Written by Administrator | 22 June 2010
Posted in Intranet Blog

Intranets for the Small Business - Can Your Small Business Benefit?

Small businesses can enjoy all the advantages of an office Intranet

C. Sumner Winship, Marketing Manager, Office Ability

Small business owners and human resources staff alike may be scratching their heads at the thought of purchasing an intranet.  ‘We have less than 50 staff, is that really enough to justify an Intranet?  What could we possibly gain from such an application? Moreover, why do we need an Intranet?’ 

The answer to the first of these questions is quite simply, yes; you will almost certainly see tangible benefit in introducing an intranet solution.  The other two questions are, in essence, one and the same and can be broken down to increased efficiency and enhanced intra-office communication.  

Increased efficiency

Plain and simply, Intranets are time savers that, in turn, save money and energy.  So, in this regard a company Intranet can provide significant advantages.  For example, an employee, Tim, wishes to find out if Christmas Eve day counts as part of the paid Christmas holiday.  Initially, he thinks to go ask Fred, his colleague.  Fred says go ask Carol in HR.  But, once he gets to HR Carol is away for the day and nobody else knows the policy.  Now, Tim goes back to his desk scouring emails and papers… Is Tim working?  No, he has wasted more than a half an hour wandering.

A company Intranet could have solved this problem in two ways.  First, if this company employed an intranet that integrates some sort of a status update or social networking tool, others could have seen that Carol was not in the office that day.  Second, and more importantly, all Tim would need to do to find out the policy would be to look at the “HR” or “Policy” section of the Intranet, Search ‘holidays’ to find the information, go to December on the Events Calendar, or quickly post the question as a discussion thread; either way answering his question and allowing him to work.   

With the right Intranet application you have the ability to post schedules that update in real time, keeping everyone informed including those quiet types that rarely ask questions.  You can upload and store policies and other important documents, which will end wasted time, save money, and help save the environment… even in a smaller company.

Additionally, intranets are very helpful when it comes to project management (PM), some even embed PM specific software.  Communications are enhanced through the use of tools such as forums and online chat features that can eliminate wasted time and facilitate better group interaction.  Whether a company is big or small, these online functions are very valuable for brainstorming, developing ideas, and creating more effective teams.  

In the same vein, how often have you wondered about your employee’s efficiency when collaborating on a project to create a document?  Communications are typically handled by email, documents get confused, versions are a mess, and some things simply end up dropping off the radar screen.  

If the document were posted on an intranet, those involved can see when it was last updated, who has accessed it last, and edit at their leisure.  The project is in a centralised location; document sharing not only saves time and energy but also saves massive amounts of wasted bandwidth and hard drive space too.

Enhance Intra-office communication

An Intranet can bring consistency to intra-office communications that render the gossip of the grapevine obsolete and create a virtual connection for those employees or consultants that typically work away from the office.  

Intranets can be the key to unlock to the potential to tap the inherent agility of small companies.  Now, you may be thinking, ‘we have 20 people here and we can rely on word-of-mouth for policy changes and quick updates.’  Well, when you were young, did you ever play a game of telephone with ten people?  Information is morphed when more than one person is involved.  Intranets leave no room for this entropy – it is on the web, can be updated instantly and all employees can see the same, most recent versions.  No telephone, no inbox flood of updates and mass emails.

Also, Intranets increase intimacy and a sense of community with features such as open forums, photo and video galleries, and social networking applications.  Work needs to be fun on occasion and a social Intranet can be the catalyst for creating stronger work relationships and ending the tedium of routine.  With a strong social Intranet, everyone in the office has a voice and an opportunity to express their interests and ideas… the type of behaviour that leads to innovation and may well change the course of your small business.

Food for thought

Intranets can increase overall efficiency of your business, yet it can take a bit of time to research and to develop, especially if you are considering a custom solution.  You naturally want an intranet that is efficient, intuitive, and provides actual value for the users. It shouldn’t take ten steps to book a room or create a public event. 

Cost is also a key factor; though there are significant savings when considering an 'out-of-the-box' Intranet software rather than a custom application. There may be yet further advantage to considering a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that will allow a small business to avoid the added costs of IT infrastructure and internal technical support.

Also, it is important to consider that someone, or a small group, needs to take ‘ownership’ of the Intranet. Though much of the content on an Intranet should ultimately be employee generated, it is nonetheless important that someone acts as administrator, ensures that content is fresh and accurate, and can provide a moderate amount of internal support.  

Ownership though should not imply control. An effective Intranet will give employees freedom to express their individuality and their ideas, which will make work more enjoyable and bring about greater productivity… and this may be especially true in your small organization.