Conscious Solutions is able to provide you with the full range of services in relation to setting up an intranet for your organisation. We can guide you through the crucial stages of planning, undertake implementation and supply professional design services where required, as well as providing full training for any designated intranet administrators. We also pride ourselves on an exceptional after-sales service, and welcome the opportunity to review your intranet once it has been up-and-running for some time, so that you can continue to benefit from our experience.
Please contact David Gilroy to request more information on any of these services or to schedule an online demonstration.
Consultation and Planning
The process of planning an intranet, and the role of managers and any staff who will use the intranet, in developing the plan, will determine its potential success. The objectives or goals of an intranet are derived by scrupulously observing the needs of any members of staff who will comprise the end-users, and considering how productivity can be improved by cutting down on unnecessary time and saving on costs. Just like any other important business decision, the requirements for, and scope of, an intranet should be backed by a clear vision and foresight - this helps in building an intranet which is useful and scalable in the long run.
Most companies devote significant time to planning their intranet because of its strategic importance to the success of their organisation. An intranet should generally aim to increase effectiveness and efficiency within any company, while its scope should be based upon the size of the company together with any intended objectives.
The correct structure, sometimes referred to as "information architecture", must be put in place effectively to organise the various web pages, documents and other files which will comprise the basis of your intranet. The functionality of the design will determine how efficiently users can navigate the intranet and how quickly they can locate the information they are looking for.
We can provide a thorough analysis of your business requirements in order to optimise the usability of the final product for your company. We try to help you to define the objectives of your company intranet, as well as discussing the work which will be required to keep it updated - such as handing responsibility for its maintenance to specific members of staff. It is useful to set out plans for the maintenance and future growth of your intranet, as an organic approach can lead to problems surrounding usability and its actual effectiveness.
Design and Implementation
This is the stage at which functionality and the user interface is defined and implemented. Putting some effort into considering design and usability is of foremost importance in the success of an intranet. Employees should be able to find relevant information quickly efficiently. Furthermore, the design of the interface should be tested to ensure that all functions are logical and intuitive to the end-users.
The intranet should look and behave in a consistent way. Having an intranet that changes its appearance and behaviour between different sections can confuse users, and even give rise to doubts regarding the reliability of all areas (eg. if one section is updated more frequently than another). Furthermore, the intranet should be easily and quickly distinguishable from its public-facing website, to ensure that members of staff do not confuse the two and, for example, give the wrong link to a client.
We can provide you with a full design service to create a bespoke "look and feel" for your intranet. This can ensure that your branding is incorporated and remains consistent throughout. We can manipulate and resize any images, as required for the ongoing maintenance process, as well as the initial launch.
We can also provide a "style guide" which can help you to retain design consistency for any files which are associated with the intranet (eg. Word documents of PDFs). This can incorporate templates or simply list the correct colours, fonts and logo to be used in each case. Ensuring that the same style is used throughout your company intranet can help to strengthen brand recognition, both for employees and customers (who may receive files based on templates which are stored on your intranet).
Finally, you may like to consider having any content professionally written by a copywriter. After all, the information stored on the intranet may be used by employees on a daily basis and should be written in a clear and concise manner.
Training
We can provide full training on the use of Intranet DASHBOARD, both on-site and over the phone. Our aim is to ensure that your company is able to use the product to its maximum potential.
The individual or team who manages your intranet, and publishes any associated documents, should have basic IT skills and word processing experience. It may also be beneficial for them to have some knowledge of web design basics, such as creating links and general page formatting.
Once you have designated the members of staff who will be responsible for maintaining the intranet, we can train them up on all aspects of intranet administration - including basic product tools, as well as general online usability, various design aspects and miscellaneous tips and tricks.
Most successful intranets we've encountered have been governed by a strong, central team. This is absolutely necessary in order to provide an intranet with a clear and cohesive approach. Although authorship and content-ownership can - and very often should - be devolved throughout the business, the management of the intranet itself needs to be the direct responsibility of a dedicated team, in the same way that a company's external website is.
Various potential roles for intranet management can include:
- Intranet Administrator - responsible for facilitating the general coordination and and functioning of the intranet. Their primary focus is on strategy, organization and quality of the intranet as an effective communication environment.
- Publisher - responsible for determining the information which is regularly provided on the intranet.
- Editor - the manager for purposes of creation and management of formal information related to specific areas within the company.
- Webmaster - responsible for maintaining the technical side of the intranet. technical, as well as bridging any gap between technical and non-technical experts.
- Author - responsible for creation of basic content on the intranet - both text and graphics.
After Sales Support
Due to the importance that Intranet DASHBOARD will invariably play in the day-to-day running of your organisation, it is vital that you can count on the professional and ongoing support and advice of our team. Once your intranet is up and running, we will of course remain on-hand for any support issues you may have, and can also arrange for any further training you require. If you have any general questions, we are only a phone call away!
We are routinely available for any support requests from 9am - 6pm, Monday through to Friday. Your request will always be handled by one of our specialists who understands the full range of Intranet DASHBOARD functionality and specifically how it relates to your organisation.
In addition to phone support, you will have access to "Tracker" - our online support tracking tool - 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. This intuitive and valuable service allows you to easily log any support issues via email and to track their progress remotely.
An intranet project never really ends, and it is actually a good sign if it is constantly evolving, whilst keeping to the certain set of parameters. The continual growth and evolution of an intranet generally signifies its value, as it indicates that your staff are using it on a regular basis. All businesses, even those with highly developed intranet systems, will occasionally need to expand and change the designs as their business requirements evolve. With this in mind, after your intranet has been operational for some time, we can conduct a full review. This will entail assessment of its progress and identification of any areas for improvement or development. We will also offer various suggestions and advice to ensure that your company is making the best possible use of the product.
