The intranet is a term used whenever the subject of internal communication and collaboration is brought up, but what is an Intranet? in its simplest form, an intranet is an internal website for your organization.
Intranets increase communication within an organization by granting access to important information, links, applications and documents as well as databases by utilizing applications like Office 365 and SharePoint. This access, wherever your employees are located, increases productivity and efficiency and allows for a higher level of project management. The increasingly important issue of data security is also covered as most modern intranets are set up and run on secure servers, nowadays these are increasingly in the cloud rather than on office-based servers. All the usernames of people who are allowed access to the network are stored to add another level of security.
Uses of the Intranet
There are many uses for an intranet, here are a few.
- Automating everyday activities such as document handling, HR onboarding, leave applications, etc.
- Centralizing and managing important information in a single database.
- Making collaboration easier since information can be shared across the entire network, with cloud-access these users can be based anywhere in the world.
- Delivering secure, role-based project content and documents to employees based on their position within the company.
- Improving internal communication by making employee directories, company news, and organization charts readily available.
- Providing fast and easy access to information about company policies, benefits, and updates.
In a Nutshell
No matter where you work, your company has a lot of information to store. In most cases, knowledge is stored across multiple platforms like email, Word documents, Excel, a drive with shared folders, etc., making finding information a tedious task. Instead, using an intranet system as a central one-stop-shop for all information means it will be easier and therefore more efficient for your employees to find the information they need to do their work. It’s important your intranet has strong search capabilities so teams can quickly locate relevant information.
Teams like HR and Legal often use intranets to host onboarding material, employee benefits, HR guidelines, and legal policies, but why stop there?
Information Is the Key to Success
Any team can and should be able to use a system to access and share important information. as Microsoft say, “In order for a company to succeed, all players must understand its goals. Neither long-term nor short-term goals should be confined to upper management meetings. It’s Business 101. Everyone needs to be working toward common goals.”
Your Business and the Intranet
As you can see from the illustration above, the benefits far outweigh the initial capital investment, as communication within the workplace is considerably improved. The Intranet structure itself can also be completely built to deliver the tools that your business needs.
In Closing
These days, it’s vital that your company has some form of intranet, they don’t have to be costly to set up initially, although of course there will be some outlay, you will soon come to appreciate the benefits of increased productivity, a happier workforce (especially if you integrate social) and an all-round more streamlined organization.
Another benefit is that your company can grow with the intranet, it’s not difficult to add more users and assign permissions and this means that, even if you begin with a simple intranet, it can evolve as your company does.
Payroll, invoicing, HR, stock control are just a few of the benefits that Eureka intranet can automate, freeing up staff to be more productive in other areas and doing away with the need for endless documents which employees often have open at the same, creating conflicting information and therefore confusion.
There are many benefits to having an intranet for your company, large or small, but for certain, by implementing one you will see an ROI across many areas of your business structure.
For more information on how Eureka and Microsoft Office 365 can help you please contact us or ask for a demo.
You can see just how powerful a work tool Eureka Intranet can be by simply arranging for a demonstration. We will arrange a convenient time to discuss the needs for your business. You won’t be disappointed. Contact us today.
