Articles tagged: intranets

APRIL 2013

Beyond the standard content audit

Using Excel in more powerful ways can bring further insights beyond a typical content audit

CMb 2013-03

Content migration: start as you plan to continue

When migrating to a new intranet, it’s important to establish the right authoring practices from the outset.

MARCH 2013

Designing intranet homepages that help employees do their jobs

How much of your intranet home is red (irrelevant) vs green (directly helpful for staff)?

CMb 2013-01

Every intranet needs a strategy

An intranet vision is the starting point, but a strategy is still needed showing how to get there.

DECEMBER 2012

Accessibility for intranets

This article outlines three tiers of activities that can make an intranet accessible for those with disabilities.

CMb 2012-11

A model for author training

Training for intranet authors is best as a mix of online and face-to-face, and this article shows how.

NOVEMBER 2012

Three ways to deliver mobile solutions

There are three approaches to delivering mobile functionality for staff: native apps, mobile web or hybrid apps.

CMb 2012-10

Taking care with intranet information architecture concepts

Avoid structuring the intranet to match today’s business units, and think twice about ‘my’.

CMb 2012-09

Use your CMS to improve intranet content

While a CMS cannot magically keep content up-to-date, effective use of technology options can help greatly.

OCTOBER 2012

Intranet Innovations 2012: key themes from this year’s awards

The 2012 winners of the Intranet Innovation Awards cover mobile, dashboards, social and beyond.

SEPTEMBER 2012

Intranets shaping culture

What does organisational culture mean, and how can intranets help?

CMB 2012-08

Tips and considerations for a successful social intranet

There are a number of pitfalls to avoid when creating a new social intranet, to ensure adoption and business value.

AUGUST 2012

Improving intranet content

A range of strategies can be taken to ensure that intranet content is up-to-date and well-written.

CMb 2012-07

A checklist for quality content

Authors need clear advice and guidelines to help them write great intranet content.

JULY 2012

Responsive design for mobile intranets?

In this modern age, mobile devices should be supported when redesigning intranets.

CMb 2012-06

Intranet governance in three pages

While intranet governance is a big topic to make sense of, a great start is to get three key documents in place.

JUNE 2012

Designing an intranet’s policy section

Policies and procedures are important information, and they need to be easily found and used on the intranet.

CMb 2012-05

How to make this your last big intranet redesign

Intranet redesigns involve a huge amount of work, so how do we make this the last big redesign that’s needed?

April 2012

Selecting enterprise social network software

There are many enterprise social tools, which vary greatly in their capabilities, and it is important to choose carefully.

CMb 2012-03

Planning a successful intranet project

This article outlines a checklist of items to address when developing an intranet project plan.

CMB 2012-02

Briefing a visual design agency for intranet designs

Visual design is important for intranets, and great work by design agencies is key to this.

March 2012

Six keys to the digital workplace

The digital workplace offers a compelling vision of the future, but the right foundations must be in place.

FEBRUARY 2012

An outline for intranet author training

Intranet authors need to be provided with comprehensive training if they’re to write great content.

DECEMBER 2011

Intranets: global and local

All intranets must find a balance between global (common) and local (specific) information.

CMb 2011-18

Fun on the intranet

Including fun features on the intranet can send the message that the organisation is a great place to work.

CMb 2011–17

What intranets can do for … engineers

Engineers working in operational environments have specific needs and issues that can be met with an intranet.

November 2011

Intranet Innovations 2011: six key themes from this year’s awards

The 2011 Intranet Innovation Awards shine a light on the current and future direction of intranets globally.

OCTOBER 2011

Tree testing for effective navigation

Tree testing provides a cheap and effective way of checking draft navigation before proceeding further into a redesign.

CMb 2011–16

What is a social intranet?

Social intranets aren’t a technology, they’re a philosophy and a new way of looking at how intranets work.

CMb 2011–15

Helping intranet authors write quality content

There are a range of practical ways to help content authors produce better intranet pages.

SEPTEMBER 2011

Enable commenting on intranet news

Allowing commenting on intranet news is an invaluable stepping stone towards a more social intranet.

CMb 2011–14

Intranet teams need technology savvy

Intranet teams can’t afford to be technology ignorant, but nor do they need to be geeks.

CMb 2011–13

Common intranet questions, unique solutions

Intranet teams seeking insight from other organisations need to adapt ideas to fit their unique circumstances.

