French real-estate business Réalités was faced with a similar problem: the outdated intranet was increasingly becoming a barrier to good collaboration and efficient information exchange. “It was unattractive and was no longer used for anything other than accessing network connections or property development files,” explains Nathalie Gonnard, Director Organisation and IT.
For the company, it was high time to install a modern and contemporary new intranet.
Setting up a modern intranet: structured collaboration and high data security
A big plus: on the intranet, collaborative work on jobs, projects and tasks can be managed well and efficiently. There are four aspects in particular that provide constructive support for collaboration in everyday company life:
- Each employee has an overview of the essentials.
- There is a shared and well-arranged location for document storage.
- Access to all data and software is secure and data-protection-compliant.
- Shared and up-to-the-minute knowledge can be exchanged in real time.
Surprisingly simple: an out-of-the-box intranet
It is especially practical if the intranet solution is suitable for all applications and software within the business. A modern system that brings together all Microsoft 365/Office 365 functions and in-house applications in a single interface is preferable. This also includes the full integration of Microsoft Teams.
A responsive design that facilitates the adaptation of website layouts to the respective end device, such as smartphone, tablet or laptop, is important to everyday work.
From communication to knowledge management: everything runs on the intranet
So as to ensure that all employees enjoy using the company intranet regularly, the user interface should be tailored specifically to the employee – all the information and documents that are important to the individual concerned should be accessible in just a few clicks. This is how modern knowledge management works.
With an up-to-date, individual and attractive user interface, the intranet is a highly valuable tool for successful communication
When does internal communication work best? The intranet is clearly ahead. The graphic shows the rating of the state of internal communications according to various applications by technology.
Classic intranet or modern? That is the difference
While setting up an internal company network used to be a laborious and cost-intensive project, set-up is straightforward today. The classic old systems differ considerably from a modern intranet, which can be set up without much effort as software as a service (SaaS) – out of the box, as it were, and ready for use immediately.
When building this kind of rapidly deployable out-of-the-box solution, the focus should be on its intended purpose in everyday working life as well as high level of interaction between employees.
A modern, internal company network is an efficient digital intersection within the enterprise. Characterised by the fact that users are actively encouraged to help build and design it, it can even be named as social intranet. With a classic business intranet, content is made centrally available to all employees via top-down approach.
Checklist: setting up your own intranet
Are you considering setting up an out-of-the-box intranet solution? Then take advantage of our checklist:
Generally, the following applies:
- Find out which of the features below are especially important to you.
- Experience shows that fewer features and possibilities – but ones that are adapted specifically to yourenterprise– often count for more.
Check which features and content are of interest to you:
- Mobile access
- Linking to the external company website and/or showing company news
- Internal communication
- Provision of up-to-date information
- Employee directory
- Easy access to all important documents
- Self-organisation
- Storage of shared documents
- Digital cooperation in dedicated project groups
- Comprehensive search function
- Integration with Microsoft 365/Office 365 suite
- Booking tool for the allocation of desks and offices (desk sharing)
Intranet, communication and collaboration – the following require special attention:
- Flexibility and scalability to ensure you are also equipped for the future
- User-friendliness so that all employees are happy to use thecompanyintranet
- Security suchthat all important information and data can be stored in a data-protection-compliant manner and be protected against hacking
- Clear structure and good overview for a straightforward and efficient workflow
- Customisation so that employees can personalise their digital workspace and design it in line with their job or duties
- Familiar and simple to use User Interface for high employee acceptance
Build a modern intranet quickly and securely: with Workplace Go
As part of digitisation and corporate strategy with a view to creating a more agile organisation, the real-estate company mentioned earlier, Réalités, implemented Workplace Go, a high-performance collaboration solution by Konica Minolta.
The all-in-one modern intranet and collaboration solution is fully adaptable. It is based on the Microsoft 365 platform and made it possible for Réalités to meet all specific communication, collaboration and productivity requirements.
Today, Workplace Go is used every day by around 350 users and has received excellent feedback. The enterprise has found that Workplace Go is a solution that really appeals to the teams already using Microsoft 365/Office 365 – very easy to implement and with a very rapid return on investment.
Features of Workplace Go:
- Ready-to-go template for SMEs
- Simple access possible via Microsoft Teamsorvia browser
- “My Co-workers” directory
- Self-organisation page (“personal board”)
- Intranet page for storing documents (department-specific sub-pages and/or general “company library”)
- Collaboration page based on Microsoft Teamswitheven more flexibility to structure the teams
- Comprehensive search function(people, sites & files)
- Onboarding training for template usageduringsuccessful launch of the solution with the client
- Ongoing support
- Flex Desk:Desk sharing and booking tool for the office space
Conclusion: thanks to the preconfigured template for small businesses, Workplace Go can be set up quickly and therefore also gives small businesses the possibility of obtaining their own modern intranet solution along with numerous collaboration functions that only larger companies can usually afford.
Curious about Workplace Go? For a trial version, visit: konicaminolta.eu/workplace-go