If you want the shiny new intranet that your team so well deserves, you’re going to need to prove the benefits are worth it to those at the helm. It’s crucial to have all the information you need to help sell in your business case for new intranet software.
Remember that an intranet is designed for internal company use and is not a customer-facing tool for generating revenue instantly. So it may be hard to prove how much money the software will generate or save for your business.
If your existing intranet has been hanging around like a bad penny, it’s time your colleagues joined the campaign for a digital workplace. An excellent intranet provider should have a raft of case studies to prove how they have transformed businesses for the better.
So go armed with that information when you attend that all-important buy-in meeting – here’s how.
Identify major problems with your existing intranet
Real-life examples from your own workplace are going to stand you in good stead when you go for the ultimate sit-down meeting with your bosses.
Before the grilling begins, speak to your colleagues. After all, they are the ones who will be using the intranet every day. Identify what problems they currently have, find out how much time they’ve lost trying to find a document or spent being unable to access the intranet from a different device.
One barrier to the ability of workers to do their jobs stems from staff not having fast enough access to information and systems. They want easy links to common forms, e.g holiday leave forms and they don’t want to waste time trying to find them. A search tool located on the homepage means they can find what they want quickly.
Productivity is always a winner where management is considered especially where you can provide quantitative findings.
Explain ROI benefits
Bosses are likely to want to know how long staff might spend on the intranet and how frequently they’d visit. While you don’t have a crystal ball, you could ask your colleagues how they’d most likely use the intranet and how they think it would fit in their daily workflow – use these results to present to the chiefs.
Factors that can identify the actual success of implementing an out-of-the-box SharePoint intranet can include:
- Return on Investment (ROI)
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Total ownership costs
- Internal rate of return
There are also some quantifiable benefits to be gained by improving the internal communications within a business. While they have no direct economic impact they are incredibly important for any growing company and retention of staff.
Benefits might include better employee wellbeing, improved employee experience, brand recognition and referrals via word of mouth.
Using analytics can help you determine how staff are using the intranet – for example, if engagement on a job promotions board on your homepage increases after an internal campaign, you could determine that a success as it would ultimately lead to better employee engagement.
Proven staff engagement
Management love to hear teams are talking. Internal communication is one of the most common complaints from disengaged staff. With Attollo, you have an intranet which is a knowledge source for driving conversations and sharing knowledge. But overall, it’s a great communication tool. The more people log in, the more connected the colleagues become.
Keysight Technologies (formerly Hewlett Packard) found that with more than 32,000 customers in over 100 countries, and 13,000 employees around the globe, they had major problems with internal communications with no centralised point for content. There was also difficulty in onboarding different departments and sharing knowledge.
The team agreed they needed a ‘cool’ system that everyone would want to get involved with. That’s why they approached Attollo to create a customised intranet.
Staff found the system so easy to use and because it was constantly updated, they were keen to use it. As departments were on siloed sites, it meant information could be made more transparent.
Better onboarding
No one wants to pay more admin costs than are necessary. But that’s what happens when onboarding processes take too long.
A modern-day intranet can help new starters by allowing them to serve themselves efficiently and become more productive, faster. New employees would have instant access to any paperwork they need and any videos on the training portal.
Need to know more?
Our team here at Attollo can help you explore many more ways to demonstrate why an intranet is a cost effective and future-proof asset for your company. Contact us today for a free demonstration.