August 2011

Card sorting: online versus offline

When should online card sorting be used, and how to make the most of it as a research technique?

CMb 2011–12

What message does your intranet send to your staff?

Organisations with a strong public brand and reputation are under growing pressure to deliver an intranet to match.

CMb 2011–11

Build upkeep into intranet redesign

Intranet redesigns truly succeed when they address longer-term strategy, management and governance issues.

CMb 2011-10

Coaching for intranet success

Effective coaching techniques are critical for achieving a well performing intranet team.

CMb 2011–08

Four types of enterprise mobility

When examined more closely, the mobile enterprise means many different things, delivered in different ways.

CMb 2011–07

One CMS or two?

It should not be automatically assumed that the one CMS will ideally serve both the intranet and website.

MAY 2011

Case study: Providing comprehensive support for a public sector intranet

Comprehensive training and support is a critical component of delivering, and sustaining, a great intranet.

CMb 2011–06

Ticker tape on the home page

Including a tickertape on the intranet homepage can be an effective way of communicating real-time updates.

APRIL 2011

Planning your SharePoint intranet project

While broadly like any other intranet project, SharePoint intranets bring unique opportunities and challenges.

CMb 2011–04

Promoting the intranet as a service

Rather than thinking of the intranet as a once-off ‘product’, consider it an ongoing ‘service’ to the business.

CMb 2011–03

How to find intranet screenshots

One of the greatest challenges for intranet teams is seeing other intranets and learning from them.

MARCH 2011

Creating an intranet governance guide

Clear governance, including well-written policies, are critical for intranet success. But where to start?

CMb 2011–01

Moving on from newsletters

In this modern age, there is no reason to continue the 50 year-old practice of sending corporate newsletters.

DECEMBER 2010

Employee engagement and intranets

Intranets can do much to support employee engagement initiatives and objectives.

CMb 2010-22

Three examples of presenting customer insights on the intranet

Intranets can be used to surface and deliver valuable customer information that helps organisations succeed.

NOVEMBER 2010

Intranet Innovations 2010: key themes from this year’s awards

The 2010 Intranet Innovation Awards have shown that content is no longer king on intranets, and that social media has becomes standard.

CMb 2010–20

Jargon test your intranet

Jargon can make it hard for even experienced intranet users to find what they need and to complete tasks.

CMb 2010–19

Targeting enterprise search to key tasks

The strength of enterprise search is also its challenge: how to pick which of the many features to use?

CMb 2010–18

Elements of a mobile enterprise strategy

Mobile devices are changing the consumer landscape, and organisations must have an enterprise strategy to keep in the game.

CMb 2010–17

Intranet access challenges

Many key frontline and operational staff have limited access to desktop-based intranets. How best to reach them?

September 2010

Integrating applications into the intranet

Intranets deliver the greatest benefits when they provide seamless access to common applications and tools.

CMb 2010-16

Conducting an annual intranet review

Intranets should be reviewed every year, to ensure they are making steady and concrete progress.

CMb 2010-15

Should intranet links open in a new window?

There are many possible intranet policies that could be established regarding new windows and tabs.

CMb 2010-14

How HR can leverage the intranet

HR is a key stakeholder of corporate intranets, and can use the site to deliver both information and services.

CMb 2010–13

Three elements of every intranet strategy

At any given point, intranet teams must be able to describe: where we’ve been, what we’re doing, and what comes next.

CMb 2010-12

How long are intranet projects?

Intranet teams, and business stakeholders, often underestimate the length of intranet projects.

JULY 2010

What attractive intranets look like

Intranets can’t afford to be useful but ugly, and inspiration should be drawn from modern web design standards.

CMb 2010–10

Build support before an intranet redesign

It is a mistake to assume that recognition that the current intranet is broken translates automatically into support for fixing it.

CMb 2010–09

Rolling out intranet access from home

While giving staff access to the intranet from home can be beneficial, the rollout needs to be carefully managed.

JUNE 2010

Enhancing the intranet with game theory

Game theory provides a new way of looking at employee engagement and action on intranets.

CMB 2010–08

Finding compelling examples to build the intranet business case

Intranet business cases are more powerful when they draw on real-life examples of issues and needs.

CMb 2010–07

Identifying staff tasks

Understanding common and important staff tasks underpins every aspect of intranet design and management.

May 2010

How long should the intranet homepage be?

It is widely assumed that intranet homepages need to be squeezed into a single screenful, but can longer pages be made to work?

