Continuous Improvements: The Key to Intranet Success

Continuous improvement is essential to keep your intranet aligned with organizational changes and evolving business needs. While this may seem daunting, a structured and strategic approach can make it manageable.

This step-by-step guide to implementing continuous improvements in your intranet hold some valuable tips.

1. Establish an Intranet Strategy and Vision

Before diving into improvements, it’s vital to have a clear intranet strategy and vision. Understand why your intranet is necessary, what it should achieve, and how it aligns with your organization’s goals. Document this vision, including long-term objectives, and share it with relevant stakeholders, including the intranet governance team, to ensure alignment.

2. Avoid Getting Lost in the Details

Creating overly detailed specifications may seem like a good idea, but it often isn’t necessary. Instead, rely on established intranet products and platforms that have proven successful over the years. If these solutions work for others, they’ll likely work for you, too.

3. Aim for a "Good Enough" Solution

It’s better to launch a workable solution after a 3-4 month project than to spend a year on a comprehensive solution that might become outdated. Business needs change, and an extensive project can lead to a solution that no longer fits. Prioritize launching a solution that meets current needs and allows for future improvements.

4. Form an Intranet Governance Team

An intranet governance team manages content, functionality, and usage. This team should include representatives from various departments and levels to ensure that all requirements are understood and that decisions align with your overall strategy. Focus the team on driving user adoption and making continuous improvements, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

5. Set Targets and Monitor Progress

Establish clear, measurable targets linked to your intranet's strategy and vision. Ensure these targets are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Regularly monitor progress toward these targets using analytics tools, and share updates with your governance team. Key aspects to evaluate include usage, reach, user behavior, and content status.

6. Evaluate Results Against Targets

After monitoring progress, evaluate the results and compare them to your targets. This analysis will help you identify strengths and areas needing improvement. Use this information to prioritize enhancements based on their potential impact and alignment with your intranet strategy.

7. Create a Feedback Channel for End-Users

End-users are the primary users of the intranet, and their feedback is essential for improvements. Implement a feedback channel—like a suggestion box or survey—to gather insights on what they value, what they dislike, and what changes they’d like to see.

8. Prioritize Improvement Suggestions

Once feedback is collected, prioritize suggestions based on their potential impact and alignment with your strategy. Collaborate with the intranet governance team to consider the resources needed for implementation.

9. Develop a Roadmap for Future Enhancements

A development roadmap outlines planned improvements and implementation timelines. Ensure this roadmap aligns with your strategy and incorporates user feedback. Share it with your governance team and publish a high-level version on the intranet so end-users can stay informed about upcoming changes.

10. Promote Adoption of New Features

When new capabilities are introduced, actively encourage user adoption through training, communication, and incentives, like recognition or rewards. Monitor usage of new features and gather feedback to ensure they meet user needs.

Conclusion

Continuous improvements are crucial for intranet success. If you stop adapting your solution to meet evolving business needs, it risks becoming obsolete. By following the advice above, you can significantly enhance your intranet's effectiveness. Please also check out this document for more hands-on help: The Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Intranet Success.

Instead of waiting for a massive overhaul, launch a functional solution and commit to ongoing improvements over time. This approach will help you achieve notable and desired results.