Comments on: The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/ Jeremiah Owyang discusses how web tools and social media enable companies to connect with customers Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:49:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Proceso de evolución de la intranet hasta llegar a la INTRANET 2.0 « Intranet en las NTICS http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-1156452 Proceso de evolución de la intranet hasta llegar a la INTRANET 2.0 « Intranet en las NTICS Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:22:17 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-1156452 [...] http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-en... [...]

[...] http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-en... [...]

]]> By: Problemas de las Intranet tradicionales « Intranet en las NTICS http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-1156451 Problemas de las Intranet tradicionales « Intranet en las NTICS Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:19:50 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-1156451 [...] http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-en... [...]

[...] http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-en... [...]

]]> By: Local Government Engagement Online Research » Blog Archive » Session Two CSNF: Enterprise 2.0 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-1052284 Local Government Engagement Online Research » Blog Archive » Session Two CSNF: Enterprise 2.0 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:14:27 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-1052284 [...] stumbled upon a great article titled “The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet” by Jeremiah Owyang. One of my favourite bloggers and web [...]

[...] stumbled upon a great article titled “The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet” by Jeremiah Owyang. One of my favourite bloggers and web [...]

]]> By: Abdul Koroma http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-514304 Abdul Koroma Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:46:21 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-514304 Great post with very precise analysis. I think we will start seeing more of enterprise intranet partly due to the pressure from social media. As more and more enterprises embrace social media and seeing it as a potential and benificial tool, we will see enetrprise intranet take a "firat class" citizenship status. IBM is planning to launch itSs W3 Intranet: Inside IBM Intranet ( http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=466&doc_id=156311&F_src=flftwo) Great post with very precise analysis. I think we will start seeing more of enterprise intranet partly due to the pressure from social media. As more and more enterprises embrace social media and seeing it as a potential and benificial tool, we will see enetrprise intranet take a “firat class” citizenship status. IBM is planning to launch itSs W3 Intranet: Inside IBM Intranet ( http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=466&doc_id=156311&F_src=flftwo)

]]> By: Zig Ziegfried http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-291801 Zig Ziegfried Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:18:36 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-291801 Sami Vittamaki's FLIRT model for successful collaboration is an excellent thought tool for evaluating the merits of any project. I've used it numerous times to engage new collaboration partners who are new to the process. The ROI is highest when the most value can be gleaned from each participant, and channeled into the larger picture. Sami Vittamaki’s FLIRT model for successful collaboration is an excellent thought tool for evaluating the merits of any project. I’ve used it numerous times to engage new collaboration partners who are new to the process.

The ROI is highest when the most value can be gleaned from each participant, and channeled into the larger picture.

]]> By: Samuel Driessen http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-291342 Samuel Driessen Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:57:07 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-291342 Great post! Your evolution steps relate very well to Jane McConnell's <a href="http://netjmc.typepad.com/globally_local/2007/08/global-intranet.html" rel="nofollow">Jane McConnell's Intranet development paths</a>. Did you know that? Great post! Your evolution steps relate very well to Jane McConnell’s Jane McConnell’s Intranet development paths. Did you know that?

]]> By: The FASTForward Blog » Remember Intranets?: Enterprise 2.0 Blog: News, Coverage, and Commentary http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-275165 The FASTForward Blog » Remember Intranets?: Enterprise 2.0 Blog: News, Coverage, and Commentary Thu, 10 Jan 2008 14:15:16 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-275165 [...] excellent post by Jeremiah Owyang, The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet, leads off with the sentence, “Enterprise Intranets are an often overlooked corporate asset.” [...]

[...] excellent post by Jeremiah Owyang, The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet, leads off with the sentence, “Enterprise Intranets are an often overlooked corporate asset.” [...]

]]> By: James Governor’s Monkchips » links for 2008-01-08 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-272677 James Governor’s Monkchips » links for 2008-01-08 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:24:23 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-272677 [...] The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet I can’t add much to Jeremiah Owyang’s intranet maturity model. But I would argue enterprise IT should focus more on data governance than UI. Also use 2.0-style tools *with* existing intranets. (tags: intranet) [...]

[...] The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet I can’t add much to Jeremiah Owyang’s intranet maturity model. But I would argue enterprise IT should focus more on data governance than UI. Also use 2.0-style tools *with* existing intranets. (tags: intranet) [...]

]]> By: Johnny Negretti http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-271127 Johnny Negretti Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:39:32 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-271127 Great posting and insight! I've worked at large corporate companies, mid-sized companies, agencies, and start-ups and they all had a so-so intranets. One internal study we did estimated a lose of $10,000 per day on employees struggling to find relevant data on the intranet, chasing down the most up-to-date document, and deciphering bad search results. This study helped us prove the RIO. At one place we moved much of the public website content to the intranet just so we can use the funding we had in our Marketing budget. :-P The best results I've seen is when the company used blogs (per department) then tied them all together through a Google Mini. Word to the wise ...custom intranets (home-grown) = non-stop maintenance = disaster! Johnny Great posting and insight!