CMb 2010-06

Do intranets only need search?

Can we replace our intranet homepages with a Google-inspired search page?

CMb 2010-05

Three types of intranet communication

Intranets are an important internal communications channel, and it’s important to get the right mix of news.

APRIL 2010

Educating the executive about the intranet

Executive support is critical for intranets, and there are a range of practical approaches for gaining this.

CMb 2010–04

Structuring three types of content

When designing and structuring intranets, it is useful to distinguish between core content, and business-unit specific information.

CMb 2010–03

Measuring the effectiveness of intranet teams

There are a range of practical ways of assessing whether the team is spending its time to greatest effect.

MARCH 2010

Creating MyHomepage at DSTA

MyHomepage enables better communication, dialogue and expertise sharing between employees, through the use of social tools.

CMB 2010-02

Three views on intranet names

Three intranet teams describe how they chose the name for their intranets, and the impact it has had.

CMb 2010–01

Recommended reading for intranet teams

There are many good books that can help intranet teams to deliver great sites and overcome challenges.

February 2010

Eight intranet design mistakes

Intranet projects are challenging, and it’s easy for teams to fall into common traps that can undo the good work being done.

CMb 2009-22

An elevator pitch for you and your intranet

It’s important to have an ‘elevator pitch’ to hand at all times for both the intranet and intranet team.

CMb 2009–21

The three clicks myth

The ‘three clicks rule’ is perhaps the most widely known web design principle, but it’s a myth.

DECEMBER 2009

How to empower authors

Intranet teams can never maintain a whole site themselves, and empowered authors will do much to deliver great content.

CMb 2009–20

The softer side of intranets

The intranet should provide a human face to staff, and can do much to build and transform the corporate culture.

CMb 2009-19

Photos in staff directories

Explores the benefits and risks related to including photos in the corporate staff directory.

NOVEMBER 2009

Intranet Innovations 2009: insights into this year’s winners

Learn more about the intranet innovations that will help every intranet team to deliver a better site in 2010.

CMb 2009–18

Some testing is better than none

Even when time and resources are tight, it is always worth squeezing in at least a little user testing.

CMb 2009–17

About the intranet, on the intranet

The intranet should have a section devoted to the intranet itself, communicating to stakeholders, authors and general staff.

OCTOBER 2009

Seven roles of the intranet homepage

There are many different uses for the intranet homepage, and a balance must be gained to meet business and staff needs.

SEPTEMBER 2009

Creating high quality intranet videos at the Forest Products Commission

The Forest Products Commission shares their use of video, in this guest article.

CMb 2009–16

What to look for in a visual designer

Getting the right visual designer for your intranet or website project is critical.

CMb 2009–15

Using the intranet to access collaboration tools

The home page of the intranet should provide a one-click gateway to collaboration tools.

August 2009

Using audio and video on the intranet

Intranet-based rich media, including audio and video, provides new ways of connecting with staff.

CMb 2009–11

What is the biggest mistake an intranet manager can make?

Intranet managers need to be careful not to get caught up in their own experiences and perspectives.

JULY 2009

Planning to demonstrate success

By planning projects carefully from the outset, intranet teams can build a strong business case.

CMb 2009–10

What intranet content should be in PDF format?

The different uses for PDFs and web-based content on intranets is a common source of confusion.

JUNE 2009

What do successful intranet managers have in common?

Successful intranet managers balance their technical skills, business acumen and leadership capabilities, and take a pragmatic approach to their sites.

MAY 2009

Five intranet publishing models

There are five fundamental publishing models for an intranet, and each has strengths and weaknesses.

CMb 2009–08

Target emotions in the business case

Intranet business cases need to beyond dry numbers and recommendations, and target emotions and key business needs.

CMb 2009–07

Going beyond reducing intranet frustration

If intranets are to achieve their full potential, intranet teams must go beyond just reducing frustration.

CMb 2009–06

Sources of staff directory information

There are three main sources of staff directory information: IT systems, HR/payroll, and staff themselves.

CMb 2009–05

Use good interview techniques

Following a core set of guidelines will greatly improve the effectiveness of staff interviews.

CMb 2009–04

Does your intranet close the business process loop?

The intranet is a powerful way of helping staff to get things done more effectively.

CMb 2009–03

No collaboration without communications

Getting the fundamentals of good communication right is a prerequisite for collaboration initiatives.

