The role of intranets
Most organisations now have an intranet, often serving as a “one stop shop” for corporate information and documents. But is this enough? Should intranets have a broader role beyond this?
If intranets are to be truly successful, they need to have a clear purpose within the organisation. The more this purpose is aligned with business and organisational needs, the easier it is to get the resources and budget needed.
Fundamentally, we need to be able to answer: what is the intranet actually for?
Understanding the evolution of intranets
The starting point is to understand the evolution of intranets, where they have come from, why they are the way they are, and where they should be heading next. In our work, we have identified six clear phases of intranet evolution, across intranets globally in both the public and private sectors:
- the intranet is born
- rapid organic growth
- repeated redesigns
- usability & IA
- useful, not just usable
- intranets as a business tool
Listen to the 20 minute slidecast above to hear more about each of the phases, and what they mean for intranet teams.
The four purposes of an intranet
There are four fundamental purposes of an intranet:
- content
- communication
- collaboration
- activity
Historically, intranets have focused on content and communication, providing a platform for corporate information and news. To be successful, however, there needs to be a balanced focused on all four elements. Activity (the intranet as a ‘place for doing things’ rather than just a ‘place for reading things’) is particularly important in terms of building a business case for the intranet.
Listen to the 15 minute slidecast above for a discussion of each of the four purposes, where intranets currently sit, and where they should be heading next.
Intranet goals and vision
The intranet must have documented goals, as part of a broader vision and direction. Having six bullet points is too little, while a 20-page intranet strategy is too long (and often too boring!). We recommend creating a single sheet of paper that outlines the current state of the intranet, the future direction, and what this means in practice (we call this an “intranet concept”).
Read more:
- Starting to define the intranet brand
- Creating an “intranet concept”
- Intranet as a mirror to the organisation
- Intranets as a news channel
- 10 words to describe successful intranets
- Does your intranet support core business?
Creating an intranet strategy
Once the desired role of the intranet has been identified, a strategy and roadmap will be required. Covering both short-term activities and longer-term initiatives, an intranet strategy must be meaningful for the organisation as a whole. Read more
Delivering innovative intranets
The goal of many intranet teams is to now push beyond the “traditional” role of intranets, and to explore innovative ideas and approaches. Read more
