Creating an Innovative Intranet as a Step Toward a Portal
- Dr. Moria Levy
- Dec 1, 2001
- 2 min read
There are several organizations that, despite their enthusiasm for the portal concept, cannot afford to purchase one. This is especially true in the current economic market in which we operate. However, regarding this issue, there is an intermediate solution, described below:
It is possible to begin the portal project as a first step in building a new organizational intranet. An intranet that will differ from its predecessors and address content needs related to achieving the organization's business objectives. An intranet that will serve defined populations within the organization and their needs in the areas of data, information, and knowledge. The intranet will be built according to the basic principles of an organizational portal, but without the accompanying technology.
The organizational intranet will include two layers of information:
The smaller part - Cross-cutting information about the company for use by all employees - traditional information around which intranets were built in the past, for example: human resources, company structure, etc. General information about branding sites for various units within the organization, including support sites (such as the company and HR).
The main part - Information directed toward information consumers within the company - this part of the intranet will be built in segments, each segment designed to benefit a defined group of role holders within the organization. The site will be designed as a desktop application for the role holder, incorporating data, information, and knowledge that will help them perform their role more effectively. It's not possible to invest this way in all types of roles. Still, it's possible to identify in every organization who the role holders are for whom the current gap in data, information, and knowledge most interferes with achieving the organization's objectives. In many places, for example, this refers to salespeople and customer support. For the benefit of these groups, an area will be organized where they can find content relevant to their routine work, and in its proper context. The content will be organized and presented in an intuitive and quick-to-use manner, with the intranet serving as a bridge to the data, information, and knowledge that users need (Job-Related Information).
Two central rules must be remembered in building an intranet:
Ease of updating - The content must sit in the natural environment of the content creators; they must be able to update it independently, quickly, and without creating duplicates in documentation.
Ease of use - The content consumers must be able to find what they need easily; the content must be available, reliable, and comprehensive.
Note: Often, it is discovered that the group consumes a significant amount of content, but only a minority produces it. Hence, the solution is even simpler (focuses mainly on accessibility and less on updating).
Summary: When building a job-related intranet, we lay the foundations for the organizational portal at the content and methodology levels.
All that will remain to do when purchasing an organizational portal tool is to harness the technology, mainly by deepening the customization, and good connectivity capabilities to applications (Silent Login, screen embedding, parameter transfer).
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