurate, reliable, and up-to-date
Key resources outside
Technology usage & information to share with customers
the intranet
environment at work Access to latest product updates and
projected launch dates Customer Service platform (ZenDesk)
Desk-based and relies entirely on the
information in front of her Improved findability and Company CRM
centralization of information
Owns the latest gadgets and apps and uses Organizational charts
them regularly in her home life Fewer systems and login details to
use/remember Developers project information, updates
Thinks the current intranet is old fashioned and GANTT charts on project management
platform

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Step 3: Consider any challenges for your users WHAT must your intranet do?

Your business is made up of Consider where your staff are based, Having established who your in the business case phase of your
individuals. Ensure you consider their how and when they will access the users are, and what they will use intranet project. When creating your
unique needs and challenges as part intranet, and any unique challenges the intranet for, you are ready to plan, define what you’re looking to
of your plan. they face. For example, do you have define what your intranet must do get from your project by placing these
remote workers accessing your to satisfy those needs: the features, objectives alongside the needs of your
Your intranet should be accessible intranet almost exclusively from functionality, and overall goals of your users. Then, map these to the different
to all, supporting employees with mobile devices? Employees who intranet. features and functionality on offer,
different levels of technical skill and aren’t comfortable using technology? to determine what you need your
understanding, differing accessibility Map out any specific needs and You’ve already explored the intranet to do.
requirements, and even different requirements for your staff, appealing opportunity and set out objectives
languages. to your HR department for support if
needed.
Defining purpose

Refer back to your opportunity Remember: an intranet may be able to


statement to help define the deliver on, or support, many business
overall purpose of your intranet. processes and objectives. It’s easy
Set clear goals for both the short- to get buried in a long list of needs
term and long-term performance or wants and forget about the core
of your intranet, and use these as reasons why users visit an intranet.
a benchmark to help guide your According to our customer survey,
planning and selection process. these are:

Why visit an intranet?

To find
To connect with
information To complete
people that can
relating to a task
help me
my role

If your intranet can automate office it isn’t serving its most fundamental
supply deliveries, display in-depth purpose. Keep referring back to these
usage analytics and deliver your goals throughout your project to
in-house training and development ensure you don’t lose track of what it
program, but a user can’t find the HR is you need to achieve.
policy or connect with a colleague,

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Getting the right mix

Constant innovation and new as the business case section shows,


developments mean today’s intranet an intranet ultimately exists to solve
TaxAudit.com took care to align business priorities with user needs when platforms can offer a vast range of problems. These ‘problems’ typically
it came to determining the fundamental purpose of their new intranet: features and functionality. However, fall into one of 4 categories:
creating a single, centralized version of the truth.


Our success depends on staying current, so we
needed a centralized way to store and update
Communication
critical documents for our teams. When you send
out information by email, there are always some
people who don’t get it – like new employees for
Collaboration Information
example.

Now, with Interact, everyone has the information


Business
they need to work effectively. processes

Matthew Estes - Director of Strategy,


TaxAudit.com

Business processes: for example, booking a leave of absence or submitting


expenses

Information: for users seeking out an HR policy, company documentation,


or perhaps policies and procedures required to fulfill their roles

Collaboration: such as finding a colleague who can support on a particular


task, or to team up with others on a project

Communication: to both receive top-down communications about their


organization, team, or perhaps particular projects, and to communicate with
others

To serve its core purpose, therefore, users, content authors, and intranet
an intranet needs a blend of tools administrators to solve problems as
that answer each of these categories efficiently as possible.
and will ultimately help intranet

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

What features and functionality do you need? Beyond the feature list

Guided by your purpose, user needs, may be more niche, unique USPs of In the planning phase, it is important whistles may look good on paper; but
objectives, and an understanding of particular vendors, or require custom- to balance out what your intranet does if it’s difficult to use, it won’t deliver
the different categories of business building to match your vision. Some – in terms of its features – with how it results.
problems an intranet can solve, you features or functionality will be of does them, regarding its functionality
can begin mapping out the features higher relevance and importance and the overall user experience. A During your planning, consider the
you need from your intranet, and to your business; others, surplus to complex system with all bells and following:
then prioritize and use it as a matrix requirements.
to compare prospective vendors or
solutions. There is no ‘one size fits all’ offering, Will it cater for Remote working and telecommuting are on
but some essential features now seen mobile workforces? the rise, alongside globalized and dispersed
Many standard features are expected in the majority of successful intranets workforces. Employees increasingly need to be able
and now come out-the-box. Others include: to access and utilize business tools on-the-go.

Is it easy to use? Use of your intranet is the underlying core goal.


A built-in document management system (DMS) or content management If your users struggle with the technology, low
system (CMS), or the ability to connect/integrate with a cloud-based storage adoption rates and drop-off in interest will
system such as SharePoint, Dropbox, or OneDrive jeopardize its success. Place ease-of-use high on the
design requirement list. Look to popular consumer
A people directory, or user profiles, for all employees
technologies and the features or functionality that
Search functionality make those platforms accessible across different
technical abilities.
Communication tools, such as forums and discussion boards or instant
messaging (IM)
How easy is it to Depending on your chosen solution and approach
Social tools, such as timelines, commenting, liking, sharing, polls, the ability
deploy and maintain? (e.g., custom-build vs. out-of-the-box), your
to @mention individuals, teams and content, or #hashtags to create themes,
intranet could take anything from a few months
trends, or grouping of content
to a few years to launch. Consider timescales and
Project management tools such as calendars, events, task management, file the amount of resource required to get your project
sharing or dedicated project/team groups and spaces off the ground, as well as what will be needed to
maintain and update it.
Galleries or use of rich media, such as videos

Analytics and usage data


Will it deliver a great User experience, or UX, is rising in importance
Gamification elements, such as the ability to give recognition and rewards UX for our employees? for consumer software and website developers.
Internal platforms are following suit. Your intranet
planning needs to consider the satisfaction,
usability, accessibility, and overall experience of
As you research options, you’ll soon However, features alone don’t
users to not only serve employees but directly
discover this list just barely scrapes guarantee a successful intranet.
impact the experience they can deliver to your
the surface of what’s available.
customers.

