Don’t let any website tell you what intranet features you need. There is really no one-size-fits-all solution. The bottom line is, your company and its requirements are unique and you need a conversation with a potential intranet provider to discuss which features are best for you.
With that said, there are still some crucial things to consider before talking to a provider. A good intranet should meet basic requirements, such as engaging and connecting every employee and facilitating their specific roles. Here are some of those key facilities or features:
Search function
A search function makes it easier for users to find anything, from document files to staff profiles to past news articles. It helps employees be more efficient with their time by allowing users to comb through even the most disorganised intranet for specific data. Without a search function, users are left to hunt and sift through their intranet. A poor search function can be even worse, causing frustration when information is needed the most.
Organisation chart
This is a very important intranet feature for a number of reasons. For one, a good chart will accurately reflect an organisation’s structure, provide information about its members, and help users understand their own place within it. Second, it enables internal communications. And third, it fosters familiarity of and relationship-building between members.
A good organisation chart will also show the user what teams they belong to and their role as team members. It will also help people find out more about one another through profiles that include bios, contact details, and a headshot.
Instant messaging
An intranet should allow users to reach out to members of the organisation directly with the use of instant messaging. This is a valuable tool that enables not only communication across an organisation but within teams.
It lets teams communicate, brainstorm, and make decisions, facilitating greater productivity and efficiency in the organisation. In addition, it should also allow file sharing to streamline work within teams.
Instant messaging has an advantage over email when communicating as a group. Emails have a tendency to get lost and buried under other messages within long threads. Proper intranet instant messaging should also be usable on mobile, given the prevalence of mobile communications today.
News sharing
Sharing company news is an integral part of keeping all employees engaged. It can be a valuable tool for an organisation to not only inform but also make employees feel involved and invested in the company and its stories. In effect, a news sharing function on an intranet should include stories from every corner of the business, from recent successes to project updates to the direction and vision of the company.
This function should be easy to use and allow employees to share news posts to other members on the intranet. Beyond news, the sharing feature can also be used for training videos and video updates from the C-suite.
File management
An effective file management feature makes administrative work within the organisation, such as finding forms and important information, stress-free, so employees love it.
With a file management feature that’s easy to organise and navigate, users should be able to find what they need and easily keep files up to date. This means that this feature is completely integrated with your intranet’s search function.
One of the biggest problems of intranets is searching for a file only to find several iterations and be clueless about which is the most relevant and updated file. One way that an intranet’s file management feature solves this is by allowing subject matter experts to be responsible for keeping their documents and files up to date. For instance, specific marketing officers can be responsible for ensuring that the most recent versions of the marketing collateral are found on the intranet.
Now that you know these essentials of a good intranet, the next step is to talk to an expert that can work with your organisation on the finer details. Total Calibration is an managed services provider (MSP) with expertise and solutions that ease integration and customisation of an intranet to meet your needs. We also provide multiple cost-effective solutions, including cloud migration, automation, systems integration, document management, and more.