I’ve worked at large corporate companies, mid-sized companies, agencies, and start-ups and they all had a so-so intranets. One internal study we did estimated a lose of $10,000 per day on employees struggling to find relevant data on the intranet, chasing down the most up-to-date document, and deciphering bad search results. This study helped us prove the RIO.

At one place we moved much of the public website content to the intranet just so we can use the funding we had in our Marketing budget. :-P

The best results I’ve seen is when the company used blogs (per department) then tied them all together through a Google Mini.

Word to the wise …custom intranets (home-grown) = non-stop maintenance = disaster!

Johnny

]]> By: Dennis McDonald http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-269738 Dennis McDonald Mon, 07 Jan 2008 16:04:04 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-269738 This is a great compendium of ideas, Jeremiah. Significantly, many of the issues you discuss focus on governance, not on technology. Increasingly, I am thinking that the single most important feature that any intranet should have is the ability to reflect the constant changes that go on within an organization and in how it relates to its constituencies. Having a "expiration" review process that considers content, function, and relationships would be part of that. And how the intranet reflects ongoing changes would also drive both governance and technology features. This is a great compendium of ideas, Jeremiah.

Significantly, many of the issues you discuss focus on governance, not on technology. Increasingly, I am thinking that the single most important feature that any intranet should have is the ability to reflect the constant changes that go on within an organization and in how it relates to its constituencies.

Having a “expiration” review process that considers content, function, and relationships would be part of that. And how the intranet reflects ongoing changes would also drive both governance and technology features.

]]> By: jeremiah_owyang http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-268251 jeremiah_owyang Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:07:32 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-268251 Dawn I love that approach, a group employees working together. great stuff. Dawn

I love that approach, a group employees working together. great stuff.

]]> By: Dawn Foster http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-268054 Dawn Foster Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:38:32 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-268054 I think we need to stop thinking about the intranet as a web site and starting thinking about it as a community of employees. At Jive we don't have an "intranet" in the traditional sense. We have a collaboration platform where employees have discussions / debates about topics, documents that describe plans and best practices, and blogs where employees share information and links ranging from personal to professional. The key is that everyone uses it: the CEO, the executive staff, and each employee. By putting all of the information needed to be successful in one community, people will use it and participate. I think we need to stop thinking about the intranet as a web site and starting thinking about it as a community of employees.

At Jive we don’t have an “intranet” in the traditional sense. We have a collaboration platform where employees have discussions / debates about topics, documents that describe plans and best practices, and blogs where employees share information and links ranging from personal to professional.

The key is that everyone uses it: the CEO, the executive staff, and each employee. By putting all of the information needed to be successful in one community, people will use it and participate.

]]> By: elliptical . . . : Blog Archive : links for 2008-01-05 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-267026 elliptical . . . : Blog Archive : links for 2008-01-05 Sat, 05 Jan 2008 07:18:04 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-267026 [...] The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet some good info about corporate intranets. i’d like to see ETC move a little more in this direction (tags: enterprise intranet web etc work) [...]

[...] The Challenges, Evolution, and Success Factors of the Enterprise Intranet some good info about corporate intranets. i’d like to see ETC move a little more in this direction (tags: enterprise intranet web etc work) [...]

]]> By: Trevor Speirs http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-266345 Trevor Speirs Fri, 04 Jan 2008 17:42:54 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-266345 Jeremiah, This is a great topic and one of my corporate pet peeves. I have yet to see a intranet that takes advantage of 20% of the medium's potential. I am amazed in today's world of global companies that not even our successful public companies consider an integrated suite of simple tools to enable greater collaboration among employees. In fact, in some cases they make it more confusing to employees. One observation in the Success Factors. While I agree that a centralized body is valuable to set the user experience, the initiative needs more leadership than this. It needs a person dedicated to managing the program. Their role is beyond setting and implementing development specifications. Their primary role should be to facilitate enterprise adoption of the internet. Adoption can be accomplished by regularly communicating with employees by blog, email, and in person to talk about how to use the services on the intranet and relating "effective use" success stories. Bottom line is that without a dedicated champion, often the best tools wallow under-utilized. Jeremiah,
This is a great topic and one of my corporate pet peeves. I have yet to see a intranet that takes advantage of 20% of the medium’s potential. I am amazed in today’s world of global companies that not even our successful public companies consider an integrated suite of simple tools to enable greater collaboration among employees. In fact, in some cases they make it more confusing to employees.
One observation in the Success Factors. While I agree that a centralized body is valuable to set the user experience, the initiative needs more leadership than this. It needs a person dedicated to managing the program. Their role is beyond setting and implementing development specifications. Their primary role should be to facilitate enterprise adoption of the internet.
Adoption can be accomplished by regularly communicating with employees by blog, email, and in person to talk about how to use the services on the intranet and relating “effective use” success stories.
Bottom line is that without a dedicated champion, often the best tools wallow under-utilized.

