Intranets are not information dumps
The first step in creating a genuinely useful intranet is to ban the intranet team from using the word “information”.
“‘Distribute information’ is by far the primary perceived role of the intranet, increasing by 7 points from 2006 up to nearly 60 percent saying “absolutely” in 2007. However, “facilitate collaboration” stagnated at 20 percent and “facilitate […]
Google is good but it’s not God
Installing Google for your public website or intranet does not replace the need for professional management.
The cult of technology can be disturbing. For years, a scruffy bunch of people within organizations went around muttering: “A Portal. A Portal. What we need is a Portal.”
Some of these people became seriously disturbed and could be […]
Finding people: top task on the Web
The Web is supposed to replace manual service with self-service, but sometimes our number one task on a website is to find someone to talk to.
Over the years, I have noticed that a key task, particularly on intranets, is to find people. This is somewhat ironic when you consider that the business case of a […]
Web customer rejects silo mentality
Organizations have an overwhelming desire to own and control. Even within organizations, each unit/department is constantly trying to prove that it is important.
The intranet emerged as a classic organization chart structure. Each unit wanted its own website and everyone wanted a link on the homepage. Each unit was not so much concerned with helping […]
Intranet personalization: does it work?
The theory of intranet personalization is wonderful. The practice is generally woeful: hugely expensive implementations that totally fail; massive maintenance overheads and very little employee uptake.
According to the Jakob Nielsen report, Intranet Design Annual 2007: The Year’s 10 Best Intranets, “Many entries and almost all of the winning intranets offer extensive personalization features.” This is […]
Intranet managers, don’t lose hope
In the historical context of the organization, the intranet is definitely the new kid on the block. Properly managed, the future for intranets is very bright indeed.
I meet a lot of intranet managers who are frustrated with their jobs. It’s easy to understand why. But we need to be clever here. We need to get […]
Intranets: getting senior management’s attention
By Gerry McGovern
If the intranet is to show genuine value to the organization, it must prove that it is increasing productivity and reducing costs.
Intranets are still struggling. Senior management does not see them as being business critical. If the intranet is to get respect and proper funding, it must prove that it is improving productivity […]
Intranets: what staff really want
Staff overwhelmingly want a better organized intranet where they can quickly find people, policies and procedures, and forms.
In July 2007 we carried out an intranet survey using our Customer Carewords approach. We gave people a list of intranet tasks and also a list of things they might like to see improved on their intranet.
Tasks included: […]
Senior managers should use, not just support, the intranet
Toby Ward’s excellent series of intranet case studies illustrates, through a Nordea case study, an often underestimated dimension of intranet success: Senior managers personal use of the intranet.
We all want “management support”, right? Well, often enough we have it. In words. They say they understand and value the intranet. They want it to be the […]
