Comments on: Tackling the global-local challenge? http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/ News and opinion on all things intranet & CM Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:15:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Redesigning the Corporate Intranet | Digital Intent http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-1578 Redesigning the Corporate Intranet | Digital Intent Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:46:26 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-1578 [...] I was also in charge the analysis all along the project, and my objective was to develop a new design that would meet better user needs and improve the usability. We established a modular model that organizes all the content within a common structure. The Corporate content is organized in 1 giant site called the group site and is placed at the center of all the online information. It has a specific IA that assists users to find its immediate content (group wide content), and it has a design that links better to all the other resources available online. Then around the group site, there are as many micro-sites as there are business units and communities of practice. The fashion of the Intranet is actually similar to the universe with planets around the Sun.Step Two published a post ad-hock to describe a bit more our analysis. I invite you to visit their findings at this url. [...] [...] I was also in charge the analysis all along the project, and my objective was to develop a new design that would meet better user needs and improve the usability. We established a modular model that organizes all the content within a common structure. The Corporate content is organized in 1 giant site called the group site and is placed at the center of all the online information. It has a specific IA that assists users to find its immediate content (group wide content), and it has a design that links better to all the other resources available online. Then around the group site, there are as many micro-sites as there are business units and communities of practice. The fashion of the Intranet is actually similar to the universe with planets around the Sun.Step Two published a post ad-hock to describe a bit more our analysis. I invite you to visit their findings at this url. [...]

]]> By: Redesigning the Corporate Intranet « Bon Appetit Everyone http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-1212 Redesigning the Corporate Intranet « Bon Appetit Everyone Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:12:37 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-1212 [...] I was also in charge the analysis all along the project, and my objective was to develop a new design that would meet better user needs and improve the usability. We established a modular model that organizes all the content within a common structure. The Corporate content is organized in 1 giant site called the group site and is placed at the center of all the online information. It has a specific IA that assists users to find its immediate content (group wide content), and it has a design that links better to all the other resources available online. Then around the group site, there are as many micro-sites as there are business units and communities of practice. The fashion of the Intranet is actually similar to the universe with planets around the Sun.Step Two published a post ad-hock to describe a bit more our analysis. I invite you to visit their findings at this url. [...] [...] I was also in charge the analysis all along the project, and my objective was to develop a new design that would meet better user needs and improve the usability. We established a modular model that organizes all the content within a common structure. The Corporate content is organized in 1 giant site called the group site and is placed at the center of all the online information. It has a specific IA that assists users to find its immediate content (group wide content), and it has a design that links better to all the other resources available online. Then around the group site, there are as many micro-sites as there are business units and communities of practice. The fashion of the Intranet is actually similar to the universe with planets around the Sun.Step Two published a post ad-hock to describe a bit more our analysis. I invite you to visit their findings at this url. [...]

]]> By: James Robertson http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-666 James Robertson Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:16:40 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-666 I'm afraid I don't have any data on the usage of different models. But I definitely would aim for a global decision on the overall model, rather than presenting options to individual business units :-) I’m afraid I don’t have any data on the usage of different models. But I definitely would aim for a global decision on the overall model, rather than presenting options to individual business units :-)

]]> By: Patrick C. Walsh http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-662 Patrick C. Walsh Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:45:48 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-662 Great post. This is an issue we will need to consider for our intranet in the future. I'll take guidance from our users by presenting them with various options and see what they like most. But if I had to make a decision now I would probably lean towards option 2. Local intranets are more likely to contain higher value information for the local user than the corporate home page. I'd be really interested to see how many staff actually choose to access the corporate home page if it was presented as an optional link rather than forcing users to open it every time they access the intranet. James have you got any data on this? Patrick Great post.
This is an issue we will need to consider for our intranet in the future. I’ll take guidance from our users by presenting them with various options and see what they like most. But if I had to make a decision now I would probably lean towards option 2. Local intranets are more likely to contain higher value information for the local user than the corporate home page. I’d be really interested to see how many staff actually choose to access the corporate home page if it was presented as an optional link rather than forcing users to open it every time they access the intranet.
James have you got any data on this?