28 29
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

What your intranet provider must do WHERE your intranet fits in your digital workplace

Great software alone is not enough If you’re electing for an intranet Introducing any new piece of in your IT department - to discuss
to guarantee success. In a crowded solution through a dedicated provider, technology or software to your any challenges, considerations,
marketplace, you may also find that they play a vital role in ensuring organization carries implications or concerns surrounding the
many out-the-box solutions are pretty the success of your project, not only and potential risk. Taking the time to introduction of your intranet. This
similar in terms of their core features during delivery and launch but for the consult and plan for how your intranet may include where your intranet will
and functionality. To deliver value, lifetime of your platform. Alongside will fit into your business, its culture, be hosted and accessed; whether you’ll
you need to go beyond flicking the ‘on’ the features and functionality in your and your existing technology stack be custom-building, buying off-the-
switch: you need a strategic approach, plan, place a checklist of expectations will help ensure a smooth launch. shelf, or a combination; and how your
and the right support to deliver on or considerations for your provider, intranet will work alongside existing
your vision. including: Before undertaking your project, enlist tools and technologies already within
the support and input of any relevant your organization.
stakeholders – and particularly those
Experience Project management support

Thought leadership Product training Hosting your intranet

Reputation Branding and design services The global growth of cloud computing for the future of software hosting.
and increasing redundancy of in- Intranets are no different.
Stable product Build and launch support
house servers show a projection
Stable company Account management and
ongoing support The Rapid Growth of Cloud Computing, 2015-2020
Similar customers
Peer support or events with other
Cultural match Worldwide spending on public cloud computing, 2015-2020 ($B)
customers, to share and promote
Average compund growth rate, YE2015-YE2020, 19%
Innovation, updates, or future best practice
IT spending average compound growth rate,
roadmap of the product
YE2015-YE2020, 3%
Strategy services and technical
$162
consulting
$138

We explore the role and value of $117

your intranet provider and their $99


professional services offering in $82
more detail in Part 4: Launching your $67
intranet & Part 5: Ongoing success.

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Source: IDC, 2016

30 31
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Considering the associated costs and free alternative. For these reasons and Custom building an intranet
risk of in-house hosting including more, many leading providers are
IT resource, server purchase and ceasing to provide their solutions as
In the context of an intranet, Custom-built intranet solutions
maintenance, monitoring, anti-virus an on-premise product.
‘building’ usually means creating a have the benefit of being tailored
protection, licensing, and hardware,
custom-made system from scratch, to an exact fit for your business
on-premise intranet solutions When considering hosting for your
often on top of SharePoint or another requirements and can be a viable
threaten your return on investment. intranet, the question should no
DMS. This may be an option for option if you already utilize a DMS
What’s more, they aren’t as scalable, longer be whether to opt for an in-
organizations with large in-house internally that offers a degree of
accessible or futureproof as their house or public cloud-hosted solution.
IT teams, or access to specialist customization. However, there
cloud-based alternatives, requiring Instead, center your planning around
developer skills and resource to are a few key risks associated with
manual updates and restricting how identifying an intranet or hosting
design a purpose-built system. building an intranet that are worth
or when users can access the intranet. partner who can meet stringent
considering:
All of these factors undermine security standards and demonstrate
engagement and may threaten long- excellence in reliability and support.
term success.
At a bare minimum, the system you’re What internal Do you have the necessary skillset internally to
By contrast, a cloud-based intranet considering should meet ISO 27001 expertise can you work with the technology on which the intranet is
shares risk and offers a fully standards. We also recommend asking access? to be built, or will you need to account for the cost
maintained, accessible, and stress- vendors for their documentation on: of third-party resource?

Penetration testing What resources can How will the scheduling of this project interfere
you commit to a with already established priorities within the
Vulnerability scanning and intrusion detection
custom build? business? Even if the internal expertise is available,
the chances are you won’t be able to obtain
Data encryption
exclusive use for your project, and will need to take
Safe Harbour this into account.

Mobile Device Management (MDM)


Do you have Does your internal resource have experience
any experience developing this type of technology? An intranet
developing this type may have some similarities regarding its features
Depending on your industry sector to protect customer data. During
of technology? and functionality to an external website, but in
and organizational attitude to security this process, bring in IT and legal
reality, both serve very different audiences and
and risk, there may be additional stakeholders who can ensure your
purposes. A specialist with experience in the
considerations – for example, US hosting solution is compliant with
design and delivery of internal collaborative
healthcare organizations must elect business standards and expectations.
software is better equipped to help you realize your
for HIPAA compliant solutions
objectives, and maximize value and return.

What are the required Does your intranet need to be up-and-running


timescales for the in 6months, or 1-2years? Custom builds typically
build’s completion? come with longer timescales for completion, and a
higher risk of project overrun.

32 33
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

It is important to recognize that at their core. An alternative solution During the planning stage, consider:
custom building an intranet on top of increasingly favored is to select an
SharePoint or another DMS provider off-the-shelf solution that offers Integrating with existing cloud storage or third-party internal platforms,
presents considerable limitations integration functionality with such as your HR or payroll systems
when it comes to delivering on your SharePoint as part of Office 365.
Bringing in role-specific applications to your intranet, such as customer
internal communications strategy:
service or support desk tools like ZenDesk, which will speed up the
because, quite simply, these systems
resolution of customer queries through access to a centralized knowledge
are document management systems
repository and ultimately provide superior service

Your intranet as part of the business technology stack Integrating with SharePoint as part of Office 365, or your chosen cloud
storage provider, to create a single, centralized version of truth for all
Today’s digital workplaces are Designing your intranet as a business documents, policies, and information
increasingly fragmented and centralized facilitator of your digital
complex, with a single organization workplace by integrating with existing Connecting your intranet with communication tools such as Yammer or
utilizing hundreds, or potentially tools and platforms or using outbound Skype, bringing all your business conversations into a single location and
thousands of different tools and single sign-on (SSO) functionality reducing dependency on email
applications as part of its technology will break down information silos,
Configuring your intranet as an identity provider with Single Sign-On (SSO)
stack. Digitally savvy employees enjoy streamline everyday processes,
functionality, reducing the number of accounts, passwords, and logins your
the luxury of choice when it comes and ultimately bring your digital
employees are required to enter and remember – saving staff time and IT
to workplace technology; however, workplace together. By simplifying
resource
this also presents challenges such the digital experience in this way, an
as information silos, duplication of intranet can dramatically increase
effort, and the risk of technology usage and engagement – and,
fatigue. ultimately, return on investment.

An effective intranet doesn’t set out


to replicate specialist tools and do
‘everything’ all in one. It supports
and works seamlessly with existing
technologies to make it easier
for employees to connect to the
information they need, and get their
work done.

