Creating successful intranets

Sharon Richardson
sharonr@joiningdots.net
CREATING
SUCCESSFUL INTRANETS
@joiningdots
Decisions that determine outcomes

„Read Me First‟ text
This presentation was originally delivered in three parts at the SharePoint
Evolutions conference held in London, 15th – 17th April 2013
The target audience was project leads and decision makers responsible
for delivering an Intranet. The content was focused on strategic
directions and choices to consider. This is not a technical or design
presentation though some elements are discussed at a high level
This version has been modified for viewing on Slideshare. Some content
has been removed or adjusted due formatting limitations. And some
notes have been added to (obviously, not by a long way) make up for
the lack of a presenter 
Usual disclaimers: All registered trademarks, logos, images and product
names referred to herein are the property of their respective owners
@joiningdots #SPEVO13

There are three essential elements
for a project to be successful:
1. A problem to solve
2. Commitment to change
3. Sufficient resources
Missing just one means failure is likely. It’s
not unknown for intranet projects
to lack all three…

Purpose
What problem will an intranet solve?

Define „intranet‟
For many, it starts out as a broadcast
medium for communications
Publishing news, sharing formal content,
viewing reports
…the state of the company

It becomes the place to find stuff
Searching for documents,
bookmarking or tagging to make it
easier to find next time
…the individual perspective

The focus may shift to productivity
Completing tasks, submitting forms,
requesting approval
…getting things done

And move beyond information
Finding people, seeking advice,
sharing knowledge, conversing
…creating ideas

Know what problem you are
trying to solve! (in this project)

A parody for an example. Creating a ‘social intranet’ will fail if you don’t know
what business problem you are solving. Watch the video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT-eXw7Xsjo

Create a shared vision
180,000
„Knowledge Workers‟
40,000
new hires per year
Average global
workforce age: 27
“Everything that is not fully
dynamic is simply too slow to
support our business any longer”
- Beat Lechti, PWC
A better example - PwC Switzerland
http://intranet-matters.de/2013/01/18/spark-taking-collaboration-and-corporate-social-
networking-to-a-new-level-at-pwc/

What are the benefits?
Source: Matt Beighton, Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbeighton/8103496331/
What changes and
who benefits?
…beware just shedding
an old skin

What are the trade-offs?
Be honest about the trade-
offs. What demands are
being placed on peoples’
time, budgets and effort to
realise the vision?
Not just to deliver, but
going forward once a new
intranet is in place

How much?
Budget versus Requirements

What comes first?
Do you detail the requirements first and then cost them, or set the budget and
figure out how many requirements you can deliver?

Intranets are like gardens
You can do as little or as much as you
want at the start, depending on how much
you’ve got to spend initially. It’s not a
discrete ‘one-time’ project
Related post:
http://www.joiningdots.com/blog/2012/04/
architect-or-gardener/

Intranets are like gardens
The costs to maintain can never be fully predicted in advance. But the
design can be adjusted over time if the initial choices prove unsuitable to
the environment… It’s the same for intranets

Gathering
requirements
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Observations
• Statistics
Seek out potential for
demonstrable value
Statistics are by far the most
reliable method to determine
realistic requirements. People don’t
always say what they do, let alone
do what they say…

Budget/
Resources
• Technology
• Design
• Content
• Processes
• Training
Separate out initial
spend from ongoing
Be clear about what budget covers
what elements of the project. E.g.
Content: Creation? Cleansing?
Migration? Reviews? Updates?

Return on Investment
Importance
Practicality0 5
5
Do
these
Consider
these
Leave
these
Point of
no return
Prioritise your
requirements

Wrongsolution
Wrong problem
Return on Investment
Importance
Practicality0 5
5
Do
these
Consider
these
Leave
these
Point of
no return
Toxic
Project
Say No to
impossible or
unreasonable
requests

Feasibility
Aligning expectations

Baseline and Target
People
ContentProcesses
Know your
baseline and
what you’re
aiming for
Is it realistic?

Specific
focus
IT Strategy
Multi-
purpose
Platforms and applications bring different benefits and limitations. There is no one
ideal solution. The choice should align to the IT strategy, available resources and
future plans for the Intranet (and the organisation)

Organisational Stability
Timing matters. All
organisations go
through periods of
stability interrupted by
short phases of
disruption

Culture
Digital and physical environments should
be in alignment. Don’t try to make up for
bad working conditions

Julian Treasure: The 4 ways sound affects us. Watch the video:
http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_the_4_ways_sound_affects_us.html

Stakeholders
Symbols that strengthen corporate
ladders create barriers
Does more need
to be said?

Design
Accessibility and Usability

What are the benefits?
This does not indicate a successful Intranet
project. Focus on outcomes.

