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A great tool for sharing information and knowledge, the intranet can quickly become a real dumping ground if it is not properly organized. However, in the same way that you would not open a cupboard full of used objects, the employees of a company can quickly turn away from a badly structured intranet. Hence the importance of optimizing it as much as possible... How? We share with you some suggestions in this article.
1. Foreword: What is meant by "intranet optimization" and why is it useful?
An intranet is an internal network that brings together information, documents and knowledge to link a company's different teams and departments. At a time when telecommuting is becoming widespread, it is particularly important, since it allows for the centralization of all necessary information, thus facilitating internal communication and collaboration.
When used correctly, the intranet should be able to provide all the information an employee is looking for, in a quick and easy way. However, if this network is badly managed and/or badly structured, finding information can quickly become an obstacle course. It then loses all its usefulness. This is what the survey conducted by Workvivo shows us, in which 57% of employees state that they do not find their intranet useful. On the other hand, 24% of the companies surveyed are not satisfied with the digital experience and information structure of their intranet.
The optimization of the intranet is therefore to structure the content, so that it is precise, fluid, detailed and updated. In concrete terms, an intranet must allow users to :
- Write and access various content: internal information, articles, job offers, press releases, news, working documents...
- Easily find the information you are looking for, no matter what kind of information you need;
- Interact with other users, whether by posting messages, commenting on articles or sharing information;
- Integrate images, videos, emojis and formatting into their messages.
To achieve this optimization, the best tool on the market is Microsoft Teams. Easily accessible, central to Microsoft 365, Teams allows you to optimize your intranet to make it a true communication and knowledge sharing hub.
📌 To get back to the basics of Microsoft Teams and how to use it, explore the 5 must-know Teams cases of use.
2. Using Teams
Thanks to the Microsoft ecosystem, intranet resources are available in Teams.
To search for content, simply go to the home page and search in the Teams search bar. By integrating Mozzaik365's Search component you will be able to search for documents, emails, OneNote and even internal experts. The search results are then displayed, showing files, direct messages and Teams channels, matching the query. Best of all, you can also create a custom advanced search page with filter integration and custom verticals that the user can be redirected to using Mozzaik365's features
You can search and retrieve relevant content and news from the Mozzaik365 search bar.
3. Optimize the tree structure
The tree structure of an intranet corresponds to its architecture, i.e. the organization of the different levels of information. This is achieved by creating pages and headings. It is essential to think about the tree structure of your intranet: only then can you create a precise and intuitive network, where the information you are looking for can be found easily. To do this, start by listing all the content and information you want to have in your intranet. The second step is to prioritize all these elements. Your tree structure must be based on your employees' needs. This requires studying indicators beforehand based on the use they make of it (the most viewed contents, the most searched for information, etc.)
To help you in the construction of your tree structure, do not hesitate to materialize it: you just have to make a diagram with several branches, to show the different pages and sub-pages.
To do this, information should be centralized, adding shortcuts to the most used tools. The information must be hierarchical and linked together, according to the contents most viewed and/or most searched for by the users.
Finally, it can be interesting to link the intranet to other company tools and means of communication: social networks, calendar, Salesforce KPI (for sales teams), Power BI (for management teams), etc. This avoids any scattering of information and makes your intranet indispensable on a daily basis.
4. Focus on an optimal user experience
The user experience is by far the most important element to take into account in order to optimize your intranet. Indeed, it must be able to meet the needs of your users, both on the functional aspect and on the proposed contents (news of the sector of activity, trades, information on the life of the company, etc.).
According to the Nexthink study, 82% of employees surveyed want to improve their employee experience.
Here's how to make the employee experience the core of your intranet project:
- Define your employees' needs by asking them the right questions;
- Involve and train your employees in the tools you have put in place. 56% of them believe they do not have the skills required to master digital technologies;
- Set up a governance system to manage your intranet's content;
- Keep your intranet alive. It is a tool which must evolve according to your employees' technologies and needs. Survey your users to optimize your intranet over time.
Just as a good customer experience makes your business more profitable, so too does the employee experience play a crucial role in the success of your business.
By investing your efforts in providing your employees with an optimal digital experience, you will see a shift in productivity, lower turnover and better employee engagement.
In the era of the war for talent, the employee experience is a real competitive lever to attract and retain the best profiles!
📢 To go further on this topic, discover Microsoft Viva, the employee experience platform.
5. Targeting communication to each population
Optimizing your intranet requires analytical audits to better understand how users interact, which resources are most requested, and which content is performing less well. The resulting data should be broken down by population, allowing for better targeting of communication to each user category.
Remember: the goal is to offer a fluid path, in which information is easily detectable. With Mozzaik365, you can target your audiences and define thematic feeds, for a 100% personalized intranet.
💡 To go further, read our article on how to properly target your internal communication!
6. Disseminate best practices to employees
Setting up an intranet without explaining its purpose to users is useless. To be exploited, such a network must be promoted to the populations concerned and the way it works must be sufficiently clear. To make your employees adopt and adhere to your intranet, they must be involved from the start. Hence the importance of training them in the right way to use the intranet, so that consulting this network becomes a daily habit. This training must be included in the integration course for each new employee, and regularly updated so that it does not become obsolete.
For example, it is essential to train your employees on the best cybersecurity practices to implement and thus secure your work environments to fight against frequent computer attacks.
🚀 To take it a step further, find out how to take your team to the next level with Teams.
7. Create templates to create beautiful pages in 2 clicks
Microsoft 365 and SharePoint allow you to create a custom platform using easy-to-use templates. In a few minutes, you can customize your intranet's design and give it a true visual identity with your company's colors and image.
Natural extensions like Mozzaik365 can also offer you new features and designs, without ever compromising the security of your environment. With Mozzaik365, it becomes very easy to create beautiful pages in just a few clicks! Creating collaborative and engaging intranets is within reach for everyone.