An intranet is a key digital platform for an organization to communicate with its workforce. An intranet can drive a "one company culture" by keeping employees informed, helping them get their job done and contributing to a happier and more engaged workforce. When evaluating a CMS for your intranet, you need to ensure it has the features your organization needs. In this presentation, intranet expert Steve Bynghall details the ten essential features of an intranet CMS. Steve highlights the business value of each feature and illustrates its benefits to both end users and the organization as a whole.

2. Steve Bynghall
• UK-based intranet, collaboration and digital workplace
consultant, writer and researcher
• Founder of Two Hives
• Co-founder of Intranet Directions with Chris Tubb
• Writer for Step Two and runs the Intranet & Digital Workplace
Awards
• Research and Knowledge Lead at Digital Workplace Group
• Get in touch:
• steve@twohives.co.uk
• Twitter: @Bynghall
• www.twohives.co.uk
• www.intranetdirections.com
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Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

3. The good news…
• Intranets have evolved!
• No longer static content repositories which nobody loves
• Decentralized publishing
• Personalization
• Social features
• Mobile capability
• Attractive interfaces
• Towards the digital workplace
• Intranet CMSs are getting more sophisticated
• Lots of choice and competition is driving up standards
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4. 6 essential objectives of a great intranet
• Drive a positive company culture and engaged workforce
• Facilitate connections, collaboration and community
• Deliver relevant and impactful experiences for all staff
• Enable employees to complete tasks and get their jobs done
• Drive efficiency and productivity
• Be flexible and scalable
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5. 10 essential features of an intranet CMS
1. Personalization for content targeting
2. Configurable templates right out of the box
3. Easy tools for creating and editing content
4. Workflow for content retrieval and approval
5. Tools for findability
6. Great employee directory and profiles
7. Social engagement with content
8. Communities and related social tools
9. Great mobile experience
10. Top notch metrics dashboard
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6. Intranet objectives vs intranet features
6
Objective
Engaged
workforce
Connected
employees
Relevant
experience
Getthings
done
Efficiency&
productivity
Flexible&
scalable
1. Personalization    
2. Templates   
3. Publishing tools   
4. Content workflow   
5. Findability tools     
6. Employee directory     
7. Content engagement  
8. Communities     
9. Mobile experience     
10. Metrics dashboard      
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

7. But do CMS features really matter?
• Yes – CMS features do matter!
• Sometimes the devil is in the detail
• Some CMSs are more suited to external websites than
intranet
• Every organization is different so find the right CMS for you
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8. The right intranet CMS is also about…
• Technical fit
• Security and risk requirements
• Cost
• Vendor chemistry and stability
• Partner and developer network
• Emphasis of features
• Self-sufficiency and ease of use
• Customization and integration
• Flexibility and scalability
• Ability to meet your specific requirements
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9. Countdown…
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10. 1. Personalization for content targeting
10
• Personalization allows your intranet to deliver
content to different groups of employees
• Why it this essential?
› Makes content relevant based on role, function
and location
› Enables internal comms to target messages
› Ensures the intranet is engaging and useful
• How is this used?
› News delivery
› Multi-language content
› Operational content (e.g. HR processes)
› Links to relevant systems
• Engaged
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

11. 1. Personalization for content targeting
11
• Checklist
› Personalization should be compatible with your identity
management system e.g. Active Directory
› Content should be able to be easily targeted for
administrators and content owners through meta-data
› An individual should be able to be a member of multiple
groups
› Different targeted content should be able to be aggregated
onto single pages
› Is the solution scalable for your needs?
› Users should be able to switch “views”
› Do you have accurate data and the right content?
• Engaged
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

12. 2. Configurable templates right out of the box
12
• Templates for essential intranet components which
can be used out of the box
• Why it this essential?
› Allows teams to utilise the best designs and layouts
› Helps teams to get live quickly
› Guarantees something which works within the CMS
• How is this used?
› Publishing templates for key pages
› Templates for key content types
› Template for different sites and workspaces
• Engaged
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

