Goals for an Intranet

Now that we are at the beginning of a new year it is a great time to think about goals for the intranet.

Nowadays it is extremely important to have our employees connected and informed about what is going on in the company. A company’s intranet is not only a means of communication, but also a way to increase employee efficiency.

There are some questions to ask yourself before starting an intranet or even remodeling.

• What is the purpose of having an intranet?
• Which intranet software to choose?
• What solutions should you include?
• What name and design to choose?

What is the purpose of having an intranet?

An intranet portal is the gateway that unifies access to corporate information and applications on an intranet. It is a tool that helps the company to manage its data, applications and information more easily through personalized visualizations.
An intranet exists for:

• Communicate and share information
• The team remains connected and involved, even when working remotely.
• Employees can collaborate between departments more easily.

The main reason why employees are not involved with the company’s intranet platforms is that they are not regularly updated regularly, clumsy and not stimulating. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In the past, companies depended on the IT department to set up and maintain their intranet portals. Fortunately, today there are much more modern and easy to use solutions.

Which intranet software to choose?

With Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online offers enhanced security technologies, is easy to manage and can be accessed from almost anywhere.

One of the most significant benefits of an intranet in SharePoint is the possibility of integration with other Microsoft Office tools. The use of SharePoint as an intranet or collaborative platform in business is an increasingly popular option. Thanks to its multiple functionalities and possible scenarios, the SharePoint platform on the intranet is ideal for all types of companies.

What solutions should you include?

Each intranet has ingredients that make it a valuable channel. These essential elements likely include news, communities, an employee directory, a search engine and a medium for leadership communications.

In addition, the intranet must include key content areas that allow employees to perform their daily tasks and find essential company information. These content areas are critical to the success of the intranet and have a number of benefits.

# 1 Company policies, official documents and forms

Creating an area on your company’s intranet that has the most up-to-date versions of all of your company’s official forms, policies and documents not only saves employees’ time, but also eliminates the risk of using the wrong version.

# 2 Brand and digital assets

The importance of meeting organizational brand guidelines in corporate communications can vary depending on where you work, but most companies want to be consistent in the appearance of their communications.

# 3 Information about different locations

Some organizations have more than one location and having important information about each is very useful. The content should not be directed only to employees based in that location, but also to those who are traveling there. This is likely to be one of the most visited content on your employees’ intranet!

Typical content on the localization intranet includes:

How to get there
Installation and safety information
Restaurant menu for employees
Wi-Fi code

# 4 Profiles well filled

Connecting individuals within an organization is critical to successful work. When your employees are spread across multiple offices or locations, on the road or working remotely, this becomes a major challenge. Furthermore, individuals often do not necessarily know who they are looking for.

# 5 Integrated corporate search

Ineffective search is one of the biggest criticisms that users make of any malfunctioning intranet. On the one hand, users experience the frustration of searches that bring nothing; on the other, searches that bring so much that finding the right result is an impossible task.

# 6 Engaging and dynamic home pages

Nowadays, any employee uses technology regularly, both personally and professionally. As such, they have certain experiences and expectations when it comes to technology; this also applies to your intranet experiences.
Dynamic, engaging and constantly changing content is an important example; and it starts with the intranet home pages. Getting people to see your intranet on a regular basis can be an effort in itself, but if, after logging in, they see the same pages, messages and images they saw last week and last month, they will stop coming back.

What name and design to choose?

Naming your intranet can be a fun part of the design and launch journey, so have fun! It’s a fun way to involve employees in the process that doesn’t require a ton of your time and allows you to gain a broader view of today’s employee culture. In the end, you will have created an identity for your intranet that has the potential to connect employees around shared goals and values.