Crafting a Successful Staff Intranet Development Plan
Introduction
In today’s digital age, having a well-designed and functional staff intranet is crucial for organizations to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity among their employees. A staff intranet serves as a centralized hub where employees can access important information, documents, and tools, making their work more efficient and streamlined. In this article, we will discuss the key steps involved in crafting a successful staff intranet development plan.
Step 1: Define Your Objectives
The first step in developing a staff intranet is to clearly define your objectives. What do you hope to achieve with your intranet? Are you looking to improve internal communication, enhance knowledge sharing, or streamline business processes? Identifying your objectives will help you determine the features and functionalities that your intranet should have.
Step 2: Choose the Right Platform
Once you have defined your objectives, the next step is to choose the right platform for your staff intranet. SharePoint is a popular choice for intranet development due to its robust features and flexibility. You can opt for SharePoint on-premise or SharePoint online, depending on your organization’s needs and preferences. If you are not familiar with SharePoint development, you may consider outsourcing the development to a SharePoint development agency.
Step 3: Design and Structure
The design and structure of your staff intranet play a crucial role in its usability and effectiveness. It should be visually appealing, intuitive to navigate, and organized in a logical manner. Consider conducting user research and gathering feedback from your employees to ensure that the design and structure meet their needs and preferences. A well-designed intranet will encourage employee engagement and adoption.
Step 4: Develop and Customize
Once you have finalized the design and structure, it’s time to develop and customize your staff intranet. SharePoint offers a wide range of customization options, allowing you to tailor the intranet to your organization’s specific requirements. You can create custom workflows, integrate third-party tools, and add personalized features to enhance the functionality of your intranet. If you lack the technical expertise, you can seek the assistance of a SharePoint development agency.
Step 5: Test and Launch
Before launching your staff intranet, it is essential to thoroughly test its functionality and usability. Conduct user testing sessions to identify any issues or areas for improvement. Make sure that all links, forms, and features are working correctly. Once you are confident in the performance of your intranet, you can proceed with the launch. Communicate the launch to your employees and provide training and support to ensure a smooth transition.
Conclusion
A successful staff intranet development plan involves defining objectives, choosing the right platform, designing and structuring the intranet, developing and customizing it, and thoroughly testing before launching. By following these steps, organizations can create a staff intranet that improves communication, collaboration, and productivity among their employees. Whether you opt for SharePoint on-premise or SharePoint online, consider outsourcing the development to a SharePoint development agency for a seamless and efficient process.