These decisions will factor into intranet provider to determine how


your intranet design and the to configure and manage these
solution that you elect for. You may integrations or connections simply,
benefit from technical consultancy yet securely.
services delivered by your selected

34 35
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

HOW you will deliver your intranet project Example intranet governance and project team model:

Even if you are utilizing a specialized By identifying how – and who – will
provider to deliver your intranet be involved up front, you can plan for
project, there will be resource any additional resource requirements,
requirements and business impact on create realistic timescales, and reduce
your organization during the process. frequent project risks. Steering C Level
Stakeholders
Group Director(s)

Your intranet project team

Getting the right people behind your accountability or ownership, or poor


intranet project, both during the governance and direction for your
implementation and to manage your intranet.
intranet after launch, is critical to its
Content
success. While every organization should plan Leads
Users IT Support

their unique governance and team


Planning your team is not only structure to match their culture and
important for determining your objectives, there are some basics to
project resource requirements. consider when identifying who needs
Defined roles and responsibilities to be involved, and what their role
will also reduce many common may include.
Content
risks such as project overrun, lack of Department Intranet
Heads Publishers Management

The most fundamental thing to project and ongoing management.


remember is that a successful intranet This will differ from one business
is centered on its users. No matter to another; some of the roles may
what governance model you choose, overlap, others may be redundant
keep them front-of-mind as the for your organization. If you are a
driving force for all major decisions small business with limited resource
around your intranet. availability, several of the roles may be
conducted by one person.
Next, we set out the example roles
and responsibilities for an intranet

36 37
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Who? Why do you need them? What they should do Who? Why do you need them? What they should do

C Level Director(s) This group has power and Sign off and support the intranet purpose and objectives Content Leads: for To be accountable overall for Provide content publisher resource and support the publisher in keeping
influence to create real example, Directors the content published to the content up-to-date
Enhance and develop the intranet in line with organizational objectives
change in your organization or Heads of intranet by their department,
– not just procedurally, but Lead change and help break down barriers preventing the intranet from Work with stakeholders and intranet management to adhere to content
Department ensuring the validity,
culturally, as we explored in reaching its potential strategy and management principles
accuracy, and usefulness of
Part 1. Escalation point for stakeholder and intranet management for unsolved content Respond to requests from intranet management and work to resolve
issues issues

Stakeholder(s) Stakeholders have overall Work with intranet management, C-Level and the organization as a whole IT Support – senior To consult on the strategic Consult and assist with technical aspects regarding hosting, security, and
responsibility for delivering to plan and execute the intranet strategy representative, as role and any technical user management
intranet success. They are well as day-to-day concerns of the intranet
Enhance and develop the intranet in line with organizational objectives Support for integration and digital workplace management
sufficiently senior to have support
a broad view of company Chair governance meetings Ensure validity of user management source
objectives and are well Report to C-Level on the progress of intranet strategy, escalating issues Help troubleshoot technical problems
connected to the needs of the where required
organization and the other
senior leaders. Content Publishers To ensure content is created Work with content lead and intranet management to create, publish, and
and published on the intranet manage content in accordance with content strategy and management
for users to consume, keeping principles
Intranet For centralized management Work with stakeholders to develop and execute intranet strategy
your intranet relevant and
management: of the intranet day-to-day. Respond to requests for content
Day-to-day management of intranet including creating and managing engaging
typically Internal Without even just light-touch
structure, or setting and maintaining homepages
Comms Managers management, your intranet
or equivalent risks becoming out of date, Work with content owners and publishers to check and review content,
Steering group – To consult on ideas, plans, Work with the intranet management team to provide user feedback on
sprawling, unfocused or enhance search optimization, and adhere to content strategy and
mixture of roles strategy, and any proposals current and future plans
unused. management principles
and seniority you want input or opinions
Ongoing training of publishers and familiarization for users Input ideas into strategic planning
on – a ‘check and test’ group

38 39
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Defining roles and responsibilities Working through your plan, many of required for each step: for example,
the timescales will become evident. when your senior stakeholders need
If your resource is internal, you face Ensure that intranet team roles
Be realistic, and allow for contingency to sign off on the final design, or when
the challenge of employees juggling and responsibilities are agreed,
events and margin for error or delay. the first wave of content needs to be
their project responsibilities alongside documented, and clarified upfront:
Break down your project into crucial migrated or built.
their day-to-day roles. They may have individuals should know what is
stages, and establish any deliverables
conflicting priorities, or be called expected of them, both during the
away to alternative projects within the project and in the long-term. If
organization. roles or responsibilities change, the
handover needs to be documented
and agreed by all major stakeholders.

Timescales and deliverables Need support projecting timescales for


The question of how long an intranet requirements, the volume of content, the delivery of your intranet project?
will take is always high on the priority internal processes and more.
list for senior stakeholders, but as Our free Content build calculator is designed to help.
any project manager will testify, there As a rough guide, the chart below
is no clear-cut answer. Timescales shows how differences in scope Simply enter a few basic bits of information about your business and its
will vary according to scope, – whether this is a new project or knowledge assets, and the calculator will figure out how much resource –
solution selected, customization redevelopment of an existing site – whether in terms of time or people – you will need during this crucial phase
requirements, size and complexity of could impact on timescales. of deployment.
the organization, hosting/hardware

How long could my intranet project take?

01 Existing site - fixing and improving key issues


(small scale)
6 months

02 Existing site - minor redesign, rebrand or


structure improvement (mid-scale)
6 -12 months

03 Existing site - extensive redevelopment to


functionality, technology or complete redesign
12-18 months

04 New intranet - migrating from a legacy system to


a new platform
12-18 months

05 New intranet - building from scratch, no


previous system in place
6 -12 months

*Timescales here are intended to give a rough estimate. Actual timescales will vary according to the size and scope of your individual project.

40 41
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Professional services and support for your intranet project

Planning and deploying an intranet is and resource to get your intranet up


a company-wide business change that and running, which can be a challenge
has the potential to transform the way
you communicate, collaborate, and
for small in-house teams.
Looking to understand a bit more
innovate. Support during the planning and about the role and value of professional
implementation phases, as well as
Successfully rolling out that degree ongoing input after you launch, services for your intranet project?
of change often calls for strategic can make a significant, measurable
thinking, specialist knowledge, and impact on the overall success of your At Interact, we understand what it takes to deliver a successful intranet
previous experience. As the planning intranet. When planning your project, project. Our team of in-house specialists have over 15 years’ experience
section of the guide shows, it also consider a budget for the following: delivering intranets for over 1 million users globally and offer a complete
takes a considerable amount of time suite of professional services to support our customers at every stage of their
intranet journey.

Intranet strategy: support for planning and governance, structure, content,


awareness, launch, and engagement to provide you with a roadmap for your intranet
Visit interact-intranet.com/services to learn more, or call us to speak to a
member of the team today.
Training: upskilling administrators, content authors, intranet champions, and your
users to instil confidence, drive adoption, and ensure everyone can get the most out
of their new platform

Branding and design services: help to define and deliver the right look and feel for
your intranet and internal brand

Technical consultancy: support answering questions or considerations around


technical elements such as security, integration, authentication, or setting up users.
Specialist support will ensure everything comes together, reduce risk, and ensure
your intranet performs the way it should

Build support: the process of populating and building your intranet homepages,
content, and people directory, can be resource-intensive. If you have limited internal
resource available, you may want to consider some outside help for this crucial stage

Project management: a dedicated project manager will coordinate and drive all the
individual elements required to get your intranet off the ground, and mitigate many
of the common risks associated with delivering a large-scale project

42 43
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Planning for project risk Risk factors will differ from one How you map out and present risk will
business to the next, taking into differ according to your organization
Risk is a fact of any project. Even the require complex technologies and consideration your company size, and its attitude towards risk. For most,
best-planned and executed software specialist skills or knowledge to get sector, structure, and priorities. a simple brainstorm and impact vs.
implementations aren’t immune to right, creating additional risk factors. What may be considered a massive probability graph is a good start, like
risk: no matter how diligent we are, Even if you’re opting for an out-the- threat for one business may only be the below. Once you’ve determined
there will be external factors that box intranet solution that requires, an inconvenience for another, so it’s those that are high severity or
threaten the success or even the at least on paper, minimal input or worth taking the time to evaluate your probability, you can draft mitigation
launch of our projects. configuration from your business, unique position and any potential responses.
risk management should still form a challenges to your intranet project.
Software development and central part of your project plan.
implementation in particular often
Example:

What is ‘risk’?