13. 2. Configurable templates right out of the box
13
• Checklist
› Easy-to-use library of popular page or site templates
› Classic intranet homepage and landing pages
› News, articles and blogs
› Employee profile
› Community site
› Team or project workspaces
› Ability to configure templates (without breaking the
intranet!)
› Ability to purchase ready-made templates from third
parties
• Engaged
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

14. 3. Easy tools for creating and editing content
14
• An easy to use set of editing tools to enable
authors and owners to create and edit content
• Why it this essential?
› Intranet success relies on great content so you need to
avoid any barriers
› Allows a wider set of employees to create content
› Allows the central team’s activities to be streamlined,
making the intranet more sustainable
• How is this used?
› Employees directly create their own news, articles and
blogs
› Continue to keep evergreen content up to date
• Engaged
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

15. 3. Easy tools for creating and editing content
15
• Checklist
› Easy to use interface
› No technical skills required
› WYSIWYG editor
› Add images and files selected from media libraries
› Ability to preview content as it appears in the browser
› Page editing capabilities, including in-line editing
› Save draft versions
• Engaged
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

16. 4. Workflow for content review and approval
16
• Workflow to ensures content is approved and stays
fresh through reviews at the right time
• Why it this essential?
› Supports impactful internal communications
› Makes the intranet more sustainable through devolved
publishing
› Ensures content is regularly reviewed and up to date
› Helps to enforce and maintain publishing standards
• How is this used?
› Approving internal communications at the central level
› Site managers approving site-level content
› All authors asked to review content at a regular period
› Central process to add or check meta-data
• Engaged
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

17. 4. Workflow for content review and approval
17
• Engaged
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Flexible &
scalable 
• Checklist
› Complex bespoke workflows down to the page level
› Multiple workflows
› Email notifications with appropriate links
› Automated scheduled reminders for authors
› Ability to review content as it appears on page
› Version control and audit trails
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

18. 5. Tools for findability
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• A set of various tools which helps employees find
the content they need quickly and efficiently
• Why it this essential?
› Ensures time isn’t wasted on inefficient searching
› Helps employees find the information and people they
need to do their jobs
› More successful completion of tasks
• How is this used?
› Basic, advanced and people search
› Navigating through the global navigation
› Content optimized with meta-data to make it more
findable
› Surfacing the most popular content
• Connected
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

19. 5. Tools for findability
19
• Checklist
› Ability to deploy mega-menus
› Configurable search with options like “best bets”
› Advanced search (e.g. different fields etc.)
› Personalization applied to menus and search
› Content owners can add controlled meta-data from
picklists to make content more findable
› Also add their own keywords
› Hashtags on social interaction
› Widgets to highlight popular or latest content
• Connected
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

20. 6. Great employee directory and profiles
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• A searchable directory of all employees with contact
details, photos and other essential information
• Why it this essential?
› Helps employees to connect with each other
› Find the information from the right people
› See the ‘whole person’
• How is this used?
› Get contact information quickly
› Locate experts and build teams
› Get background information on people you’re about to
meet
› Social networking
• Connected
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

21. 6. Great employee directory and profiles
21
• Checklist
› Ability to synchronise key HR and contact data, for
example through Active Directory
› Synchronise with system of record for starters and
leavers
› Easy upload of photos
› Ability for all employees to edit their own profile
› Extra fields – pen portraits and expertise
› Integrated with social networking capability
› Surface employee actions and contributions
› Good search interface with advanced capabilities
• Connected
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

22. 7. Social engagement with content
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• Engaged
workforce 
• Connected
employees 
• The ability for all employees to like, rate,
comment and share content
• Why it this essential?
› Turns one-way communication into two-way
conversations
› Gives all employees a voice
› Helps to give insights into employee sentiment
• How is this used?
› Internal communications and leadership messages
› Blogs
› Asking for feedback on different topics
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

