08/ 29/ 2002
by Kelle Campbell
Do the people in your office constantly pass disks and manuals back and forth? Are they struggling to work efficiently with other departments or spending too much time on routine tasks? If so, you might want to look into using an intranet.
Using an intranet is like placing your own private Internet on your computer network, and the technology can enhance productivity in a number of ways. Only people connected to the network are able to view the intranet. Intranets have become popular among all types of organizations, from small or home-based businesses to large corporations.
For instance, you can use an intranet to post company newsletters, manuals, directories, reports, sales material and press releases. YouÆll save on printing costs, and everyone will have easy access to the most updated versions of your publications. In addition, workers can share information via email, discussion forums, bulletin boards, polling tools and feedback/query forms.
Besides reducing costs and speeding up tasks, the tools mentioned above facilitate effective interdepartmental collaboration. For example, research and development, legal, marketing and accounting can use the intranet to develop a quick and easy team process for product development projects.
Creating your intranet
If you want an in-house intranet, the first thing to do is connect your computers in a local area network (LAN). You'll also need these basics:
- Computer to operate as the intranet server
- Web server software (such as Apache, Netscape Enterprise Server, or Microsoft Internet Information Server)
- Server operating system (like Windows 2000 Server, Windows NT, Mac OS X, or Unix)
- HTML editor (such as FrontPage or Netscape Composer)
- Web browser
If you already have a network, your costs and effort are reduced significantly. You can also sidestep expenditures by placing your intranet on an existing server or using an old computer as a dedicated server.
In terms of software, you can skip the HTML editor if you get "intranet-in-a-box" server software like Intrasmart. Also, operating systems often come in convenient packages. Mac OS X comes with Apache, and the Windows server systems have Internet Information Server. If you have a Unix-based system but no server software, you can download Apache for free at www.apache.org .
You'll also want to consider options like Internet access, security features such as firewalls, and remote access for traveling employees. Besides setting up the intranet, your IT people will have to maintain it and direct its growth.
If all this seems too much take on, you can let someone else worry about the technical details by outsourcing your intranet to a hosting service. Most online workspaces charge monthly fees based on the size of your user group. eHosting.com (www.ehosting.com) starts at $9.95 for 10 users while the digital office, eRoom.net (www.eroom.net) starts monthly charges at $249 per workplace. Top tier rates range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. However, some providers, like ZeroCommunity (www.communityzero.com), offer basic services for free, and many offer a free trial period.
Encouraging use of the intranet
In order to get the most out of your virtual workspace, you need to plan its design so that it helps rather than hinders productivity. Instead of grouping data by department, organize it around your organization's information flow and business processes. Also, the workspace should be easily navigable, so take as much time and care as you would for a customer-oriented Web site. You'll want to appoint someone as intranet editor to oversee the frequency and quality of the content posted.
Arrange for intranet training and demonstrations so that employees feel comfortable with the technology and see its benefits. Promote regular use of the intranet by regularly adding new content and encouraging employee participation via article contributions, discussion forums, surveys or interactive quizzes.
Intranets can do a great deal for an organization's productivity. But management and employees are always the deciding factor. In order to ensure that your intranet is an effective business tool, analyze your needs, lay out current and future plans and encourage employee input.