High Severity
Risk factors are possible events or conditions that,
should they happen, could cause a direct impact
X Low Adoption
on at least one project objective or a deviation from
X Resource Problems
what has been forecast. X

Low Probability High Probability

Risks are also called ‘threats,’ as they When delivering an intranet project,
threaten an organization’s success – there are commonly two distinct X
and in extreme circumstances, even types of risk:
its survival.

Implementation risk: the risk that a proposed investment may deviate Implementation Risk

from the original or expected requirements, resulting in higher costs than Outcome Risk Low Severity

anticipated

Outcome risk: the risk that the business or technology needs of the
organization may not be met by the investment, resulting in lower overall
For example:
total benefits
Risk: Resource problems during build phase – high impact/high
probability

Solution: As part of the project plan, contingency budget has been


allocated for a temporary third-party resource to assist with the content
audit, migration, and build.

Top Tip: Don’t shy away from stating risk; be frank. Transparency and a mindset of
preparing for the worst is the most effective way to reduce the likelihood and
severity of risk.

44 45
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Part 3: Building
Conducting a content audit

One of the riskiest approaches taken Deploying an intranet is a valuable

and deploying to building an intranet is to just ‘mass


migrate’ existing content onto a new
opportunity to take stock and
perform a much-needed spring clean.

your intranet
platform. It may reduce the build time Take a brutal approach to collating
and get your project live more quickly, information from across your
but it is also one of the quickest routes business before identifying what you
to project failure. need and use.

Organizations acquire more and Consider not only what content you
more information every year have, but its quality and relevance,
With a clear plan and the right team behind you, you’re ready to move onto they’re in existence. Without who owns it, and where it resides.
the build phase of your new intranet. careful management, much of Determine content that is redundant
that information quickly becomes or no longer serves a purpose, and any
As part of this stage, you’ll begin and fill user profiles, establish a brand irrelevant, incorrect, and duplicated. potential gaps.
to populate your intranet with the for your intranet, and craft those all-
necessary information and content important homepages that will act as
identified during your planning stage the window to the intranet for your For example:
as a ‘must have’ for users. You’ll create users.

Name Versions Stored Owner Updated Comments Recommendation


Content and Information Architecture
HR Policy 2003, Shared drive HR 2012 Spelling and Revised updated policy to be
An intranet should be structured For this reason, creating a clear 2005, Individual PCs Manager grammatical errors created by HR.
2007, HR shared folder throughout. Outdated
and designed in such a way that information architecture and building
2012 content – doesn’t Remove all previous versions
employees are confident in how to to a defined structure is essential.
include newest from shared drives.
find what they’re looking for. It should Without this, many intranets can pension information.
be logical, intuitive, easy. become a dumping ground for
information: users will be forced
However, most organizations have to navigate multiple versions of
substantial knowledge assets. documents, unintuitive or illogical
Managing the large volumes of structures, or battle poor search
content, users, information, and functions. Your intranet will quickly
differing user requirements can be become unfit for purpose.
an overwhelming task – but it’s also
essential to your intranet success.

46 47
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

What content do I need? Creating an information architecture and structure

What goes onto an intranet is unique and business will form part of your You have your list of content, the The two are often used
to every individual business – there business case and the planning phase essentials that need to go onto your interchangeably and have a significant
is no prescribed checklist of essential of your project. Through your content intranet. So, how do you sort it to role to play in driving usability and
documents that ‘must’ form part of audit and the process of defining your ensure findability and discoverability, findability on your site, but there is a
your content strategy. The process of intranet objectives, you will have an as well as a positive user experience? distinct difference:
identifying the needs of your users understanding of: The answer is logical information
architecture and clear navigation
throughout your intranet.
Your intranet purpose

Your audience
Information architecture refers to how your content is organized and labeled

What they need


Navigation is the process of moving from one place to another.
How they’re accessing information

One of the best practices here is to these as a basis for your plan. Where
While your intranet content plan will are some common content types you involve those who will be undertaking do users expect to find content? Are
be unique to your organization, there may want to consider including: those content journeys every day: your there any common themes or trends?
users. Standard techniques include Anything that doesn’t seem to fit
card sorting or categorization, where neatly in a particular area? What
HR, IT, or business policies and documentation end users will brainstorm how content about the terminology, acronyms, or
should be logically grouped and different phrases users adopt?
Orientation and onboarding support termed. Evaluate responses and use

How to: user guides or support for everyday tasks and use of the intranet

Team-specific content
Content name Also known as Suggested mapping/navigation
Administrative tasks or automated processes

User-friendly or user-generated content IT policy IT security, security policy, information IT > Policies and Procedures
technology, IT handbook Organization > Policies > IT
Access to external content (for example, content residing in third-party HR > Onboarding > Policies and Procedures

storage systems such as your DMS, or your payroll or HR platforms)

Brand and culture materials – such as your mission and values

Top-down news and communications

48 49
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Storyboard common workflows and Below is an example of ‘storyboarding’


tasks that users will perform on your and structure testing. An example
intranet, such as submitting expenses user journey is tested to see where
or booking a leave of absence. What users expect to find content, and
journey would users logically take whether the proposed structure
to complete their task? Submit it meets those expectations. It can
to feedback and testing from users help identify the different routes or
themselves, to identify if it is intuitive pathways through an intranet.
and easy for them.

Org Charts

Cincinnati

Organization

Emergency
Locations Procedures

Denver

ADP/UltiPro

Tools
Pies
Home
Went down the right path
Went down the wrong path
Went back
Corporate Team Member
Nominated as correct answer Handbook
Policies
Skipped question

Glossary
Lines
UK healthcare provider, Kent Community Health NHS Root node
Resources

Foundation Trust, use their intranet ‘Flo,’ named after Correct path
Incorrect path
Strategic Deployment
Process
Florence Nightingale, to centralize important business and
HR processes.

In the ‘Worklife’ section, all HR information is grouped and categorized for Top Tip: You don’t need to link to every page and resource on your intranet, just
intuitive navigation. Icons provide a simple and accessible way to pick out because you can. Interact software pushes tailored and relevant content
what users need. Employees can access benefit and payroll information, read to users based on multiple elements including persona, role, location, and
important company policies, submit travel expenses, complete appraisals, and previous behavior on the intranet. Focus instead on making your intranet a
much more. searchable hub of organizational resources and information.