MARCH 2009

Integrating social tools with the EUMETSAT intranet

A wiki for new starters and a discussion forum enhance collaboration at EUMETSAT.

FEBRUARY 2009

Custom code, CMS and portals

There are three main approaches to delivering custom functionality and interactive features on websites and intranets.

DECEMBER 2008

Publicising the launch of ‘Boris’ at City of Casey

‘Boris’ is the intranet at City of Casey, a local government organisation in Victoria, Australia.

NOVEMBER 2008

Managing the intranet through a crisis

Managing the intranet through the cycles of boom and bust that are inevitable in our organisations and economies.

CMb 2008–19

Basics of governance

Governance is about having a framework in place that enables the decision-making and planning processes for the intranet.

CMb 2008–18

Extend the reach of the staff directory

Staff directories are only useful when they contain all staff, even those without a PC or payroll number.

OCTOBER 2008

Metadata fundamentals for intranets and websites

While basic metadata is routinely captured by most publishing tools, there is still widespread confusion about its uses and limits.

CMb 2008-16

Three ways to update the staff directory

There are three main ways of keeping a staff directory up to date: centralised updates, self-service updating and via integration.

CMb 2008–15

Naming the intranet

Giving the intranet a name helps to build its identity, and may even give it a personality within the organisation.

CMb 2008–13

Staff directories benefit from cross-linking

Some of the greatest value in a staff directory comes from the cross-linking, within the directory and to other resources.

CMb 2008–12

Two uses for wikis

Wikis can be used as both collaboration tools and as an intranet, and these are two very different situations.

CMb 2008-10

How intranet teams should spend their time

Intranet teams need to carefully manage their time, to ensure that progress is always being made.

CMb 2008-09

Should the intranet look sexy?

Public-facing websites often have a strong marketing element to them, but do intranets need to be as polished in their design?

CMb 2008-07

Helping the intranet team win arguments

To help build team confidence, intranet teams should understand staff needs and the motivations of content owners.

CMb 2008-08

Starting to define the intranet brand

To be successful, intranets must have a clear definition of their purpose and character, underpinning decisions about future directions.

JUNE 2008

ABCD for intranets

ABCD for intranets is a step-by-step tool that can be applied at any time and then used for the continual refinement and improvement of the intranet.

CMb 2008-06

Don’t try to boil the content ocean

Too many approaches to improving intranet content are destined for heroic failure.

MAY 2008

Intranet (re)design wrap-up

Over the years, we have published a vast amount of information on intranets. In this article, we attempt to wrap up all the activities that form part of an intranet design (or redesign) into one concise checklist.

CMb 2008-03

Clean up your LDAP or Active Directory

Before personalisation can be implemented, underlying LDAP or Active Directory implementations need to be cleaned up.

APRIL 2008

Using cultural probes for intranet user research

In this article we talk with user experience consultant Gerry Gaffney, about his experience in using a new technique called cultural probes.

MARCH 2008

Exploring the Intranet Hive (part 2)

This article completes the exploration of the Intranet Hive, a new model for managing intranets.

FEBRUARY 2008

Exploring the Intranet Hive (part 1)

This article introduces the Intranet Hive, a comprehensive model for managing ongoing intranet activities.

CMb 2008-02

Gaining intranet stardom

Being an intranet star isn’t easy, but there are practical ways of making it happen.

CMb 2007-23

Promote intranet successes

Intranet teams should use a range of approaches to track and communicate their success stories, to managers and the wider organisation.

OCTOBER 2007

Intranet Innovation Awards winners for 2007

This article shares the winners of the 2007 Intranet Innovation Awards, providing a screenshot and summary for each winning entry.

CMb 2007-18

Segmenting staff information needs

There are three main facets that can be used to segment staff needs for information: job role, business unit and geographic location.

CASE STUDY (OCTOBER 2007)

Intranet redesign for Canon Australia

This case study outlines the process undertaken by Canon Australia to evaluate and redesign their corporate intranet, including an overview of the innovative IA developed.

CMb 2007-15

Why staff visit the intranet

There are two key reasons for a staff member to come to the intranet: to find a specific piece of information, or to complete a specific task.

AUGUST 2007

6×2: a new approach to planning

This methodology provides intranet teams with a new and powerful approach to planning intranet improvements.

CMb 2007-14

Your new site will be 20% different from current site

A simple rule of thumb when planning a site redesign is that the new site will be no more than 20% different from the current site.

