Digital networking is fundamental in any marketing strategy. It is how you get new ideas, directions, and motivations. With intranet software, you can build a private secure network to be accessed by employees. They access internal and external resources that enable them to share information and collaborate.
Creating an effective intranet can sometimes be challenging, especially if you are not conversant with technology. However, you have no reason to worry as this post has gathered all the crucial information and easy tips you need to know on how to set up an intranet. The tips and steps we will discuss here will be novice-oriented, meaning they will be easy to implement smoothly and stress-free.
What is an Intranet?
An intranet is a highly restricted private communication network accessible only to authorized individuals such as employees. It is mainly installed in companies and organizations. The intranet contains numerous modules and tools designed to enhance company operation’s effectiveness and efficiency in a company.
The intranet helps the employees efficiently do various tasks due to multiple features, such as automated business processes, new pages and blogs, collaborative workspaces, quizzes, surveys, and online interactive staff directories. This has made most large, small, and start-up corporates invest in intranets as an effective solution to numerous business issues.
Intranet uses a network packet brokers, a technology that helps implement various monitoring tools and access and analyze traffic across the network. The network packet broker acts as a manager of your network traffic. It also helps to collect valuable network traffic from numerous network links, filtering and distributing them to the proper network monitoring tool—this helps to improve the effectiveness of security and network monitoring tools.
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Here are Steps to Set Up an Intranet Network
- Set Up a Project Team
The first and most crucial step in setting up an intranet is to set up an effective project implementation team. The team will select the ideal intranet software and create a list of intranet providers. Additionally, the project team will help develop the initial sitemap and devise the internet’s content, design, and functionality. To ensure you get the most appropriate and effective intranet that will meet your needs, ensure you have a wide range of representation across the company in the project team.
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- Set Clear Goals and Objectives
The project team must clearly outline goals and objectives for the intranet. What exactly do you want to achieve with your intranet, and what difference are you looking forward to bringing to your business? Defining your goals and objectives would be best before jumping straight to the layout and design.
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- Selection of Intranet Software
Once you have defined all your intranet goals and objectives, you should select an intranet software to help you achieve them. You should consider your company vision, the available information, and the tasks that the software will address. There are three fundamental options you can consider when choosing intranet software. They include creating a custom intranet from scratch and hosting it on your company server. Second, you can develop an off-shelf intranet by downloading software from the internet and connecting it with your company’s network servers. Lastly, you can use a cloud-based service. However, with this option, you will have to pay an intranet provider to host an intranet on your behalf.
You can consider creating a custom intranet if you have a good team of skilled and experienced members with technological knowledge. This can help you design software with features that meet your organization’s unique needs.
- Intranet Demonstration
Intranet demonstration is essential in ensuring that it is perfect for your business and will help meet your goals and objectives. A reliable cloud provider can help take you through the services and their effectiveness.
While doing an intranet demonstration, involve your project team and some staff members so you can get authentic and broad feedback within your company. You can also do your research and consult with companies that have used specific software for their intranet. This will give you an idea of what to expect.
- Create an Intranet Content and Design
Once you have selected the best intranet software, your next step is developing, designing, and writing content. While creating a design, it would be essential to be as spontaneous as possible.
Always remember that the primary purpose of the intranet is to make it easier for your employees to find all the information they need to complete their job done. Developing a site map at an early design stage will help you get a clear picture of helpful content, how it connects, and what is essential for your business.
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- Pilot the Intranet
Now that you have perfect design and content, you should pilot your intranet. Piloting is vital, especially in checking the fitness of the intranet to its purpose and ensuring its functionality. You can revisit the goal and objectives you set at the beginning of the process and assess if you have achieved them. Additionally, it would be best if you tuned your intranet so that all the boxes are perfectly placed.
- Staff Training
Before launching your intranet, you must train your employees on how to use the intranet effectively. If you want your intranet to be helpful and achieve its purpose, provide your employees with essential knowledge on how to use the intranet software.
- Launch the Intranet
Finally, you can launch your intranet. Involve your staff members and make it fun.
What to Consider When Setting Up an Intranet
To effectively set up an intranet network that can help meet your organization’s needs, there are several factors you should consider, which include
- Intranet site map
- Intranet needs analysis
- Your goals and objectives
- The role and responsibilities of the intranet
- Governance and accountability
- Intranet page layout and navigation
- Intranet pilot
- Communication tools available in the intranet
- Intranet launch plan
- Intranet training plan
Wrapping Up
Setting up an intranet can sometimes be challenging for some organizations. Nevertheless, following these discussed steps and considering the mentioned factors can make the process easier and faster. The primary secret is to have a clear and well-defined plan with goals and objectives you wish to achieve. Once you have launched your intranet, you can keep on monitoring and evaluating its impact and whether it meets its purpose.
