How to Make the Business Case for a New Intranet

Video produced by Steve Nathans-Kelly

Sara Teitelman, Ideal State co-founder and principal, explained how to take a human-centered approach to making the case for intranet development during her presentation at KMWorld Connect 2020.

"First you want to look at the current state. So, the way that we like to go about this is kind of as a human centered design exercise, where we're really sitting and listening with a variety of staff from around the organization and finding out, not just their current experience of the intranet,  because that, that is one set of important information, but also what they hope or wish a new intranet would be able to deliver in terms of functionality," she said.

Internally, it's important not get tunnel vision on this process though because the intranet will become a part of a diverse mix of tools that staff is using every day to do their work, she explained.

"It's important also to look at the other types of technology that people might be jumping out to from the intranet or even things that may need to be integrated into the intranet experience. We also like to, at this stage, identify where the organization is at in terms of its appetite for change," she said. 

Once you've listened to your staff and really articulated what their needs are and what their hopes and wishes are for the new intranet, you want to also think about the organization and the trajectory of the organization, any major strategic goals or changes that are on the horizon, she said.

"Certainly in the time that we're in right now, with major shifts in work styles or approaches remote work, these all necessitate kind of stepping back and thinking how the intranet mightmeld with these emerging needs. So with that, all in mind, you can then develop a high level roadmap," she said.