50 51
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Not every piece of content is In the modern-day business, this is


relevant to every individual in your no longer sufficient for successful
business. As part of your information internal communication. Individuals


architecture, consider how to target typically fall into many other, more
information to the right people, at dynamic categories outside of these
the right time. Personalization is rigid structures. For example, you With our intranet, we can find people and information
proven to deliver higher levels of may want to target all employees quickly and respond to customer queries faster.
engagement, supporting your long- who manage more than two people
term intranet objectives. who haven’t undertaken people
management training, or group There are also tools such as online HR forms that save
Traditionally, communication has mobile workers who haven’t used the
been targeted using the organizational intranet for more than three weeks.
on admin time so we can focus on what really matters:
hierarchy – distributing information delivering a consistently excellent experience for every
to defined teams or departments, Intelligence or persona functionality
often using manually updated email in leading intranet platforms enables
one of our customers and supporting them through their
lists or the equivalent. you to create and target dynamic journey with us.
employee groups. Once you have a
defined internal audience, you can:

Laura Talbot - Internal Communications


Broadcast vital or timely information Manager, AO.com

Create tailored and relevant homepages

Suggest or push relevant content

Automatically target the right individuals, with groups updating anytime


users are added or their status changes – without manual maintenance

Ultimately, considering what content you to engage with them on a


is relevant and making even minor more personal level, improving the
adjustments to tailor or customize relevance, adoption, and success of
for specific audiences will enable your intranet.

52 53
Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Acorn’s website

Building an intranet brand

Building a brand for your intranet is key to creating something your users will
love – and ultimately use.

Brand identity is about more than design. It’s that certain ‘something’ that
identifies or differentiates you, communicates who you are, and what you stand
for. It encompasses the personality of your intranet, the values you project, and
the perception or experience that creates.

Designed effectively, your intranet brand is a powerful tool to shape how your
employees feel about your organization and its purpose, unifying them behind
a common mission and bringing to life your vision when they interact with
your customers or consumers.

A brand can be created and communicated using a variety of elements,


including:
Acorn’s intranet

Your intranet name and logo

Brand color palette


Alignment with external brand
Fonts and typography When it comes to creating an internal The external website and the
brand, you should look to align with organization’s intranet share some
Page designs and style sheets your external brand - but not common elements, such as brand
replicate it. colors, the use of the ‘brush effect’
Icons, calls-to-action, and buttons
around buttons or modules, and the
Remember, you’re looking to create a acorn within the logo. However, the
Language or tone of voice
common identity both internally and intranet typeface and styling differs
externally, so that your employees in favor of a more fun, informal, and
Structure, IA, and navigation
believe in and translate those values to child-like choice. The intranet name
Content or information you choose to host your consumers. However, these are also makes a play on the company
brands for different audiences. Keep name combined with ‘intranet’, and
some familiar elements, but make the use of children’s drawing is more
them distinguishable. prominent, including as button
If you haven’t had experience creating an internal brand before, it can feel
icons on the main calls to action on
overwhelming. Specialist support from a dedicated brand and design team
This may be by replicating your brand the upper right of the homepage.
may help to define your brand and translate that into a visually compelling and
colors, for example, but giving your The result is a focus on the purpose
engaging intranet design. However, there are some tips to consider.
intranet a distinct name. We see and mission of the organization: the
this demonstrated by the children’s children it helps.
hospice not-for-profit organization,
Acorns, above.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Naming your intranet Selecting something individual, be a tall order. You could consider
memorable, and representative can naming your intranet:
One of the most defining brand (the intranet name of our customer
elements of your intranet is what you Sheetz) or perhaps, ‘the Fridge’ (AO.
decide to call it. A name brings an com) or BEDpost (Mattress Firm) is After an employee: Perhaps there’s a significant individual in your
inanimate object to life, and in the far more informal and engaging than organization who deserves recognition or represents what you’re trying to
case of your intranet, it can be used to simply, “check the intranet”. communicate with your brand.
add personality and purpose. Swagelok Scotland called their intranet Knowsley, after Ian Knowles: an
Many organizations choose to get employee of over 30 years at the organization who was seen as the ‘go to’ guy
A name also makes it easier for employees involved in the naming ‘Knowsley’ the intranet for information during that time. As he represented the ‘intranet’ in human
users to identify with and engage process, running competitions or name and persona for
form, naming the intranet after him was a tribute to his legacy when he
with the platform, improving overall potentially setting up an employee Swagelok Scotland
retired and left the organization.
engagement. It’s more personal board to brainstorm and vote on
and creates a sense of ‘ownership’: suggested names.
After a character: a fictitious character can be a way to humanize your
telling users they can look ‘on Bob’
brand, without going for a real person. For example, healthcare organization
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust elected for the name Flo,
after the iconic nursing figure, Florence Nightingale.

A pun on your industry: UK utility company, South East Water, named


their site Gurgle. When users need something, they simply need to Gurgle it.

Houston Zoo chose to focus on somewhere where everybody meets.


Naturally, for a zoo full of animals, this would be The Watering Hole.

Using your brand: UK children’s charity the NSPCC named their intranet
The Green, playing on their corporate color and the brand they built for their
intranet.

Play on your company name: Watson was the winning choice resulting
from a competition for UK book retailer Waterstones. As well as being
an abridged version of the company name, it represented the infamous
Sherlock Holmes character: Watson would not only represent what
Waterstones staff were most passionate about – books – but be a virtual
assistant for every employee. Meanwhile, Mattress Firm went for a play on
their name and product with ‘BEDPost.’

Abbreviations, soundbites, or acronyms: Staffordshire Housing decided


to play on their primary objectives for their company intranet with the
name, ‘Cake’: shorthand for ‘Connect and Keep Engaging.’

Housten Zoo named their intranet ‘The Watering Hole’ playing on their
industry to position their intranet as a place where everyone meets.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Creating an intranet identity, persona or character

Why not go one step further than or engage with users in the same way
a name alone, and build a tangible that an individual would, you can
identity and persona for your make the intranet more approachable
intranet? By creating a personality and accessible to users.
and character to respond, signpost,

Interact customer Acadian Companies is comprised of six


divisions, with more than 4,300 employees scattered across
the United States. Creating an identity and persona that
would resonate with all the different areas of the business
but still unify the organization presented a challenge.

Acadian Companies responded by creating a mascot for


their intranet, ‘Acadian Central.’ The character, called
“A.C., the Acadian Central Expert”, was adapted for each
division– dressing the part to make sure he resonated and
spoke to each type of employee in the organization.

