A Step-by-step Guide to Staff Intranet Development
Introduction
Staff intranets have become an essential tool for organizations to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity among their employees. A well-designed and user-friendly intranet can streamline internal processes, provide easy access to information, and foster a sense of community within the organization.
Choosing the Right Platform
When it comes to developing a staff intranet, one of the most important decisions you’ll need to make is choosing the right platform. SharePoint is a popular choice for many organizations due to its robust features and flexibility. Whether you opt for SharePoint on-premise or SharePoint online, it offers a wide range of tools and functionalities to meet your organization’s specific needs.
Planning and Design
Before diving into the development process, it’s crucial to have a clear plan and design in place. Start by identifying the goals and objectives of your intranet. What do you want to achieve with it? What features and functionalities do you need? Once you have a clear vision, you can start designing the layout and structure of your intranet.
Development and Customization
Once you have your plan and design ready, it’s time to start the development process. If you have an in-house development team with SharePoint expertise, you can proceed with the development internally. However, if you don’t have the resources or expertise, it’s advisable to outsource SharePoint development to a reputable agency.
A SharePoint development agency can provide you with the necessary expertise and experience to build a customized intranet that meets your organization’s unique requirements. They can help you with everything from customizing the user interface to integrating third-party applications and creating workflows.
Testing and Deployment
Once the development is complete, it’s essential to thoroughly test your intranet before deploying it to your staff. This includes testing for usability, functionality, and security. Make sure all the features and functionalities are working as intended and that the intranet is accessible to all users.
After testing, you can proceed with the deployment process. This involves migrating the intranet to the production environment and making it accessible to your staff. It’s crucial to communicate the launch of the intranet to your employees and provide them with any necessary training or documentation to ensure a smooth transition.
Managed Services and Continuous Improvement
Once your staff intranet is up and running, it’s important to have a plan in place for ongoing maintenance and support. Managed SharePoint services can help you with regular updates, security patches, and troubleshooting. They can also provide you with insights and analytics to measure the effectiveness of your intranet and make continuous improvements.
Conclusion
Developing a staff intranet can be a complex process, but with the right planning, design, and development approach, you can create a powerful tool that enhances communication and collaboration within your organization. Whether you choose to develop it in-house or outsource SharePoint development, make sure to prioritize user experience and continuously improve your intranet to meet the evolving needs of your staff.