How to build a corporate intranet that is innovative and attractive in 7 easy steps | glass cube (2023)

Let's face it, most of today's corporate intranets are outdated and unexciting. They are typically one-way static communication portals based on legacy technology that is difficult to support.

Rather than being a hub of activity, they are effectively ghost towns. This is unfortunate because intranets are very valuable tools when used correctly. Read on to see why.

What is a corporate intranet?

We wrotea complete articleAnswering that question, but here's the short answer: Tointranetis a technology solution that enables organizations to securely connect, communicate and collaborate with their employees.

Although many companies abandoned their intranets or did not implement them, some recognized the value of these solutions. companyintranetsare powerful tools that can be used to collaborate on projects, share knowledge, and even network internally, especially in large organizations.

For example, Jasmin Zamora, Community Relations and Communications Managercombined insurance,You say your company uses an intranet to post internal news and news about the headquarters. "If done right, aintranetit serves as a one-stop shop for important information that keeps your employees informed.”

Why has it become increasingly important for businesses in the UK, US and other parts of the world to implement intranets? While there are many factors to consider, the rise of the remote work model is one of the most important. As a result of the pandemic, many companies have switched to telecommuting. In the United Kingdom.,22,4%of employees work remotely, while that number is slightly higher (approx.25%) for US employees

Naturally,homeworkIt has numerous benefits: a larger talent pool to find the best people for your team, increased employee productivity, and reduced real estate and operating costs. However, it is not without its challenges. Different time zones, increasing communication barriers and a lack of team cohesion can make it difficult to keep employees connected and projects on track.

This is where business intranets shine. It has a rich collection of resources to help overcome or mitigate these challenges so your team can stay engaged and focused on getting the job done.

Not to mention that the reasons for effective corporate communication are still very relevant: it leads to fewer errors and greater productivity. The approach companies are taking to enable this communication, namely the intranet, is clearly in need of a modern touch.

If you've been hired to set up an intranet for your company, you've come to the right place. This article will show you how to create one that is affordable, attractive, and secure, thus adding maximum value to your business. Let's begin.

Chapter 1: Setting Up a Company Intranet

A good corporate intranet gives employees the tools and resources to be more productive and ensures everyone is on the same page. However, not all corporate intranets have the same goals. Follow these five steps to create a proper intranetit isCompany.

1. Adoption and change plan.

There are several solutions on the market and planning ensures that you are not overwhelmed. So, before you get started, use these guiding questions to figure out what kind of intranet solution to look for:

• Why are we doing this?
• What challenges can an intranet solve?
• What results do we expect?
• What functionality should the intranet solution have?
• What key performance indicators do we need to develop?
• How will this intranet change the organization and the way we work?
• How can we get employees to accept the solution we've chosen?

You need to have support from senior management and other key parties within the organization to ensure you have multiple perspectives and the support you need. In addition, you should create an internal team of stakeholders to oversee the solution selection process.

2. Summarize the purpose of the intranet.

An intranet can accomplish many purposes: supporting teamwork, automating business processes, helping with document management, hosting social communities, providing knowledge management capabilities, etc. Your main goals for the intranet determine the resources you need and the technology you choose.

Some applications require more advanced technology. In case ofBusiness process automationIn the foreground, for example, is Sandra Lupanova, SharePoint and Office 365 evangelist.inflection, says, “It pays to go the extra mile to choose software that enables or integrates different types of workflows, especially custom workflows.

3. Get feedback from users.

Your employees are the ones who will be using the intranet, so it's important to know what they expect from the solution. According to Lupanova, this type of feedback can also be used to determine the overall structure of the intranet, optimal functionality and governance.

For example, if the intranet is designed to promote team collaboration, look at existing teams and ask about the resources they rely on in their daily activities, their preferred collaboration channels, the locations they work in, the devices they currently use. use etc It will help you select features like task management, individual and group messaging and file sharing.

4. Identify the correct solution.

Together with your stakeholder team, you can research the market and identify potential intranet products. When reviewing vendors and their offerings, remember to keep your questions open. Do the solutions match your answers?

