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If you still think of the intranet as an un-user-friendly work portal where you can only read company news, you may be living in the wrong era (or your company does). We don’t blame you. In the world of technology, things change all the time, and they change fast! Keeping up with the newest trends, however, is important.
Modern intranet technology is powerful and a must-have for any workplace.
Want to cut back on meetings? What about not seeing your inbox fill up faster than you can blink? What if you could streamline all your communication and how things get done, and work more efficiently and productively?
An intranet platform for your business could be just what you’re looking for. It offers so many benefits and knowing all about them will make you want to adopt a modern intranet approach today! So, let’s dive in.
What does the modern intranet look like?
The modern intranet is not like traditional intranet solutions that were static. In the olden days, businesses used intranet technology to send information to employees. It was an internet portal, or hub, where company files were kept and shared.
These days, the modern business intranet solution is more of a social intranet. It is a platform you can integrate with or functions more like your digital workspace to interact, collaborate, and share. Employees can use the company intranet whether they are in the office, on a business trip, or working remotely from their home office.
The intranet allows workers to access all the files, tools, and resources they need to work productively and efficiently. It is a place where you can share company news and updates. Moreover, it is a place that helps a company achieve its organisational goals.
Four business benefits of intranet
The benefits of using modern intranet are manyfold, but here are the top 4 benefits your business can gain:
1. Improved support and information for remote and mobile employees
Working from anywhere is great and provides employees with a lot of benefits. However, being able to work from anywhere doesn’t mean much if you need certain files or information and the manager who can provide access is unavailable, or you can’t collaborate with your colleagues.
A modern intranet that is seamlessly integrated with your digital workspace provides the support and information your teams need, no matter the “when” or the “where.”
Another benefit is that everyone will still feel like they are part of the team (and they are, of course). You can use your company’s modern intranet platform to bring your workplace culture to life, from peer-to-peer recognition to brand messaging and more.
2. Better knowledge management
A company intranet helps your business better manage all aspects of information and where to find it.
For example, if you onboard a new employee, HR can keep all the files and information on the intranet. It is then readily accessible to help the new hire fit in and be as productive as possible. Also, if the new employee needs to fill out forms, sign them onto the company’s intranet where they can easily find and fill them out, as well as submit the admin forms.
Teams can also have access to training manuals, job instructions, videos, and other work-specific information. It provides simple access to business information so that your employees can easily find what they need to know.
On the admin side, IT and Information Managers can get more control over the information flows within the organisation, and determine which user groups sees which information, to make sure people only see what’s relevant to them. This saves time and increases productivity.
In addition, employees can stay up to date with the softer business aspects too. Hosting a friendly football game on Saturday as a team-building exercise? You can easily share this on your intranet and your colleagues can comment and build camaraderie.
3. Increased employee engagement (with all associated benefits)
Improving employee engagement or maintaining an engaged workforce is more often easier said than done. A study done by Gallup indicates that more than 62% of employees are not engaged and barely more than 11% of the global workforce are engaged.
Every company knows the value of engaged employees. Not only are they happier, but they are more productive as well. Higher productivity is good for business; it translates into higher profits and revenues. Plus, one unhappy employee can easily spread this negativity to another employee, and soon, everyone’s efficiency suffers!
The intranet can improve engagement by providing a space where everyone can collaborate and communicate. It’s also a great space for Communication Managers, HR or Internal Brand Managers to build morale and team spirit, so every worker will also feel as if they are part of the company culture, which helps teams feel connected. Moreover, the whole concept for working toward the same goal is also more readily visualised through a collaborative intranet.
4. Boosted communication
Internal company communication can improve when everyone uses the company’s intranet. With communication flowing from management to the employees and vice versa, teams can discuss their work and be social.
Mentors can share knowledge, and ideas for new developments can easily be “crowdsourced”. As people share information, others can provide feedback and comment.
Thus, implementing an intranet solution in your workspace streamlines communication. It empowers everyone in the company and encourages the notion that every employee has a voice.
The modern intranet versus the modern workspace
While some people use the terms intranet and workspace interchangeably, they are not the same. The modern intranet is part of a modern workplace, and while a digital workspace can exist without a company’s intranet, it shouldn’t.
A modern, social intranet within a digital workspace enables businesses to easily and efficiently handle all communication and knowledge internally. It is a space where coworkers and teams communicate with each other and work collaboratively. It streamlines internal support operations for the benefit of everyone.
To get the most value, businesses should make the IT landscape as simple and streamlined as possible. Your employees should almost not even see that there is technology behind how they work.
The solution? Choose a platform that unites everything in one place and simplifies it.
Workspace 365 offers your business an adaptive, digital workspace. In an all-in-one solution, where you can integrate your entire intranet or use seperate intranet elements, manage communication, documents, information, and more.
Scale the intranet based on what your organisation needs
Within Workspace 365, you can scale your intranet depending on your organisation’s needs. So instead of integrating your entire existing intranet, you could also use intranet (and digital workspace) elements based on your organisation’s needs, such as an Announcement Centre, API integrations, virtual apps and desktops, videos and playlists, and more.
