Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Planning your intranet

We have seen the characteristics of a successful intranet. What we are going to see today is the advantages that your organisation is bound to have once it is running a well-configured Intranet

The information revolution has arrived, and its effects can be seen everywhere. The workplace, however, has been slow to catch up with the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, employees do not distinguish the workplace from the rest of the world. If information is only a keystroke away when they are in their living rooms or dens, why not from the computers on their desks at the office? If their children can study for tests or do research for their homework on the Internet, why can't employees do the same kind of research using information housed in company computers? If bank balances are available by touching a few pads on a telephone, why isn't work-related information as accessible?

There are three main reasons why companies need to provide information systems that accommodate the changes that are taking place around the world and throughout cultures in how information is presented and used:

1. To compete for the most talented workers
2. To maintain a flexible workforce
3. To acknowledge that the models of communication are changing as a result of the information revolution

Advantages of running a successful Intranet are :
The Competitive Advantage

Once you have set up an intranet, it is guaranteed that you have got an edge over your competitors. That is because your work is bound to more coordinated than before resulting in more efficient management of human and computer resources.

The Workforce Advantage

At a time when companies are trying to shrink their way to success through downsizing, layoffs, reengineering, and other activities that lead to reductions in the employee ranks, many employees are looking for signs that the company is doing something to help keep them from becoming unnecessary in the organization. As organizations begin to use new systems for information processing and communicating, those employees who resist them are likely to become redundant. A company can, therefore, make a strong case that implementing intranets is a way for all employees to learn a new skill that will become vital in the very near future, helping to ensure their employability.

The Data Advantage

Companies maintain vast volumes of information in their databases, but most employees have no idea how to access it. Intranets offer employees a simple-to-use interface that allows them to get at data within any database the organization wants to make available, anytime and from anywhere.