Sixteen Steps to a Renewed Corporate Intranet

The growing status of content management systems (CMSs) is now providing many organisations with an impetus to revisit and renew their intranets. Unfortunately, while the technical aspects of implementing a CMS are well understood, many organisations are struggling to identify the issues with the content, structure and management of their intranets. The good news is that by following a disciplined approach, it is possible to re-invigorate an intranet, making it deliver real business benefits, and supporting strategic goals. This article outlines a sixteen step process which guides you through to a refreshed and dynamic new intranet.

Robertson, James. Step Two (2002). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>Content Management

The "All Together" Rule for Intranets

The primary purpose of intranets is to support staff in doing their jobs, to help them complete common business tasks. In practice, however, this can be very frustrating on many intranets. Policies are located in one section, procedures in another section, and forms in a third. Information then needs to be hunted out in order to complete even simple activities. The effectiveness of intranets can be greatly enhanced by bringing together all of the information and tools relating to a task or a subject, and presenting them in a single location.

Robertson, James. Step Two (2005). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>Information Design

What to Include in Intranet Search Results

Intranet search often fails to meet the needs or expectations of users, with confusing and complex results provided for even the simplest searches.

Robertson, James. Step Two (2005). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>Search

Who Should Own the Intranet?

One of the first challenges when establishing an intranet is to determine who should have overall ownership of the site, and where the intranet team should be located. While the responsibility for driving the intranet must be given to a single business area, this group must be located within the right area of the organisation if the intranet is to succeed. This briefing explores a number of common intranet owners, and discusses the pros and cons of each group. It then presents some general guidelines and approaches for selecting where to place the intranet team.

Robertson, James. Step Two (2004). Articles>Web Design>Management>Intranets

Why are Intranets Structured Like the Organisational Chart?

Many intranets are structured around the organisational chart. It is well known that this method of grouping content is difficult for staff — they can’t find information if they don’t know who is responsible for it. However, it often seems too difficult to move from an organisational-based structure to a more intuitive topical structure. Before moving to a better structure it is necessary to identify why the intranet is currently designed around the organisational chart, and address these issues first.

Spencer, Donna. Step Two (2005). Articles>Information Design>Intranets>User Centered Design

Helping People Find the Content They Want

Enabling people to find the specific information they require amongst the hundreds and thousands of other pieces of content available on a site can be a difficult task.

Barker, Iain. Step Two (2005). Articles>Web Design>Information Design

Using a “Strawman” for Page Layout Design

Designing the page layouts for a new or redesigned intranet can be complex. One of the most difficult aspects is creating the first layout. Starting with an empty screen, you need to determine what will go on each page and where it will go. Using a strawman design - a design that is created with the intent of discarding it - can help to overcome many of the difficulties in the design process.

Spencer, Donna. Step Two (2004). Articles>Web Design>Document Design

Content Reuse in Practice

Few organisations are able to realise this vision of content reuse in practice. Instead, content reuse is typically only used in a few limited situations, with authoring and publishing continuing unchanged to a large extent.

Robertson, James. Step Two (2004). Articles>Content Management

Successfully Deploying a Content Management System

This article outlines a structured approach to deploying a CMS, as well as providing a range of practical guidelines and tips that will assist the implementation team.

Robertson, James. Step Two (2004). Articles>Content Management