Tone of voice

Brands are more than just visual. The appealing to your audience, or one
language you use on your intranet that is more corporate, formal,
will shape the personality and and matter-of-fact. This will vary
feel of your brand, so take time to according to your business industry
consider the tone of your core content and culture, your intranet objectives,
pieces, labeling, and top-down the personas you’ve created, and your
communications. overall mission.

Consider how you want to come


across to your employees, and
whether a tone that injects humor
and is more casual might be more

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Technical consultancy and intranet build services


The hands-on process of building an work as they should. You may have
intranet represents perhaps the most questions or concerns about security
significant chunk of development or the protection of your data.
time for your project.
This resource-intensive stage of
All your content needs reviewing, building your intranet is often the
updating, formatting, approving, and point at which projects fall behind
building. User profiles need creating schedule, or potential mistakes occur
or synchronizing from your existing that present a risk to your project.
directories, with permissions set, Ensuring you have a realistic idea of
and teams, departments, or personas the timescales involved to migrate
allocating. Homepages need building your content and the necessary
and configuring, and your structure resource in place is vital.
testing.
You may need to enlist support
There are also technical from your intranet provider, or use
configurations to be completed with technical consultancy services to help
your existing tools and platforms, safeguard the technical elements of
ensuring any chosen integrations your build.

Need help planning out the time and resource you’ll


need to build your intranet? Why not download our FREE
intranet build calculator?

Simply enter a few basic details, and this calculator will provide a realistic
estimate of:

How long it will take you to review, migrate, and build your content

How much resource you need

Use this calculator during your project planning to minimize risk of overrun
or lack of sufficient resource, and ensure you’re prepared for this vital stage
of your intranet project.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Part 4: Launching
The ‘WIIFM’ factor

Similar to when you were producing or impact their day-to-day jobs, and

your intranet
your business case, your launch then shout about it. Think about your
should focus on the ‘what’s in it for messaging and try to select those
me?’ factor. This inclusive approach benefits that aren’t only significant,
gets your users or employees but exciting – realistically, choosing to
interested and excited about your highlight that housing your expenses
project by communicating its value to claims form on the intranet will save
The launch process for your intranet begins long before you flick the ‘on’ them. an average of 5 minutes per employee
switch. Your plan will vary according to your business needs and culture, isn’t going to deliver great results.
but the concept of getting your users informed, excited, and engaged with Pick a few key ways that the intranet
your new intranet is universal. is going to make their lives easier

A well-planned and executed launch will ensure your users: Maxxam, the Canadian market leader
in analytical services and solutions
to the energy, environmental, food,
Are excited and engaged
and DNA industries, focused on the
key benefits for employees as the
Are informed about what is happening, and when foundation for their launch process.
The key benefits they identified were:
Understand the value of your intranet
1. Connect with your co-workers
Know what the intranet is used for, and how it will impact and improve their quickly and easily
day-to-day roles
2. Collaborate with your departments
Adopt and continue to engage with the intranet from day one, and beyond or on specific projects

3. Find everything you need with a


smart and simple search
The launch phase is often the most creating your plan, take time to
‘fun’ part of the intranet deployment evaluate your business culture and
4. Access a comprehensive resource
process, and a chance to be creative intranet objectives, to ensure your
center for managers and
or think outside the box. However, no launch achieves the right results.
supervisors
two organizations are alike. Before


These benefits were summarized and
then promoted in a variety of creative
The launch of your intranet is just the beginning ways to their employees, including
of an engaging and very beneficial journey. on branded bags and t-shirts, posters,
teaser emails, and more.
Jo Warburton, Intranet Manager, Affinity Sutton

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Big bang, or secret squirrel? However, it may be a challenge interest and momentum as staff tire of
keeping your intranet project, design, waiting for the go-live.
Teaser marketing campaigns have period to generate intrigue and name or persona secret, particularly
grown in popularity over recent excitement is shown to boost interest, if you’ve worked collaboratively with A big bang launch, by contrast,
years, and we’re seeing the same as the ‘unknown’ gets people talking, your users during the planning and goes all out with communications,
trend stepping into internal comms. speculating, and anticipating. build stages. events, promotions and more to build
Giving small hints over an extended awareness and educate users in the
Other organizations may elect to days, weeks, or even months before
inform staff as soon as the business going live. Multi-channel approaches
The International Federation of
case is signed off, keeping employees create brand awareness and increase
Accountants used a teaser campaign
informed of developments over the the visibility of your intranet platform,
to hint at the imminent launch and
course of the project. This may not be helping to embed it into your business
arrival of their intranet, LUCA.
appropriate for long-scale projects, culture and keep your project front-of-
however, where you risk losing the mind.
Named after an Italian 15th century
Friar and Mathematician commonly
referred to as the “Father of
Accounting,” Luca Pacioli, the intranet
also embodied a full persona and
character. Ahead of the launch, the
IFAC project team decided to tell staff
nothing – secretly gathering content
and using an internal focus group for
employee input.

Two weeks prior, posters appeared


with minimal details, and no hint
of an ‘intranet.’ Staff immediately
showed intrigue and responded with a
sea of guesses, requests, and inquiries,
wanting to know – ‘who or what is UK not-for-profit children’s charity, competition with a gift for the winner
LUCA?’ the NSPCC, took a transparent and got everyone engaged, while staff
inclusive approach to ensure staff were asked to test and feedback on the
On Launch Day, all was revealed as were informed about the progress of proposed navigation.
the staff were greeted by a 72 inch, their new intranet, The Green, in the
motion-activated, talking cardboard weeks and months before launch. Closer to launch day, a story showing
standee of LUCA. A luncheon with all the stages of the intranet build was
staff attending was used to introduce Updates and stories about the published, with staff able to leave
the new intranet and provide an project process were placed on the comments. A poster campaign
overview and training for users. organization’s old platform to keep highlighted the key benefits for
employees informed. Employees were staff, with information changed on a
asked to contribute photos about fortnightly basis to keep it fresh and
what the NSPCC meant to them, engaging.
ready for the new intranet. A naming

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Launch ideas

Here are just a few ideas you may want interact’s annual intranet excellence
to consider as part of your intranet awards.
launch, taken from award entries for

01. Launch events

Allow employees to ask questions, motivation and buy-in for your


watch a live demonstration, take a employees. If you have multiple
tour, and learn about their intranet offices or locations, consider a ‘tour’ to
with a hands-on approach. A physical ensure your launch is as inclusive as
event, led by a senior stakeholder possible.
or sponsor, also creates top-down

Soft and staggered, or company-wide roll-out?

