Building a High-Performance Corporate Intranet: Best Practices
Introduction
A corporate intranet is a powerful tool that can enhance communication, collaboration, and productivity within an organization. It serves as a central hub for employees to access important information, documents, and applications. However, building a high-performance corporate intranet requires careful planning and implementation. In this article, we will discuss the best practices for designing and developing a SharePoint intranet, as well as the benefits of outsourcing SharePoint development.
1. Define Your Objectives
Before starting the development process, it is important to clearly define your objectives for the intranet. What are the specific goals you want to achieve? Do you want to improve communication, streamline processes, or enhance collaboration? By identifying your objectives, you can ensure that the intranet is designed and developed to meet your organization’s unique needs.
2. Plan Your Information Architecture
The information architecture of your intranet is crucial for its usability and effectiveness. It involves organizing and structuring the content in a logical and intuitive way. Consider the different departments, teams, and functions within your organization and how they will access and interact with the intranet. Use clear and consistent navigation menus, labels, and categories to make it easy for users to find the information they need.
3. Customize the Design
The design of your intranet should reflect your organization’s brand identity and create a positive user experience. SharePoint provides a range of customization options, allowing you to tailor the look and feel of your intranet. Use your organization’s colors, logos, and fonts to create a cohesive and professional design. Consider the needs and preferences of your users when designing the layout and interface.
4. Leverage SharePoint Features
SharePoint offers a wide range of features and functionalities that can enhance the performance and functionality of your intranet. Take advantage of these features to improve collaboration, document management, and workflow automation. Some key features include document libraries, version control, task lists, calendars, and discussion boards. Explore the different options available and choose the ones that align with your objectives.
5. Test and Optimize
Once your intranet is developed, it is important to thoroughly test its performance and usability. Conduct user testing to gather feedback and identify any issues or areas for improvement. Make sure the intranet is compatible with different browsers and devices. Regularly monitor and analyze the usage data to identify patterns and trends. Use this data to optimize the intranet and make continuous improvements.
Benefits of Outsourcing SharePoint Development
Outsourcing SharePoint development can offer several benefits for organizations. Here are some key advantages:
1. Expertise and Experience
By outsourcing SharePoint development to a specialized agency, you can leverage their expertise and experience in building intranets. They have in-depth knowledge of SharePoint’s capabilities and can provide valuable insights and recommendations for your intranet project.
2. Cost Savings
Outsourcing SharePoint development can be a cost-effective solution compared to hiring an in-house team. You can save on recruitment, training, and infrastructure costs. Additionally, outsourcing allows you to scale your resources based on your project requirements.
3. Time Efficiency
Outsourcing SharePoint development can significantly reduce the time required to build and deploy an intranet. The agency can dedicate a team of experts to work on your project, ensuring faster delivery and implementation.
4. Ongoing Support and Maintenance
A reputable SharePoint development agency will provide ongoing support and maintenance services for your intranet. They can handle updates, bug fixes, and troubleshooting, allowing your internal IT team to focus on other strategic initiatives.
5. Customization and Scalability
Outsourcing SharePoint development allows for greater customization and scalability. The agency can tailor the intranet to your specific requirements and integrate it with other systems and applications. They can also provide support for future enhancements and upgrades as your organization grows.
Conclusion
Building a high-performance corporate intranet requires careful planning, design, and development. By following the best practices outlined in this article, you can create an intranet that enhances communication, collaboration, and productivity within your organization. Consider outsourcing SharePoint development to leverage the expertise and experience of specialized agencies and enjoy the benefits of cost savings, time efficiency, ongoing support, and customization.