Summary: Getting a company intranet for the first time can be a daunting task. However, there comes a breaking point when manual tasks have become too cumbersome, inefficient and time-consuming.
When deliberating about whether or not to get a company intranet, there are a few critical indicators that show whether or not your company is in dire need. These indicators can fall under the categories of an internal communication software, document management software, and productivity in the workplace.
Do You Need a Company Intranet?
Take this short quiz to see if it’s time for your organization to get a new company intranet!
Communication
1.How do you ask a quick/informal question to your colleagues?
- a) Send a fax.
- b) Go to their office and ask in person.
- c) Email them and wait for a response.
- d) Send a quick message over a live chat or messenger.
2. How do you spread company news?
- a) Spread info at the water cooler.
- b) Send ‘all-staff’ emails.
- c) Mail letters to everyone in the company.
- d) Post information in a shared space that all staff has access to. Better yet, post company news on the home page to launch each time they open their web browser.
3. How does project collaboration happen?
- a) What workplace collaboration? We all work independently here.
- b) Once a week, everyone meets in the conference room and one person tracks the meeting notes and emails to everyone after.
- c) Notes are taken on the whiteboard in the meeting room and someone takes a photo of it.
- d) A project site is created where all the go-to resources and information pertinent to the project are stored. Permission levels are set to ensure only those who need access to the files are able to view them.
Document Management
4. How do you locate a file you need to review?
- a) Search through the file cabinet in the file room.
- b) Ask your boss for it.
- c) Spend an hour digging through the shared file folder, opening dozens of files before you finally get the right one (and hope it’s up to date).
- d) Use the enterprise search function on intranet site, and select the document from the results retrieved with full-text indexing.
5. When a new document is updated, how do you know?
- a) Wait for your boss to leave it on your desk.
- b) Ask your colleague.
- c) Set a daily reminder for you to manually check.
- d) Receive an automatic reminder linked to the content management system.
6. How do you update a new policy?
- a) Update the policy, print it off and store it in a central file cabinet.
- b) Print off a new policy and leave a copy on everyone’s desk.
- c) Email the new copy to ‘all-staff’.
- d) Update the policy in a central location that can be accessed by all staff. Automatically archive the previous version so it doesn’t get confused with the new version. Set permission levels so you can grant access to a few individuals. Track changes so you can view who’s edited which version. Ensure the edits are approved with policy approval.
7. When a document has been updated, what happens to the original document?
- a) It stays in the same spot or folder, next to the updated one.
- b) It’s deleted immediately.
- c) It’s manually moved to a different folder.
- d) It’s automatically archived and able to retrieve but doesn’t appear in the search function to be confused with the more up to date version.
Productivity in the Workplace
8. When you need to book a meeting with a manager in a branch across the country, how do you find their contact information?
- a) Flip through your Rolodex.
- b) Review the staff directory printed out in your desk drawer.
- c) Ask your secretary.
- d) Check the active people directory kept on the intranet. While you’re at it, you review their employee profile and note they are an analytical learner, so you ensure to assemble the appropriate reports and data before setting up a meeting and a link to the project site.
9. When new employees are hired, their first day typically goes like this:
- a) They show up, no one at the front desk was aware they were coming, so they wait until the appropriate manager is finally located.
- b) They’re shown to their desk, and they sit there acting like they know what they’re doing.
- c) They’re given the hundred-page onboarding document to review.
- d) Since the onboarding process already started before their first day, they have access to the company intranet and email account, they log into their onboarding checklist, create their employee profile, and start learning about the company culture and goals.
If you did not answer ‘d’ to all of these questions, perhaps it’s time for you to seriously consider a company intranet. Feel free to contact us, or request a demo from a customer success representative.