Depending on the scale of your project intranet initially, and then introducing
and the number of users you’ll be additional features further down Winner of Interact’s ‘Best intranet pictures taken with the event display
onboarding, you may want to consider the line as your users become more launch’ award, non-profit healthcare as a background and were shown how
a staggered or ‘soft’ roll-out approach confident. provider Piedmont held 12 launch to create and populate their intranet
to road-test your new intranet on events across their 6 hospitals and 3 profile.
smaller groups of employees before Company-wide roll-outs, when corporate locations.
granting access to all. planned and managed effectively, are Each event also saw free, branded
more of an event that can generate Events were staffed by 75 members of giveaways and prizes, including an
Approaching it this way can help excitement and a buzz amongst the organization’s employee volunteer iPad or Samsung tablet grand prize
gather support in an accumulative employees. By getting everyone group, known as the ‘Piedmont at each location. More than 1,400
fashion, identify all kinks or issues involved and making a ‘big deal’ out Connectors’, who served as intranet employees attended the events.
that need addressing, and may serve of your intranet across your business tour guides and ambassadors.
as a beta-testing operation to gain on a particular launch day, you can Employees could have their profile
feedback and insights. Alternatively, trigger a surge in adoption and
the soft roll-out may be in the form engagement. If everyone is talking
of your intranet features: launching about it, no-one wants to miss out.
a basic or skeletal version of your

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

02. Virtual tours ASOSers coming into each of the popcorn and a bottle of water were
global offices were welcomed by supplied as accompaniments to a
Don’t neglect your remote workers or Best Intranet Launch award runners- branded goodies ready on their welcome video about the company’s
those who can’t physically attend a up, Notting Hill Housing, created a desks. A pair of ‘ASOShome’ (the new intranet, delivered by the
launch event. Creating an online tour simple, engaging video to introduce name of their new intranet platform) company CEO Nick Beighton.
of your intranet in the form of a video, their intranet ‘Hive’ to employees. headphones, a bag of branded toffee
which explores the core features,
functionality, and benefits, can help The video uses a combination of
users get orientated. Use this as an employees talking and intranet 04. Treasure hunts and competitions
opportunity to signpost employees screenshots to take viewers through
to where they can find further all the basics: from completing People learn best by doing, rather than On launch day, they released a
information. It can also be recycled as their profile to finding colleagues, being told. To get users orientated and scavenger hunt. Questions pointed
an onboarding video for new starters, searching for information, joining building their understanding of their staff to different areas of the site, for
to help them get orientated with the groups, and using the forums to ask intranet in a hands-on way, treasure example: ‘How many Daniels work
intranet. any questions. hunts and competitions are a great at the RCN?’. Answers could only
tool. Consider setting users a series be found by searching the site or
of tasks or searches to complete, or navigating content.
potentially ‘hiding’ an image or icon
in various places on your intranet to As an added twist, the first letter of
encourage users to browse and look each answer made up a word (‘Forum’)
around. which was submitted via an intranet
form to enter competition to win
When the Royal College of Nursing a prize. The RCN received over 120
launched their new intranet, ‘Space,’ entries within the two-week launch
they were looking for ways to get staff period.
confident and familiar with their new
03. Branded goodies
tool.

Everyone loves to get something


for nothing, and employees are no
different. Shout about your new
intranet and internal brand by
getting it in front of your employees
with some free goodies. We’ve seen
everything from mouse mats and
coffee cups to earphones, cupcakes,
teabags, and phone holders.

Online fashion and beauty retailer


ASOS decided to tie free goodies in
with launch day activities.

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Part 5: Ongoing
success

You’ve gone through the entire project lifecycle: from pitching your
business case to planning, building, and successfully launching your
intranet. Now, you can relax – right?

Not exactly. Your intranet isn’t a Don’t let your intranet get static.
one-off purchase that can merely be Ongoing success is dependent on you
launched and left; it’s a continually continually reviewing and developing
evolving and dynamic part of your intranet. In close collaboration
your business, requiring constant with your intranet partner, consider
investment and care to ensure it the following tips and revisit them
remains relevant and valuable. periodically throughout the lifecycle
of your intranet.


Measure and act upon feedback

The best-placed critics and drivers for quickly lead to discontent and a lack Using Interact Forums has helped us to foster
change when it comes to your intranet of engagement. While it may not be
are those using it on a day-to-day practical or feasible to action every
collaboration between teams and managers.
basis. Tap into their thoughts and piece of feedback you receive, perhaps People are happy to comment and share their
feedback regularly. consider putting suggestions out to
vote to gauge what is worth pushing
views, and senior managers frequently answer
Use pulse surveys, focus groups, through. points raised there. If a post gets 20 votes, we
forums, or perhaps create an ‘ideas
forward it to the senior management team for
and suggestions’ discussion on your If you aren’t able to do something,
intranet to drive improvements. don’t push it under the carpet: let review, which means employees at all levels of the
Consider using your ‘intranet your users know, explain why, and
organization can contribute to our success.
champions’ – those who are engaged see if you can work out an workable
and regularly use the intranet – as a alternative solution.
way to tap into your users. Oraine Godfrey, Director of Digital Marketing and Operations,
Cable & Wireless
Obtaining insights alone is not
enough – you have to act. Failure to
listen to your users or respond will

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Use analytics and telemetry Evaluate success and revisit targets

Most successful intranet platforms users and departments, the value of During the business case and If you aren’t hitting the targets you
now come complete with detailed particular pieces or areas of content, planning phases for your intranet, you set, evaluate why and set action plans
usage analytics that can provide and identify any ‘red flags’ that set clear objectives and goals for your to address performance. If you have
valuable insights into what is working present a risk to the long-term success intranet. Measuring performance successfully achieved your objectives,
well on your intranet – and what isn’t. of your intranet. against these and reporting success raise the bar. Re-evaluating your
to senior management is more than intranet goals on a regular basis will
This goes beyond visitor numbers Amongst some of the warnings or a way to demonstrate return on ensure it doesn’t get static.
alone. When you drill down a bit risk factors, analytics can help you investment; it also ensures you are
further, you can understand the social identify: continuing to drive your intranet
and business impact of individual forward, and avoid becoming
complacent.

Expired, outdated, or unvisited pages Strategic review

As your organization grows and Enlisting the support of an


Content due for review, or lacking essential information such as tags,
evolves, you’ll often find that your experienced digital workplace
keywords, or an assigned author
objectives, culture, and overall strategist can help you identify any
purpose may shift or develop. New risk factors or areas of your intranet
Visitor numbers and interactions, and if desired, broken down by priorities will arise, and you’ll face management, governance, brand,
department, team, persona, or individual to identify your advocates and different challenges and employee or features to bring in line with a
reluctant adopters, who may need additional support expectations. changed strategic direction. You may
require additional training or support,
Content creation and publisher volumes, alongside content type and how Evaluating whether your intranet a review of your brand or homepages,
users are engaging with it objectives are still in line with or perhaps a general ‘spring clean’ of
business goals and the overall content and pages.
direction is essential. As the initial
High performing and low performing content or forums, by looking at visit
peak of interest for your intranet dies For example, you may have unused
and engagement levels
down, you may also be faced with a intranet features, or others not
decline in stakeholder engagement, being fully utilized to their potential;
Devices – where and how your users are accessing your intranet or a lack of buy-in from major new features to introduce to your
representatives in your business – platform; or examples on your
such as HR, or IT. intranet where users, administrators,
Searches, including number of searches performed, most searched, and any
or content authors are failing to act in
searches not returning results
accordance with best practice.