In addition to the guiding questions, you should also consider interesting company intranet ideas that will make the solution more attractive to employees. If you want to implement any of the ideas below, make sure the solution you choose can support them:

• competitionsinvolve employees. For example, you could run contests to name your intranet, the most interesting photo of one of your products in action, or a simple sweepstakes. A search function within the solution would be helpful here.
• feedback collectionFor example, about operational processes, department-specific issues, leadership performance, company news, etc. The main idea is to give employees a voice so that they feel involved.
• social eatingfor a modern environment. Today's world is social and business is no different. A social feed as part of the intranet provides a familiar experience and further encourages usage.
• the blogabout customer success stories, professional and personal narratives, or anything in between. A blog feature gives employees the opportunity to share their lives and feel connected with their colleagues. Your company's culture determines how open you allow your employees to be in these channels.
• Internal marketto provide your employees with a safe place to buy, sell and exchange items.
• Employee DirectoryThis includes complete employee profiles: departments, projects, skills, specialties, etc. Make it easy for your employees to find colleagues across the company to help them with projects, solve problems, and provide guidance and direction.

After selecting vendors, your team should review vendor demos and ultimately purchase the solution that best meets your needs.

5. Configure the solution.

When choosing a solution, there is a wide range of customization options, from the out-of-the-box solution to a fully customized solution. But even off-the-shelf solutions require some level of configuration to suit your specific practice and organizational context.

Either way, you want your intranet to be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and well-organized so employees don't get into trouble. This is where you configure the various channels and usable areas of the intranet, i.e. the structure.

6. Build the solution.

Here you fill the areas you've set up with content. Remember, don't act like the content is static. Plan to change this content over time to keep it fresh and interesting.

You can also brand your intranet and give it its own identity that employees can relate to (see sample image below). It also helps bring employees in touch with the solution.

7. Present and measure success.

Everyone handles implementing an intranet solution differently, but you'll likely test it with select groups before opening it up to the entire organization. In general, the larger your company or the more complex the solution, the longer it will take to implement.

Here you also define the roles and responsibilities of the employees, e.g. B. who handles training, governance, policies, content creation, content approval, etc.

Finally, you should use the success metrics you developed to refine your solution. Analytics, engagement levels, and the like help you address any changes you may need to make over time to make your intranet a desirable cornerstone in your organization.

Chapter 2: 3 pitfalls to avoid when creating a corporate intranet

1. Not establishing ground rules for communication.

Without ground rules about how and when employees should communicate over an intranet, it can be like the wild west: imagine confrontations between quarrelsome colleagues that attract other members of the organization and create unnecessary tension and conflict.

Olga Mykhoparkina, CMO beiHi, says it's important to establish a few things before launching your intranet:

• The type of communication you want to encourage on the intranet versus other methods (e.g. email).
• Acceptable (and unacceptable) user behavior (eg, discussing non-work related topics, using profanity).
• Scenarios for messaging someone directly.

2. Not providing training.

Simon Nowak, CEO da3 credit scores, points out that the effective use of the intranet depends a lot on how you train your employees to use it. He says that training should not only coverIt ishow to access the intranet, but how to navigate through it and use its resources. “Then encourage them to post and share regularly and check for updates. If employees don't use the intranet, it's a waste."

3. Not making it secure.

Intranets are inherently limited networks. Generally, only those who have access to the intranet link and the correct credentials can view it. However, Nowak explains that it is necessary to go further: “They should have a firewall that works as a protection between the company and the rest of the world. You should also encrypt your intranet data and back up your data regularly to avoid data loss.”

Chapter 3: 5 benefits of a corporate intranet

Creating a corporate intranet takes time and effort, but it's a rewarding effort. By following the steps and avoiding the pitfalls above, you will create a modern intranet and reap a number of benefits:

1. Promote accuracy of information.

Traditionally, company information is shared by word of mouth or email chains, which can lead to confusion or misinterpretation. Furthermore, when employees make decisions based on this fragmented information, they can make costly mistakes. The centralized nature of an intranet ensures that all employees have access to the same current and accurate information on important topics.

Keep everyone in the loop with the modern Glasscubes intranet. Start your free trial today.