CMb 2007-10

Personalisation vs segmentation

This briefing draws a clear line between two separate functionalities: personalisation and segmentation.

JUNE 2007

Do staff make use of personalisation features?

This article discusses the results of a worldwide survey conducted to guage what extent personalisation is being used in intranets and portals.

CMb 2007-07

Every intranet has its successes

This briefing explores the idea of intranet successes, how to identify them, and how to gain the greatest value from them.

APRIL 2007

Building innovative intranets

Explores a number of approaches that can be taken to build innovative intranets, all of which move intranet teams beyond just maintaining their current sites.

CMb 2007-06

Three fundamental purposes of an intranet

To be truly effective, intranets need to address three fundamental purposes: content, communication and activity.

CMb 2007-05

Intranet teams must cover the three purposes

The intranet team must guide, coordinate and integrate activities across all three fundamental intranet purposes: content, communication and activity.

CMb 2007-04

Intranet benchmarking for free

The Intranet Review Toolkit provides a free way of assessing where your intranet is up to, benchmarked against industry best practice.

MARCH 2007

The importance of ‘tangible’ and ‘visible’

Intranet teams should be guided by two words when planning intranet activities: tangible and visible.

FEBRUARY 2007

Position descriptions for intranet managers

Position descriptions describe the key responsibilities and duties of the intranet manager, fulfulling two audiences, the intranet manager as well as the organisation.

CMb 2007-01

Automating three types of forms

There is a ‘rule of thirds’ that can be used to categorise the main types of forms that exist on an intranet.

CMb 2006-21

Usability and IA are core skills for intranet teams

Usability and information architecture (IA) are core areas of expertise for intranet teams, and all organisations should take steps to build this expertise internally.

CMb 2006-20

Intranet as a mirror to the organisation

The most successful intranets are those that directly reflect the unique nature of the organisations they serve.

NOVEMBER 2006

Feed your enterprise with RSS

Conceptually, ‘news feeds’ are quite simple, allowing content to be delivered over the internet. Web users are very familiar with the idea of feeds, but what about their use within an organisation?

CMb 2006-19

Intranet kiosks or remote access?

here are many staff that have little (or no) access to a computer during work hours, and there are two main approaches for making intranet available: kiosks and remote access.

CMb 2006-17

The enemy of intranets is apathy

The enemy of intranets is not resistance to change, it is apathy, which must be overcome to build support and resources.

OCTOBER 2006

The intranet homepage, protect it with a policy

An intranet homepage policy is tool that can provide some welcome support to intranet managers as well as providing a clear direction to business units and senior managers on the use of the homepage.

SEPTEMBER 2006

Creating an “intranet concept”

An intranet concept is a single sheet of paper which outlines where the intranet is at, where it is going, and what it will deliver in the short-term.

Monthly intranet tasks

This article provides a long (but still not comprehensive) list of ongoing tasks for intranet teams.

CMb 2006-13

Login to the intranet

A very simple improvement to the intranet is to ensure that all staff login to the site in order to use it. This allows a number of immediate benefits to be offered, as well as providing a foundation for future enhancements.

CMb 2006-14

Design intranets all the way to the bottom

It is not enough to focus an intranet redesign on just the home page, global navigation and page layout.

JULY 2006

Intranets as a news channel

While news on the intranet home page is widespread, the question needs to be asked: how effective is it?

CMb 2006-11

Five key intranet policies

This briefing takes a different look at the role of intranet policies, and outlines five policies that all intranet teams should develop.

CMb 2006-10

Create a strong intranet brand

The intranet needs to have a strong brand, a sense of identity that, at a basic level, distinguishes it from the public website and other information sources within the organisation.

CMb 2006-09

Quantitatively test the effectiveness of your home page

This article explains a quick and effective technique for assessing whether your home page is an effective gateway to site content.

CMb 2006-07

Full site redesign? Start by addressing the home page

Rather than embarking on a major project at the first sign of problems, consider tactical solutions such as the redesign of the home page.

MAY 2006

Nine ways to fix intranet search

This article outlines nine steps that can be taken by all intranet teams to improve the effectiveness of search, covering both design and under-the-hood changes.

CMb 2006-08

10 words to describe successful intranets

This article provides 10 words that describe successful intranets, including: innovative, productive and collaborative.

CMb 2006-03

Intranet authoring: a hobby?