Analytics can occasionally get a bad content is being found, guide your
name. Reviewing stats and figures content roadmap, identify areas for
may not be the most compelling improvement, and ultimately ensure
part of intranet management, but your intranet remains fit for purpose.
it can help you evaluate whether

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Train and up-skill

Even if you invested in training for your internal intranet champions,


your administrators, content authors, is essential. It will ensure
and users during the onboarding understanding, instill confidence,
Lifetime services process, your business changes and help retain those all-important
and evolves. Staff turnover, new skills required to keep your intranet
from Interact employees, structural changes, and evolving with you.
the potential loss of your existing
At Interact, we understand that stage of your intranet lifecycle. Visit authors or administrators all create As innovations or updates come
your investment with us is a long- our website to learn more about demand to up-skill your staff and into play, it will also ensure your
term commitment. As part of our how we build relationships with our ensure your intranet continues to be administrators know how to get the
Customer Success program, we customers through: used and understood. most out of their intranet and support
offer a suite of dedicated services to them in creatively solving business
provide continued support, at every Regular training, whether delivered challenges that arise.
by your intranet partner or via

Dedicated account management


Customer meet-ups and events
The success of our intranet project ultimately
The Interact Global Community depended on our staff adopting and using the site.
Interact’s trainers took the time to understand
Customer suggestion and improvement forums
what we were looking to accomplish and gave
Guides and best practice information and support hands-on support to ensure our users were
confident and excited about their new intranet,
Strategy and training services, delivered by our in-house digital workplace
specialists
right from the start.

Joel Turner,
The Interact Service Desk
Internal Communications and Engagement Manager
Sky Betting & Gaming

Alternatively, why not speak to a member of our team today


to find out more?

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Keep learning

Structured training isn’t the only way Don’t risk losing your users. Tap into
to keep learning and developing. As industry knowledge and insights to
technology continues to change at an keep abreast of new trends. Seminars,
incredible rate, new trends will have webinars, and conferences are a great
considerable implications for how way to keep a finger on the pulse and
our employees engage with the digital hear from industry leaders, as well
workplace. Failure to keep pace with as an opportunity to network with
developments risks your intranet peers from across a broad range of
becoming redundant, outdated, and industries and backgrounds.
ultimately, unfit for purpose.

The best ideas and insights often invaluable tool for long-term success.
come from those on the shop floor: Using discussion forums, blogs, meet-
intranet managers, communications ups and more, you can learn from the
professionals, and intranet successes – and failures! – of others,
Looking to stay ahead of the game and ensure you deliver a winning intranet
champions working to keep their obtain support, and unearth new and
for your organization? The Interact Resources area has a huge variety of
intranets engaging and relevant. creative ways to utilize your intranet
experience, thought leadership, and innovative thinking for you to tap into.
Peer communities, such as the to solve everyday business challenges.
Visit now to benefit from:
Interact Customer Community, are an

Free guides and whitepapers Revisit your brand – but not too often

eBooks and industry insights


One of the most compelling aspects of rebrand, or perhaps an office move or
Free on-demand webinars on a broad range of digital workplace topics your intranet is the look and feel: the management restructure.
brand, visual elements, and those all-
Upcoming events, seminars, and webinars around the US and UK important homepages your users see However, a word of warning: users
as soon as they log in. build an affinity and connection
Insightful videos and customer case studies
to a brand over time. They identify
Giving your intranet a brand with it, grow familiar with it. By
refresh and updating the layout and nature, many of us are also adverse to
…and much more!
presentation of your homepages change. A brand overhaul should be

A
can provide a boost to engagement. considered and carefully managed,
It’s also important to help keep and undertaken when there is
your intranet current, relevant, and an identified need – resorting to
in line with your external brand. a new name, logo, color palette,
This is particularly poignant if and homepage layout anytime
your organization has undergone engagement numbers drop will likely
a significant change, such as an have an adverse effect.
acquisition or merger, an external

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Planning and deploying a successful intranet Planning and deploying a successful intranet

Relaunch or re-engagement campaigns

Intranet platforms, like many tools or the value of your intranet in


applications, have a natural lifecycle. supporting employees to perform
An initial peak in engagement and their jobs.
steady growth in the early months or
years will likely reach a plateau, and
without careful management, may
then enter a decline.
This may not even need to be a
business-wide operation; if, for
example, a performance review
About Interact
of your intranet has identified a
Relaunch programs are a great way particular user group that is showing
to bring your intranet back to the low levels of engagement, a focused
Interact is a global enterprise software company that serves
forefront of employees’ minds and effort to get them back onboard may
intranet software to over one million users across more than 800
particularly useful if you’ve opted for be the answer.
organizations. We specialize in solving internal communication and
a rebrand or other significant change.
collaboration challenges by combining our sophisticated intranet
This can include many of the same
ideas as the initial launch, but most software with outstanding professional services, focusing on
importantly, it should communicate developing long-term strategic partnerships with our customers.

Your intranet: the future of your digital workplace Interact has offices in Manchester and
Planning and deploying a successful the results you’re looking for. New York, and operates across the
intranet can deliver remarkable This guide covers the basic framework
returns for your business and its of deploying an intranet, but the
whole of the US and Canada, EMEA, and
employees. journey is unique to each business. Australia.
If you are considering a new intranet
Executed and managed correctly, project for your organization, why
Starting your own intranet journey? We have a wealth of resources
an intranet can transform how your not speak to a member of our team to
designed to support you at every stage of the process. Visit our
business connects, communicates, understand how Interact can partner
Resources Page for free eBooks, guides, whitepapers, webinars, and
and collaborates. It will encourage you to deliver a tailored intranet
events to help make your intranet project a success.
higher levels of employee project that will meet your needs?
engagement, and create bottom-
If you’re looking for more tailored information and support, why
line benefits that span everything Visit our website, www.interact-
not speak to a member of the Interact team? Our in-house digital
from increased retention to higher intranet.com or contact using the
workplace specialists have experience delivering intranet projects
profitability. following details:
across a broad range of industry sectors. No matter what your
challenges or requirements, we can help.
Like any major business project,
it’s also a process that can present
Call us today:
challenges or hurdles along the way.
New York: +1 (646) 564 5775
Creating and following a structured
Manchester: +44 (0)161 927 3222
plan and enlisting the support of
dedicated specialists can help to
manage that journey, ensuring you see

78 79
Station House, 21 W. 46th St. 16th FL,
Stamford New Road, Altrincham, New York
Cheshire WA14 1EP, UK NY 10036

+44 (0) 161 927 3222 +1 (646) 564 5775


info@interact-intranet.com info@interact-intranet.com

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