23. 7. Social engagement with content
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• Checklist
› All employees should have the power to comment
without moderation
› Power to turn commenting off if necessary
› Display of number of likes and comments as a signpost
to engaging content
› Ability to display the most popular content on the
homepage
› All comments should be attributed
› Power to report comments
• Engaged
workforce 
• Connected
employees 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

24. 8. Communities and related social tools
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• Engaged
workforce 
• Connected
employees 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• Gives employees the right tools to connect,
collaborate and build communities
• Why it this essential?
› Drives engagement and a one company culture
› Builds personal, professional and organizational
networks across disparate locations and functions
› Drives transparency, accountability and two-way
communication
• How is this used?
› Communities of Practice and Interest
› Employee affinity groups and non-work groups
› Team and project collaboration and innovation
› Working Out Loud and asking questions
› Targeted and authentic communication
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

25. 8. Communities and related social tools
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Copyright; Two Hives Ltd / Intranetdirections.com. All Rights Reserved.
• Engaged
workforce 
• Connected
employees 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• Checklist
› Open, closed and secure groups
› Ability to join a group
› Aggregated feeds across different groups
› Community, project and group templates can be
defined
› Integration with the employee directory
› Hashtags, @s, likes etc.

26. 9. Great mobile experience
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• Engaged
workforce 
• Connected
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• To ensure the intranet can be accessed from mobile
devices with an optimized experience
• Why it this essential?
› Allows intranet access for all employees including non-
deskbound and frontline employees
› Supports employees when they are on the go
› Reaches personally-owned devices
› Supports flexible working and task completion
• How is this used?
› Delivering whole intranet access
› Core intranet content (news, employee directory etc.)
› Simple transactions, particularly HR processes
› Role-specific content and processes (e.g. sales)
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

27. 9. Great mobile experience
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• Checklist
› Responsive design out of the box
› Preview of content in different sizes
› Ability to select which content should be rendered to
mobile devices
› Compatible with your policies and security
› Works with your app store (if applicable)
› Works with the most popular corporate and employee
devices
• Engaged
workforce 
• Connected
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

28. 10. Top notch metrics dashboard
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• Engaged
workforce 
• Connected
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• Flexible &
scalable 
• Tracking the right intranet metrics to derive insights
and deliver improvements
• Why it this essential?
› Intranets should continuously improve
› Measurement is critical for successful internal comms
› Numbers engage individual site owners and community
managers
• How is this used?
› Intranet tweaks to improve user visits, engagement and
findability
› Evaluate communications and campaign success
› Show where individual sites need improvement
› Monthly management reporting on intranet success
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

29. 10. Top notch metrics dashboard
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• Checklist
› Attractive interface
› Compatibility with other popular packages e.g. Google
Analytics
› All the key numbers you need for user behavior
› Engagement metrics including comments and likes
› Granularity of reporting down to page level
› Ability to configure different views for different roles
› Export data (e.g. Excel)
• Engaged
workforce 
• Connected
workforce 
• Relevant
experience 
• Get things
done 
• Efficiency &
productivity 
• Flexible &
scalable 
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

30. Selecting an intranet CMS
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• Identify the essential features you need from your
intranet CMS (strategic objectives, requirements etc.)
• Research products by looking at vendor offerings and
speaking to peers
• Narrow down the number of vendors to evaluate
• Establish an evaluation criteria list, including your
essential features and ability to meet scenarios
• Narrow down providers to a shortlist
• Road test products and see vendor demos to really
understand what an intranet CMS can do
• Review pricing details from each vendor or
implementation partner
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

31. • Get in touch:
› steve@twohives.co.uk
› Twitter: @Bynghall
› Contact form via www.twohives.co.uk
› LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/stephenbynghall
› Joint blog with Chris Tubb at www.intranetdirections.com
Thank you!
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd

32. For information about DNN Software and our
CMS for Intranets:
http://www.dnnsoftware.com/products/evoq-intranet
About DNN Software
Copyright; Two Hives Ltd