]]> By: brian http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-266301 brian Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:52:19 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-266301 Hi Jeremiah, great topic. One thing I have noticed about decent intranets is that they have a central location for new hires. Building a relevant and useful new hire intranet area requires cooperation between HR, IT, facilities and other departments with frequent updates. I don't know if you can argue that the chicken comes before the egg, but perhaps comanies with intranets lacking this area could consider such an area as a beta/POC for a more successful, user driven intranet. Hi Jeremiah, great topic. One thing I have noticed about decent intranets is that they have a central location for new hires. Building a relevant and useful new hire intranet area requires cooperation between HR, IT, facilities and other departments with frequent updates.

I don’t know if you can argue that the chicken comes before the egg, but perhaps comanies with intranets lacking this area could consider such an area as a beta/POC for a more successful, user driven intranet.

]]> By: Sam Lawrence http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-266206 Sam Lawrence Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:32:18 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-266206 Jeremiah, Yes. MySpace is the wrong direction. Facebook is exactly the level of modular UI control I mean. LinkedIn is wrong on the UI scale for a "new intranet" collaboration platform --that would indicate a level of control that would suck the life out of everything. There has to be balance applied to a social productivity platform. Too much regulation, control, and standards and it will just end up another river rock that people work around, not in. Jeremiah,

Yes. MySpace is the wrong direction. Facebook is exactly the level of modular UI control I mean. LinkedIn is wrong on the UI scale for a “new intranet” collaboration platform –that would indicate a level of control that would suck the life out of everything. There has to be balance applied to a social productivity platform. Too much regulation, control, and standards and it will just end up another river rock that people work around, not in.

]]> By: jeremiah_owyang http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-266163 jeremiah_owyang Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:54:33 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-266163 Martin Not sure what you're stating, that a company shouldn't be serious about stages 1-3? or they should be serious. Martin

Not sure what you’re stating, that a company shouldn’t be serious about stages 1-3? or they should be serious.

]]> By: Martin Kloos http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-266146 Martin Kloos Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:44:32 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-266146 Hi Jeremiah, i love your thoughts on this, but I couldn't surpress the feeling that I do not hope that any company that takes itself seriously is in any of the first 3 stages... What are your thoughts on that? Hi Jeremiah,

i love your thoughts on this, but I couldn’t surpress the feeling that I do not hope that any company that takes itself seriously is in any of the first 3 stages… What are your thoughts on that?

]]> By: jeremiah_owyang http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-266124 jeremiah_owyang Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:21:28 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-266124 Very helpful insight Sam. For success factor 2: I should expand it to include the social aspects you mentioned, you're right. The reason I didn't spell that out is because success factor 5 clearly suggests that as a need. I'll argue that the user experience should have some restraints, take a look at the difference between LinkedIn (very controlled) Facebook (semi-controlled) and MySpace (little control). I opt that intranets should be more like Facebook, and less like the other two. What do you think? Very helpful insight Sam.

For success factor 2: I should expand it to include the social aspects you mentioned, you’re right. The reason I didn’t spell that out is because success factor 5 clearly suggests that as a need.

I’ll argue that the user experience should have some restraints, take a look at the difference between LinkedIn (very controlled) Facebook (semi-controlled) and MySpace (little control).

I opt that intranets should be more like Facebook, and less like the other two.

What do you think?

]]> By: Sam Lawrence http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/comment-page-1/#comment-266085 Sam Lawrence Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:41:08 +0000 http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/01/04/the-challenges-evolution-and-success-factors-of-the-enterprise-intranet/#comment-266085 The ROI of an Intranet is not to dissimilar to email: for it to work, everyone has to use it. The more people that do, the greater the ROI. I honestly can't see how Intranet's, as we know them, can survive in a meaningful way. As you mentioned, it's about "employees and how they work together," so I think the success factors you list above work for the old definition of Intranet, but not the new one. We're going to have re-frame things and collaboration and productivity have to be central. That's the people and work part. As well, I'd argue that #2 under success factors is a much bigger. Beyond giving employees the freedom to publish, they need the freedom to connect, self organize, collaborate around plans, processes, ideas, projects, and the active topics of the company. Even control of their user experience (#1 success factor above) should be given to them. They should be able to see their work and activity the way they need to. Sure, Marketing can control generalized branding elements, but the UI needs to be customizable so that people can focus on what's important to them in a way that most makes sense. One size doesn't fit all. The ROI of an Intranet is not to dissimilar to email: for it to work, everyone has to use it. The more people that do, the greater the ROI. I honestly can’t see how Intranet’s, as we know them, can survive in a meaningful way. As you mentioned, it’s about “employees and how they work together,” so I think the success factors you list above work for the old definition of Intranet, but not the new one. We’re going to have re-frame things and collaboration and productivity have to be central. That’s the people and work part. As well, I’d argue that #2 under success factors is a much bigger. Beyond giving employees the freedom to publish, they need the freedom to connect, self organize, collaborate around plans, processes, ideas, projects, and the active topics of the company. Even control of their user experience (#1 success factor above) should be given to them. They should be able to see their work and activity the way they need to. Sure, Marketing can control generalized branding elements, but the UI needs to be customizable so that people can focus on what’s important to them in a way that most makes sense. One size doesn’t fit all.

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