This presentation was originally delivered in three parts at the SharePoint Evolutions conference in London, 15th April 2013. It was designed for a business audience - project leads and decision makers responsible for delivering intranet projects
2. „Read Me First‟ text
This presentation was originally delivered in three parts at the SharePoint
Evolutions conference held in London, 15th – 17th April 2013
The target audience was project leads and decision makers responsible
for delivering an Intranet. The content was focused on strategic
directions and choices to consider. This is not a technical or design
presentation though some elements are discussed at a high level
This version has been modified for viewing on Slideshare. Some content
has been removed or adjusted due formatting limitations. And some
notes have been added to (obviously, not by a long way) make up for
the lack of a presenter
Usual disclaimers: All registered trademarks, logos, images and product
names referred to herein are the property of their respective owners
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
3. There are three essential elements
for a project to be successful:
1. A problem to solve
2. Commitment to change
3. Sufficient resources
Missing just one means failure is likely. It’s
not unknown for intranet projects
to lack all three…
5. Define „intranet‟
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
For many, it starts out as a broadcast
medium for communications
Publishing news, sharing formal content,
viewing reports
…the state of the company
6. Define „intranet‟
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
It becomes the place to find stuff
Searching for documents,
bookmarking or tagging to make it
easier to find next time
…the individual perspective
10. A parody for an example. Creating a ‘social intranet’ will fail if you don’t know
what business problem you are solving. Watch the video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT-eXw7Xsjo
11. Create a shared vision
180,000
„Knowledge Workers‟
40,000
new hires per year
Average global
workforce age: 27
“Everything that is not fully
dynamic is simply too slow to
support our business any longer”
- Beat Lechti, PWC
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
A better example - PwC Switzerland
http://intranet-matters.de/2013/01/18/spark-taking-collaboration-and-corporate-social-
networking-to-a-new-level-at-pwc/
12. What are the benefits?
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Source: Matt Beighton, Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattbeighton/8103496331/
What changes and
who benefits?
…beware just shedding
an old skin
13. What are the trade-offs?
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Be honest about the trade-
offs. What demands are
being placed on peoples’
time, budgets and effort to
realise the vision?
Not just to deliver, but
going forward once a new
intranet is in place
15. What comes first?
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Do you detail the requirements first and then cost them, or set the budget and
figure out how many requirements you can deliver?
16. Intranets are like gardens
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
You can do as little or as much as you
want at the start, depending on how much
you’ve got to spend initially. It’s not a
discrete ‘one-time’ project
Related post:
http://www.joiningdots.com/blog/2012/04/
architect-or-gardener/
17. Intranets are like gardens
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
The costs to maintain can never be fully predicted in advance. But the
design can be adjusted over time if the initial choices prove unsuitable to
the environment… It’s the same for intranets
18. Gathering
requirements
• Surveys
• Interviews
• Focus Groups
• Observations
• Statistics
Seek out potential for
demonstrable value
Statistics are by far the most
reliable method to determine
realistic requirements. People don’t
always say what they do, let alone
do what they say…
19. Budget/
Resources
• Technology
• Design
• Content
• Processes
• Training
Separate out initial
spend from ongoing
Be clear about what budget covers
what elements of the project. E.g.
Content: Creation? Cleansing?
Migration? Reviews? Updates?
21. Wrongsolution
Wrong problem
Return on Investment
Importance
Practicality0 5
5
Do
these
Consider
these
Leave
these
Point of
no return
Toxic
Project
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Say No to
impossible or
unreasonable
requests
30. What are the benefits?
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
This does not indicate a successful Intranet
project. Focus on outcomes.
31. Consumerisation of IT
Apple Google/Bing Corporate
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SearchHome Svcs Etc.
Staff
Search
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Borrow from systems users are already familiar with. Take advantage of
standards that have emerged to increase accessibility and usability
32. Page
Content
Page Header
Standard Page Layout
Fixed Links
Logo
Local
Navigation
Contextual
Navigation
Global Navigation Search
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Certain page layouts have become
the norm for different types of content
33. Page Content
Page Header
News / Content
Fixed Links
Logo
Local Navigation (Carousel)
Contextual
Navigation
Global Navigation Search
Local
Navigation
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
…with subtle variations. News-
focused tend to keep
navigation on the right
34. Page Header
Social networks
Fixed Links
Logo
Global Navigation Search
Contextual
Navigation
Update your status
Timeline of updates
(Activity stream)
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Social networks have
minimal fixed navigation and
focus on activities
35. Results
Filters
Search Results
Page Header
Fixed Links
Logo Search
Suggested
Queries
All results
Promoted results
Specialist
Results
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Search results encourage
broad initial queries and
then filter results
41. Responsive Design
Home
Search
Quick Links
Page content
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Creating custom user
interfaces and controls
takes a lot of work. If you
don’t have the funds for
experts, better to stick
with built-in capability
43. Branding
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
is a choice. Either create
a ‘brand’ in terms of
consistency (example on
the left) or create a
custom UI. Latter is
exponentially more
expensive to do
45. Less is always more
Rodin‟s La Danaide
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
‘nuff said
Most intranets could be
improved simply by
removing content
46. Formal vs Informal
Kept for Contractual,
specific uses
Potential, may or
may not be reused
Reason Part of policies
and procedures
May assist future
decisions
Lifecycle Defined: Active,
Archived, Expired
Unclear but value
degrades over time
Access Legal implications Signal : Noise
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
One size policy
does not fit all
50. Deliver in phases
Importance
Practicality0 5
5
Schedule Fit in
Resource
constraints
Profiles
Forums
Dashboard
„HR Web‟
Templates
Newsletter
EDRMS
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Break large projects into
staged deliverables. Schedule
the big projects, fit in small
wins along the way
55. Define the boundaries
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
Make a clear decision from the start
regarding boundaries for features
and capabilities. ‘Out of the box’ with
configuration versus build custom
components versus purchase partner
‘add ons’. Should align with the IT
strategy
56. Lifespan of an Intranet
Managing change
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
57. Governance
• Vision
• Capability
• Change
Management
• Conflict Resolution
• Auditing
Good governance should simply
direct good uses and developments,
discourage bad habits and help
resolve disagreements
58. Horizon
Planning
• Evolution
• Sidetrack
• Revolution
Introducing a new capability will take
one of three forms: addition to the
current intranet, a pilot of a new
solution alongside, or a complete
replacement…
59. Influential Trends
Standardised Routines Personalised Processes
Richness of information Transparency of data
Controlled decisions Real-time reactions
Structured hierarchy Self-organising network
Need to know Stake in the outcome
Predictable results Sensory adjustments
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
See related post for more details: http://www.joiningdots.com/blog/2013/01/digital-trends-
compressing-processes/
60. Microsoft video: A new world of intelligent technology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pY-GEprwAY
61. Touch / Talk / Move
New forms of interacting with
information will take intranets
out of the screen
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
62. Industry trends
“Digital technologies do not recognise
geographical boundaries or respect
companies (or hierarchies) that have
been successful in the past”
- Matthew Key, CEO Telefonica Digital
Disruptive change is
rarely planned…
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
70. Why have an Intranet?
Provide web-based tools to
support the organisation
It is a supporting act – to people
and to other systems
@joiningdots #SPEVO13
71. Why have an Intranet?
Provide web-based tools to
support the organisation
If it’s not supporting what
people need, change it
@joiningdots #SPEVO13