Creating successful intranets

Sharon Richardsonsharonr@joiningdots.net

CREATINGSUCCESSFUL 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 Switzerlandhttp

://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, Flickrhttp://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

Practicality0 5

Do these

Consider these

Leave these

Point ofno return

Prioritise your requirements

Wrong problem

Return on Investment

Practicality0 5

Do these

Consider these

Leave these

Point ofno return

ToxicProject

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?

Specificfocus

IT Strategy

PLATFORM APPLIC.

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

Lorem ipsum…http://urlLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit

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

PageContent

Page Header

Standard Page LayoutFixed Links

LocalNavigation

ContextualNavigation

Global Navigation Search

Certain page layouts have become the norm for different

types of content

Page Content

Page Header

News / ContentFixed Links

Local Navigation (Carousel)

Local Navigation

…with subtle variations. News-focused tend to keep

navigation on the right

Page Header

Social networksFixed Links

Update your status

Timeline of updates(Activity stream)

Social networks have minimal fixed navigation and focus on activities

ResultsFilters

Search Results

Page HeaderFixed Links

Logo Search

Suggested Queries

All results

Promoted results

SpecialistResults

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

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

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

Practicality0 5

Do these

Consider these

Leave these

Intranets rarely have a shortage of

requirements

Deliver in phases

Practicality0 5

5Schedule Fit in

Resource constraints

Profiles

Forums

Dashboard

‘HR Web’

Templates

Newsletter

Break large projects into staged deliverables.

Schedule the big projects, fit in small wins along the

Dependencies

Business Reqs

ExternalFactors

Technology& Design

LifecycleMgmt

User Effort

Information Value

Training&

SupportProcess

OngoingCosts

Dependencies

Business Reqs

ExternalFactors

Technology& Design

LifecycleMgmt

User Effort

Information Value

Training&

SupportProcess

OngoingCosts

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

@joiningdots #SPEVO13See 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

Search

Quick Links

Page content

Deliver in Phases

Understand Dependencies

Manage the Lifecycle

Ensure Signal > Noise

Be Adaptable

Circumstances change

Wrap-up

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 RichardsonJoining Dots

For info and contact details, please visit www.joiningdots.com

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