The intranet is only as good as the people that run it. The technology is secondary and only an enabler.

Transforming the intranet is the new intranet manual by Melcrum. It’s really a must have if you’re connected to managing or planning any intranet. However, if you don’t have $395 and don’t have time to read this news blog on a regular basis, then Shiv Singh’s recent article Value-driven intranet design is a good synopsis:

"Within most corporations, taking ownership of an intranet is an unglamorous, exhausting, and thankless job for a new intranet manager. Many corporate intranets lack thoughtful, focused, and disciplined design and are often extremely large and unwieldy. Fixing these intranets can seem an impossible and futile task.

Furthermore, with new terminology proliferating from the armies of IT consultants, software vendors and business professors in the marketplace, it is becoming even harder to define an intranet, determine what it should accomplish, and measure those accomplishments. In the domain of company intranets, terms like empty portals, peer-to-peer sharing, smart enterprises, digital dashboards, social networks, taxonomy design, and knowledge management all come together and compete for attention and dollars. These buzzwords capture the imagination of senior executives who force you to devote dollars to intranet-related initiatives that the organization may not be ready for or that do not benefit the employee community."

Shiv specifically offers some advice regarding defining and measuring the intranet’s value, as well as managing and nurturing intranet talent and consultants. Nice addition.

What is often overlooked by most articles, case studies and manuals is the issue of people. People make the intranet work. The degree of their ability and effort determines the end value of the intranet. A content management system or portal may certainly bolster this intranet – but it could also hinder the intranet if not used properly

For more intranet news visit www.IntranetReport.com

© 2006 Toby Ward - Prescient Digital Media