Consumerisation of IT
Apple Google/Bing Corporate
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SearchHome Svcs Etc.
Staff
Search
Borrow from systems users are already familiar with. Take advantage of
standards that have emerged to increase accessibility and usability

Page
Content
Page Header
Standard Page Layout
Fixed Links
Logo
Local
Navigation
Contextual
Navigation
Global Navigation Search
Certain page layouts have become
the norm for different types of content

Page Content
Page Header
News / Content
Fixed Links
Logo
Local Navigation (Carousel)
Contextual
Navigation
Local
Navigation
…with subtle variations. News-
focused tend to keep
navigation on the right

Page Header
Social networks
Fixed Links
Logo
Contextual
Navigation
Update your status
Timeline of updates
(Activity stream)
Social networks have
minimal fixed navigation and
focus on activities

Results
Filters
Search Results
Page Header
Fixed Links
Logo Search
Suggested
Queries
All results
Promoted results
Specialist
Results
Search results encourage
broad initial queries and
then filter results

Example: News

Example: Social
The majority of popular web
sites follow the same set of
basic conventions regarding
navigation, controls and
page layouts

Device Support
You can no longer dictate
the screen size or method of
interaction

Responsive Design
Home | News | Services | Sites Search
Quick Links
Page content
Upcoming
events

Responsive Design
Home | News | Services | Sites
Search
Quick Links
Page content

Responsive Design
Home
Search
Quick Links
Page content
Creating custom user
interfaces and controls
takes a lot of work. If you
don’t have the funds for
experts, better to stick
with built-in capability

Branding

Branding
is a choice. Either create
a ‘brand’ in terms of
consistency (example on
the left) or create a
custom UI. Latter is
exponentially more
expensive to do

Content Management
Information Lifecycle

Less is always more
Rodin‟s La Danaide
‘nuff said
Most intranets could be
improved simply by
removing content

Formal vs Informal
Kept for Contractual,
specific uses
Potential, may or
may not be reused
Reason Part of policies
and procedures
May assist future
decisions
Lifecycle Defined: Active,
Archived, Expired
Unclear but value
degrades over time
Access Legal implications Signal : Noise
One size policy
does not fit all

Lifecycle Management
Most often forgotten
element is planning what
happens when people
leave

Implementation
Deployment tactics

Priorities
Importance
Practicality0 5
5
Do
these
Consider
these
Leave
these
Intranets rarely have a
shortage of
requirements

Deliver in phases
Importance
Practicality0 5
5
Schedule Fit in
Resource
constraints
Profiles
Forums
Dashboard
„HR Web‟
Templates
Newsletter
EDRMS
Break large projects into
staged deliverables. Schedule
the big projects, fit in small
wins along the way

Dependencies
Business
Reqs
External
Factors
Technology
& Design
Lifecycle
Mgmt
User
Effort
Information
Value
Training
& Support
Process
O
S
S
S
S
S
S
S O
Ongoing
Costs
S
O
S
S

Dependencies
Business
Reqs
External
Factors
Technology
& Design
Lifecycle
Mgmt
User
Effort
Information
Value
Training
& Support
Process
O
S
S
S
S
S
S
S O
Ongoing
Costs
S
O
S
S
Uncover hidden dependencies that
can impact deliverables in terms of
time scales, resources and
outcomes

Communications
Communicate throughout.
Watch the Vancity video on Vimeo -
http://vimeo.com/18309102

Technology‟s Role
Leveraging the platform capabilities

Define the boundaries
Make a clear decision from the start
regarding boundaries for features
and capabilities. ‘Out of the box’ with
configuration versus build custom
components versus purchase partner
‘add ons’. Should align with the IT
strategy

Lifespan of an Intranet
Managing change

Governance
• Vision
• Capability
• Change
Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Auditing
Good governance should simply
direct good uses and developments,
discourage bad habits and help
resolve disagreements

Horizon
Planning
• Evolution
• Sidetrack
• Revolution
Introducing a new capability will take
one of three forms: addition to the
current intranet, a pilot of a new
solution alongside, or a complete
replacement…

Influential Trends
Standardised Routines Personalised Processes
Richness of information Transparency of data
Controlled decisions Real-time reactions
Structured hierarchy Self-organising network
Need to know Stake in the outcome
Predictable results Sensory adjustments
See related post for more details: http://www.joiningdots.com/blog/2013/01/digital-trends-
compressing-processes/

Microsoft video: A new world of intelligent technology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pY-GEprwAY

Touch / Talk / Move
New forms of interacting with
information will take intranets
out of the screen

Industry trends
“Digital technologies do not recognise
geographical boundaries or respect
companies (or hierarchies) that have
been successful in the past”
- Matthew Key, CEO Telefonica Digital
Disruptive change is
rarely planned…

Review
Steps to creating a successful intranet

Create a shared vision
Make it feasible!

Keep it simple
Accessible and Usable
Home | News | Services | Sites Search
Quick Links
Page content
Upcoming
events
Home
Search
Quick Links
Page content

Deliver in Phases
Understand Dependencies

Manage the Lifecycle
Ensure Signal > Noise

Be Adaptable
Circumstances change

Why have an Intranet?
Provide web-based tools to
support the organisation
It is a supporting act – to people
and to other systems

Why have an Intranet?
Provide web-based tools to
support the organisation
If it’s not supporting what
people need, change it

Sharon Richardson
Joining Dots
For info and contact details, please visit www.joiningdots.com

Creating successful intranets

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