An intranet redesign can typically take the better part of 12 months and in some cases years (depending on the scope and organisation). At the end of the project, intranet teams can lose momentum and need (and deserve!) a break. After spending much needed time relaxing on a tropical island, it is time to start thinking of the future.

Create a list of outstanding items

When conducting a large intranet project, there are often items that ‘don’t make the cut’ for various reasons. This could be because of budget, resourcing or technology constraints or all of the above.

Create a list of these items along with intranet feedback post-launch and anything else that might meet the strategic direction or plan for the organisation for the next six months.

Target the ‘right’ enhancements

Once a list is created. It is important to target the ‘right’ enhancements, tackling those mini projects that will deliver the most tangible and visible benefits to staff.

Start by listing the criteria by which you will choose what work you will complete over the next 6-12 months. Depending on your organisation this could include, but will not be limited to, activities that:

• impact the majority of staff (securing the intranet team further support and funding into the future)
• directly affect customers
• provide the greatest efficiency savings
• align with intranet strategy
• align with the organisational vision and strategy
• have the ‘cool factor’ (this might get the attention of the Executive who just wants social)

Next look at the constraints or, what is stopping you doing what you would like to be able to do in the next six months.

Examples might include:

• budget
• timing
• impact on IT
• impact on the business
• resources

For more information on detailed planning, see the article 6×2: a new approach to planning.

Evaluate business requirements

Often activities can make it onto the to-do-list based on perceived need or ‘cool factor’. A sponsor might be keen on introducing social elements to the intranet and be prepared to foot the bill without clear requirements.

In this case, it can be worth doing a mini piece of research on each of the proposed mini projects to understand where the time and funds should be best spent and whether there is in fact an actual business requirement there.

This research could take the form of on-on-one or small group interviews or workshops based on the target activities. The purpose of this research is to elicit enough detail about the business requirement and need to properly evaluate against the criteria and constraints you identified. Further research may be needed to flesh out each of the projects once the list has been decided.

Create a road map for future work

Once the research is complete, evaluate each of the activities based on the identified criteria and constraints to create a road map for future enhancements.

The activities must meet one or more of the criteria and be able to be done within the constraints in order to make the final cut.

Summary

It is easy to get caught in the day-to-day running of an intranet especially after a big project. To keep the momentum within the intranet team and the organisation, and to show how the intranet can be an essential business tool, teams must take a continuous improvement approach.