Much is expected of intranet authors, in terms of the quality, accuracy and timliness of published material. Yet, many organisations treat intranet authoring as a hobby.

MARCH 2005

Leadership tips for intranet teams

Intranet teams must take on a strong leadership role, and drive forward the evolution and enhancement of the site.

CMb 2006-02

Intranet managers must be managers

The intranet manager should be free to focus solely on managing the site, and not writing HTML or publishing content.

DECEMBER 2005

The “all together” rule for intranets

Intranet content and tools should be aggregated, to help staff find required information, and to complete key tasks.

CMb 2005-19

Meeting your intranet users

Users are not all the same, and do not have the same needs. A key principle is therefore: you can’t usefully deliver information to users you haven’t personally met.

CMb 2005-17

Providing intranet access to records

This briefing outlines a simple scenario in which the intranet helps staff find key corporate information, while the documents accessed are stored in the document/records management system.

OCTOBER 2005

Intranet change: evolution or big bang?

There are two main approaches to redeveloping an intranet: a big bang and evolution.

SEPTEMBER 2005

Conducting intranet needs analysis

Determining what an intranet is actually for involves gaining an in-depth understanding of staff (and organisational) needs and issues.

CMb 2005-14

Is your intranet trusted by staff?

It is widely recognised that an intranet must be trusted, if it is to be regularly used by staff across an organisation.

CMb 2005-12

Intranets: losing the language of enforcement

All too often, centralised intranet teams find themselves battling with decentralised authors to enforce consistency and quality standards.

Case study (July 2005)

Five intranet reviews, five different results

This case study presents the findings from five intranet reviews across a range of organisations, each with very different results.

Intranets as the first source of information

Intranets must be more than just a dumping ground for ‘second-hand documents’ if they are to be successful. Instead, a radically different policy needs to be put in place.

JUNE 2005

Intranet teams: survey results and key findings

This article summarises the results of a public survey into intranet teams: how large they are, where they are located, what skills they have, and more.

CMb 2005-08

Paradox of delivering to isolated staff

Staff in geographically isolated locations are most reliant on information sources such as intranets, and yet in practical terms they are the hardest to reach.

CMb 2005-05

Why are intranets structured like the organisational chart?

Any intranets structured around the organisational chart are difficult to use. Before attempting a restructure, consider why this structure has been used.

CMb 2005-04

Creating an upwards spiral for your intranet

If intranets are to succeed, an upwards spiral must be created, where each success (no matter how small) leads onto further improvements.

MARCH 2005

Online staff directories: survey results and key findings

This article shares survey results and recommendations on the design and implementation of online staff directories, the most used element of most intranets.

DECEMBER 2004

10 ways to continuously improve your intranet

Explores a number of practical ways that an intranet can be improved incrementally without yet another redesign.

FEBRUARY 2005

Step-by-step: implementing online forms

Online forms on a corporate intranet deliver clear benefits and cost savings. This article outlines a simple step-by-step approach to implementing online forms.

CMb 2004-21

Who should own the intranet?

One of the first challenges when establishing an intranet is to determine who should have overall ownership of the site, and where the intranet team should be located.

CMb 2004-20

How to scope an intranet release

The challenge is to deliver sufficient intranet content and capabilities, within the time and resource constraints. This briefing outlines a simple approach for balancing these factors.

CMb 2004-17

Is your intranet “Under Construction”?

Explores the advantages and disadvantages of using ‘under construction’ on an intranet.

CMb 2004-15

Choosing your information delivery channels

All delivery channels (not just the intranet) must be considered when planning an overall information management and communications strategy.

CMb 2004-14

Establishing an intranet community of practice

A critical success factor for an effective and sustainable intranet is the establishment of an intranet ‘community of practice’.

CMb 2004-13

Improving your intranet, task by task

By improving the way the intranet supports key tasks, immediate business benefits can be delivered in a manageable and cost-effective manner.

CMb 2004-12

Does your intranet support core business?

Many intranets are dedicated to allowing staff to complete administrative tasks easily, instead of assisting staff to do their core business.

CMb 2004-11

The importance of training staff in the use of the intranet

An intranet is something that staff need to learn, just like any other business application or information system. This will require both formal and informal training.

CMb 2004-09

Have we seen the perfect intranet?

We are often asked whether we have seen the perfect intranet, and our answer is no. Read more to find out why.

