Don’t fail your intranet project: avoid these 4 common pitfalls

A digital workplace is a next generation of intranet solutions or intranet 2.0 that is based on three pillars: communication, collaboration and information. In a way this definition is true but it doesn’t cover the whole spectrum of the term. Here are some definitions of digital workplace:

• An evolution of the intranet
• A user centric digital experience

➝ See the full definition of digital workplace

intranet is a term used with abundance whenever the subject of internal communication and collaboration is brought up which makes defining it a bit challenging. In its simplest form, an intranet is an internal website for your organization. It is used mainly for top-down communication where employees can access corporate news, policies and announcements.

➝ See the full definition of intranet

Collaboration is “the situation of two or more people working together to create or achieve the same thing”.

➝ See the full definition of collaboration

Here are some definitions of digital workplace:

• Team collaboration
• Cross-departmental and interdisciplinary collaboration
• Community collaboration
• Strategic partnerships and alliances
• Supply chain collaboration

➝ Find out the different types of collaboration in business

To gather a thorough understanding of intranets and their different types, let’s walk through its history from the early days up to now:

1. Intranet Portals
2. Enterprise Social Netwrok (ESN)
3. Intranet 2.0

➝ Find out the different types of intranet solutions

The main difference between intranets and extranets lays in the target audience. Intranets typically target users from a specific organization whereas extranets is the hub that can group users from multiple external organizations ranging from partners and suppliers all the way to clients

➝ Discover the real difference between intranet and extranet

Different types of Intranet solutions from the early days up to the intranet 2.0 (commonly referred to as digital workplace solutions) bring a host of benefits to businesses of all sizes and industries. Below is a list of benefits often associated with intranets:

1. Streamline internal communications
2. Connect employees and eliminate silos
3. Foster collaboration
4. Improve knowledge sharing
5. Recognize and reward employees

➝ Find out teh benefits of intranet solutions

Here are three different strategies for a successful intranet adoption:

1. User focus strategy
2. Global community management strategy
3. Private communities focus strategy

➝ Which intranet adoption strategy should you choose?