2. Improve productivity.

Traditional methods of sharing information also take more time: employees have to search and review information, which means they spend less time making decisions and completing work. Well-organized and searchable intranets free up employees' time for more important tasks.

3. Break down knowledge silos.

Even in larger organizations, key ideas and knowledge are typically accumulated among a small number of employees across departments or lines of business. Without an intranet that includes blogs, forums, or social resources, these specialized resources have no way of sharing what they've learned. Companies can use the intranet to promote cross-silo collaboration and reduce knowledge loss when these employees leave the organization.

4. Promote innovation.

Cross-collaboration also leads to innovation. Employees from different lines of business or departments have different perspectives and experiences, whether that's through interacting with different types of customers, dealing with back-end tasks, or dealing with a variety of other contexts. Providing channels for these employees to share their ideas and stories can inspire new product and service ideas, process improvements, sales tactics, and more.

5. Increase employee engagement.

Employee engagement has been a hot topic in business for years, and36% of companiesthey see employee engagement as a major challenge.

While an intranet won't eliminate all engagement pain points, it can make employees feel more connected to the company and colleagues through social interactions, giving them a voice through surveys and other feedback channels, and showcasing their concerns. insights and talents through blogging and success. stories.

Chapter 4: 5 must-have resources for your corporate intranet

1. Contextual communication

If you want your intranet to be a productivity haven, channels and direct messages are not enough. Communication with employees must be in the context of their work. The files they upload, the tasks they work on, the company updates they read – all these activities need to be threaded together so employees can communicate in context.

Without a threaded discussion, team members often need to reference a specific file or task before starting a conversation; Not only is this a waste of time, it also leads to avoidable misunderstandings.

2. Project management

You have a series of organizational goals to accomplish, each requiring different projects to successfully accomplish. If you want your employees to stay productive and get all the work done, your intranet needs a task management feature.

Project management features let you assign tasks to individual team members (or entire groups), so everyone knows who's responsible for what. Set due dates to ensure assignees know when their tasks are due. For more advanced project management, you can use task dependencies, critical path analysis, and Gantt charts.

3. File storage and sharing

Cloud storage is a must-have modern feature. Nothing is more convenient than having all your important documents in one place. A central file repository ensures your team doesn't have to search through long email chains for documents. Just make sure your company intranet is also auto-versioned so team members never have to wonder if they're working on the most up-to-date version of a file.

4. Information workflow management

Every day in your company, information flows between departments, managers and employees. Without an organized approach, this information can be transmitted haphazardly and then be delayed along the way. But a corporate intranet with automated workflows can use forms to properly structure information and ensure it reaches the right people at the right time.

5. Search

With so many items on your company's intranet (files, posts, tasks, comments, users, etc.), it's important that your employees can quickly and easily search for all types of content on your company's intranet. Whether it's locating an important file or retrieving a note their boss left on a document, users should be able to type in a word or phrase and find what they need.

There is no need to reinvent the intranet wheel. Your pre-built Glasscubes intranet solution is ready and waiting.

glass cubeis a powerful intranet solution that allows your company to achieve all its communication goals. And best of all, customers rave about its simplicity. Setup, maintenance and training – everything is easy to understand and perform. Our collaboration and intranet solution doesn't require specialized IT staff or world-class instructors. You can get everything you need from Glasscubes just by subscribing.

To increase employee engagement, Glasscubes also uses social feeds to keep users engaged in the usual way. Employees can post, like and respond to organizational issues in the same way as on popular social platforms (see example image below).

Make sure each team has its own space.customizable workspaces. These are targeted areas of the intranet that employees can create for a specific purpose, for example, B. for departmental announcements or smaller team projects. Create a workspace for an entire department. Create a workspace for a three-person project team looking to onboard customers (hello extranet!). Employees can even create a workspace for themselves!

You're in control of your workspaces: You can grant anyone access to any workspace and prevent those users from accessing other workspaces. The use cases for workspaces are endless, giving employees another compelling reason to interact with the company intranet and other users.

Get the complete SaaS solution to help you create the perfect intranet, the one your employees expect when they arrive at work.Start your free trial today.