CASE STUDY (JUNE 2004)

User-centred redesign of the FaCS intranet

FaCS applied user-centred techniques in the redevelopment of their large Government intranet, and it serves as a useful model for other organisations looking to tackle the same issues.

MAY 2004

Designing and Managing an Intranet

AGIMO Better Practice Checklist, for staff responsible for intranets, including those in website or intranet teams.

MAY 2004

Intranets and knowledge sharing

The intranet can serve as a platform for knowledge management initiatives, via approaches such as collaborative environments, staff directories, wikis and weblogs.

APRIL 2004

Intranets when organisations merge

This article outlines a phased approach to creating a new corporate intranet when organisations merge, following the progress of the merger itself.

CMb 2004-05

More than just finding policy documents

This briefing looks at the role of corporate policies within an organisation, and the need to better communicate their message to staff.

CMb 2004-03

Intranet teams: a leadership and coaching role

Intranet teams should play a leadership and coaching role in the organisation, in order to ensure that the intranet is effective, up-to-date and usable.

JANUARY 2004

Five ways to identify intranet usability issues

This article provides five techniques to identify likely usability problems in your intranet. Some techniques provide indications about where the main problems lie, others provide concrete evidence.

CMb 2004-02

Choosing an intranet project sponsor

Lack of project sponsorship is one of the greatest causes of IT project failure. For an organisation-wide platform such as an intranet, the need is even greater.

CMb 2003-21

The difference between usable and useful

A redesigned site can be easy and quick to use, and perfectly structured, and still be useless. For a site to be useful, it must meet user needs, and there are a range of techniques for identifying these.

OCTOBER 2003

Escaping the organisation chart on your intranet

Escaping an organisational structure for your intranet is not easy, but will deliver many business benefits.

CMb 2003-20

The importance of staff induction

Staff induction is vital in getting staff up to speed, and ensuring they are productive. Yet most organisations have inadequate or ad-hoc processes in place.

CMb 2003-17

The value of intranet feedback

A simple intranet feedback mechanism is an effective way of keeping an intranet up-to-date, and assisting with change management and cultural change processes.

CMb 2003-15

Beyond “efficient dissemination of timely information”

The intranet goal ‘to efficiently disseminate accurate information’ is meaningless, and must be replaced.

CMb 2003-14

Selecting staff for stakeholder interviews

This briefing focuses on who to select for stakeholder interviews. It provides some general guidelines, and lists some areas of the organisation to involve.

CMb 2003-13

Stakeholder interviews as simple knowledge mapping

Stakeholder interviews are a very effective way of gaining an understanding of an organisation, and can be considered a form of ‘knowledge mapping’.

CMb 2003-10

Roles needed in an intranet team

A multi-disciplinary approach is needed when establishing an intranet team. This briefing outlines the key roles required.

CMb 2003-09

The two faces of intranet success

A successful intranet ensures that: staff needs are met, and the content creation processes are supported.

APRIL 2003

34 ideas for promoting your intranet

This article outlines ideas for promoting your intranet, ranging from the obvious through to the very unusual. Somewhere in this list should be a few approaches that you can apply to your own intranet.

CMb 2003-07

Five minute intranet self-evaluation

This briefing presents a simple checklist that will allow you to judge just how much work will be required to bring your intranet back to top performance.

MARCH 2003

Worlds apart: intranets and websites

Beyond using HTML, intranets and websites have very little in common.

DECEMBER 2002

Public-sector intranets: a small sampling

Twenty public-sector intranets surveyed as part of the Intranet Peers in Government forum.

NOVEMBER 2002

Case study: Hunter Health intranet

Review of the Hunter Health intranet, which generated a wealth of strategic and tactical recommendations.

OCTOBER 2002

Keeping your intranet healthy and effective

The real challenge is to maintain the quality, consistency and value of an intranet, well into the future. This article shows you how.

SEPTEMBER 2002

Sixteen steps to a renewed corporate intranet

Outlines a disciplined approach to re-invigorating a corporate intranet, making it deliver real business benefits.

CASE STUDY (AUGUST 2001)

NRMA Case Study

Read about the project to create a customised content management system for the NRMA. It now holds over 15,000 pages, and is constant use by a dedicated team of over half a dozen authors.

CASE STUDY (AUGUST 2001)

RTA Case Study

Read about the project to develop Frontline Help for the Newcastle Call Centre. This project deployed a full content management system, created a web-based delivery infrastructure, and captured large amounts of business information.