The concept of innovation, and the advantages it can deliver, have come to the forefront in many organisations. With organisations as recognising that market opportunities can be generated through business innovation, it is natural to ask whether the intranets that serve these organisations can themselves be innovative.

In many ways, it is vital for intranets to innovate if they are to prosper in the long term. As things currently stand, intranets are often seen as ‘dull but useful’, which can make it difficult for intranet teams to gain the resources they require.

Building more innovative intranets gives the opportunity to demonstrate the value that intranets can deliver for an organisation more clearly and powerfully. The obvious question is how can intranet teams most effectively make their sites more innovative?

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

What should be highlighted from the outset, however, is that innovation is not primarily about new technologies. While these do play a role, the evolution of intranets into more effective platforms is much more about following innovative approaches than in implementing the latest tools.

This article will therefore focus on providing a holistic approach to innovation, covering people, process and technology.

[April KM Column, read the full article]