Patrick

]]> By: Craig Thomler http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-639 Craig Thomler Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:49:38 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-639 Sounds uncannily familiar..... I've been doing quite a bit of thinking around a very similar scenario recently. First principles - the needs of staff and management. I'm making a few guesses here based on past experience, if my assumptions on needs are wrong then so is the following conclusion. Senior Management: To present a globally consistent view of the organisation with standard design, messaging and tools. Business Line/Team Management: To ensure staff are as productive as possible. To quickly communicate operational changes relevant to the area and improve staff engagement. Staff: To complete the tasks relevant to their roles quickly and smoothly and to remain connected to their teams, site and stakeholders. To find the right people fast. There is often tension between these goals.... I would consider a standard homepage with both corporate-level messages and user-level customisation. This way people have a starting view of corporate news and tools with areas that are automatically customised by role/team/business line (via the central HR system) to provide the local/business line news and resources needed. Would also consider as a back-up and as support for specific needs having elements of the page customisable by individuals - or cascaded down by business lines/teams. Of course it requires the right enabling infrastructure, which may not be available in the case you are describing. Cheers, Craig Sounds uncannily familiar…..

I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking around a very similar scenario recently.

First principles – the needs of staff and management. I’m making a few guesses here based on past experience, if my assumptions on needs are wrong then so is the following conclusion.

Senior Management: To present a globally consistent view of the organisation with standard design, messaging and tools.

Business Line/Team Management: To ensure staff are as productive as possible. To quickly communicate operational changes relevant to the area and improve staff engagement.

Staff: To complete the tasks relevant to their roles quickly and smoothly and to remain connected to their teams, site and stakeholders. To find the right people fast.

There is often tension between these goals….

I would consider a standard homepage with both corporate-level messages and user-level customisation.

This way people have a starting view of corporate news and tools with areas that are automatically customised by role/team/business line (via the central HR system) to provide the local/business line news and resources needed.

Would also consider as a back-up and as support for specific needs having elements of the page customisable by individuals – or cascaded down by business lines/teams.

Of course it requires the right enabling infrastructure, which may not be available in the case you are describing.

Cheers,

Craig

]]> By: Matt http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-638 Matt Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:51:06 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-638 We are tackling this problem right now. The most probable solution right now seems to be a partly personalized start page, with content both from the users local office and the head quarters. The user also have the option to add completely personal content, such as e-mail and calendar. This increases the chance of the user to actually read the global information. Also, I have understood that most users do not use personalization at all, so the default settings has to be "good enough". We are tackling this problem right now. The most probable solution right now seems to be a partly personalized start page, with content both from the users local office and the head quarters.

The user also have the option to add completely personal content, such as e-mail and calendar.

This increases the chance of the user to actually read the global information.

Also, I have understood that most users do not use personalization at all, so the default settings has to be “good enough”.

]]> By: James Robertson http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-637 James Robertson Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:33:34 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-637 @Andrew, yes, this is definitely a simple case. Thought we would start with a reasonably easy one before moving onto the harder problems... ;-) @Andrew, yes, this is definitely a simple case. Thought we would start with a reasonably easy one before moving onto the harder problems… ;-)

]]> By: Craig Coomans http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-635 Craig Coomans Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:55:00 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-635 Hi James, What about personalised pages? Where staff can create their own page choosing content from both Local & Global resources as well as some mandatory content. I would be interested in hearing your advantages and disadvantages of such a model. From my experience the biggest downfall in such a solution is giving people the knowledge to build the site then the barrier of them wanting to do it. craigcoomans Hi James,

What about personalised pages? Where staff can create their own page choosing content from both Local & Global resources as well as some mandatory content. I would be interested in hearing your advantages and disadvantages of such a model. From my experience the biggest downfall in such a solution is giving people the knowledge to build the site then the barrier of them wanting to do it.

craigcoomans

]]> By: Andrew Fix http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/tackling-the-global-local-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-634 Andrew Fix Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:34:09 +0000 http://www.steptwo.com.au/columntwo/?p=3265#comment-634 Hi James, Look forward to the outcome, but I would probably add one more element to the mix. I battle with company, business and country level communications, and at a lower level, classes of business and locations. Andrew Hi James,

Look forward to the outcome, but I would probably add one more element to the mix. I battle with company, business and country level communications, and at a lower level, classes of business and locations.

Andrew

]]>