Use your intranet to create value

As well as saving costs your intranet can also create real value for your company and help that bottom line by improving the flow of information and knowledge around your company.

The intranet can act as the plumbing system to help this flow. Better informed and more knowledgeable employees work smarted and generate more revenue. For example, a sales consultant having easy access to a case study of a similar customer and proposition plus a subject matter expert can have a real edge. Make sure your case studies are easy to navigate to and are picked up by your search engine. Expand your employee directory to include areas of expertise and skills. Even better if you have your main search engine index this information too.

You can providing additional means for employees to share knowledge and work together and build them onto your plumbing system. For example, instant messaging like Office Communicator, a webinar tool like GoToMeeting and a social network like Yammer.

A significant objective of an intranet is to deliver company news to employees but build on this by presenting your objectives in interesting ways. For example, use pictures, dashboards and blogs. Give employees the option to feedback on your objectives and progress. This aids their understanding of your company's aims and objectives and gets them engaged. You can do this by adding a comments section under every news story and getting your senior people to write blogs which have feedback sections.

Once your plumbing is in place ensure that the whole system is aligned with your brand and ensure your internal brand mirrors your external brand. Get rid of any old logos and colours and redesign systems so they follow your current brand. Subtle yes, but this will help employees feel engaged with the intranet and will encourage them to make the most of the new features you've set up.