Should the intranet die?

Should the intranet die?

"Finally, we do not have to bother about the intranet!" We often hear similar comments when presenting the internal communication and collaboration tool Workplace from Facebook. Many people seem to have an inflamed relationship with the good old intranet, but should one let it die?

The answer is yes, no, maybe..

There are mainly two questions that are important when it comes to the future of the intranet:

  • Is it useful to the employees?
  • Is it available?

Is the intranet useful to the employees?

The intranet will mainly cover static information that employees need in order to do their jobs. This can be everything from descriptions of procedures to the employee handbook and regulations. Some companies share all their news and other current information on the intranet.

The biggest challenge, however, is poor structure and too little resources that work regularly with the tool to provide real value. Who has not spent hours to search for the routine of how to register traveling expenses?

Is the intranet available?

One of the benefits of using Workplace from Facebook is the accessibility. One can easily connect from the mobile phone, PC or tablet. This gives employees who are not working from their desktop, the opportunity to stay up to date with only the touch of a finger. When these employees need to find an HR routine, it should be just as accessible as the rest of the information on Workplace.

It’s easy for everyone in the organization to ask questions and get answers on Workplace, and when doing so they might want to link to the intranet. And that is precisely where it can be challenging. Most companies have an intranet that requires extra login and may not even have a responsive design. Employees drop off long before they have found their answer. One thing is certain; the employees want everything as easily accessible as possible.

So must the intranet die? Not necessarily, but it needs to be improved and made available. And if the company does not have intranet, it is possible to build a good structure on Workplace that meet most needs.