What is an intranet?

Intranet meaning and definition

An intranet is an internal communications and collaboration platform used by companies of all sizes and industries. Se on turvallinen verkko yrityksen työntekijöille ja luotetuille kumppaneille tiedon jakamiseen, hyvään viestintään ja tehokkaaseen yhteistyöhön.

Some of the key things an intranet can provide are:

• A way to safely share internal information
• Improved communication between leadership and employees
• Increased alignment between cross-functional teams
• A home base for companies to store and organize policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures

Periaatteessa intranet toimii yrityksen digitaalisena pääkonttorina ja ensisijaisena resurssina, jotta työntekijät pysyvät ajan tasalla. Se on arvokas työkalu tiimien yhdistämiseen toisiinsa sekä yrityksen kulttuuriin ja missioon.

Traditionally, many organizations use SharePoint or custom platforms as their intranet. But as the world of work has changed, new user-friendly solutions have emerged, with benefits to meet the evolving needs of employees.

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Benefits of an intranet

‍Intranetin käyttöönotto ei ainoastaan auta työntekijöitä pysymään yhteydessä ja järjestäytyneinä—se voi itse asiassa muuttaa koko organisaation tehokkuuden ja tuottavuuden. Here are some of the biggest benefits of an intranet:

• Improved communication: Intranets facilitate effective communication across the organization, allowing employees to share news, updates, and announcements easily.
• Enhanced collaboration: With tools like shared calendars, project management software, and document sharing, they enable teams to work together more efficiently, regardless of their location.
• Increased productivity: Intranets provide a centralized place for information and resources, reducing the time employees spend searching for information and allowing them to focus on their work.
• Cost savings: By using an intranet for internal communication and collaboration, organizations can reduce costs associated with printing, mailing, and other traditional methods of information sharing.
• Streamlined processes: Intranets can automate and streamline various business processes, such as HR tasks, expense reporting, and procurement, saving time and reducing errors.
• Parempi tietojen hallinta: Intranet voi toimia tietopankkina, joka tallentaa ja säilyttää organisaation kollektiivista tietoa ja asiantuntemusta, tehden sen helposti kaikkien työntekijöiden saataville.
• Improved employee engagement: Intranets can foster a sense of community and belonging among employees by providing a platform for sharing success stories, recognizing achievements, and encouraging feedback.
• Enhanced security: With proper access controls and security measures, intranets ensure that sensitive information remains confidential and accessible only to authorized personnel.
• Scalability: Intranets can grow and evolve with the organization, accommodating new users, content, and features as needed.
• Integration with other systems: Intranets can integrate with other enterprise systems, such as customer relationship management (CRM) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, providing a unified platform for accessing information and tools.

Why is a company intranet important?

Vuonna 2024 on vaikeampaa kuin koskaan, että työntekijät löytävät tarvitsemansa tiedot työnsä tekemiseen, pysyvät yhteydessä toisiinsa ja ovat ajan tasalla yrityksen suuntaviivoista. Itse asiassa tutkimus, joka tehtiin HBR löysi, että vain 23% työntekijöistä on oikeasti linjassa yrityksensä strategioiden kanssa.

An intranet offers the following critical functionality that can help companies address this alignment gap:

1. Provide visibility across teams

An intranet is a great way to make information available to an entire company. Koska jokaisella työntekijällä on automaattisesti pääsy, on helppo jakaa päivityksiä yrityksen johdolta, jotka koskevat kaikkia.

Many solutions have sections for different teams. This makes it easy to see what others are working on. Se auttaa myös pysymään linjassa tiimin tavoitteiden kanssa.

2. Offer a centralized place for document and content storage and retrieval

An intranet is a central location for employees to store important documents and information. It is searchable for anyone who needs access to them. This system helps employees easily find the information they need.

The intranet is a convenient tool for organizing and sharing important resources within a company. Rather than finding and sharing documents from systems like Microsoft Office or Google Drive, users can upload them to a portal and make them broadly available.

3. Simplify permissioning

When used with SSO or as part of a software suite, administrators can easily manage authorized users. They can add or remove users with just a few clicks.

Uses of an intranet

An intranet is a versatile and powerful tool that can change the way an organization operates. They can help with communication, collaboration, automating tasks, and supporting remote work, providing many benefits for organizations. Here are just some of the ways that companies use an intranet:

• Internal communication: Sharing company news, announcements, and updates
• Employee directory: Providing a searchable database of employee profiles and contact information
• Document management: Storing, organizing, and sharing important documents and files
• Collaboration: Enabling teamwork through shared workspaces, project management tools, and discussion forums
• Knowledge management: Creating a centralized location for company knowledge, best practices, and frequently asked questions
• HR and employee self-service: Managing HR processes, such as employee onboarding, benefits enrollment, and time-off requests
• Training and development: Delivering online training courses and materials for employee skill development
• IT support: Offering a helpdesk and resources for troubleshooting common technical issues
• Policy and procedure distribution: Ensuring easy access to company policies, handbooks, and guidelines

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using intranet software?

The advantages of an intranet

A modern intranet can offer tremendous advantages for most companies. Here are just a few:

• Improved communication: It provides a centralized platform for employees to communicate and collaborate on projects, which leads to increased productivity and efficiency.
• Streamlined information sharing: Intranets help organizations share company policies, procedures, and updates easily, keeping all employees informed and aligned.
• Enhanced data security: They provide a secure platform for sharing sensitive information within an organization, reducing the risk of data breaches and other security threats.
• Increased employee engagement: By providing access to training materials, employee recognition programs, and other resources, an intranet can help to keep employees engaged and motivated.
• Cost savings: They can reduce printing and distribution costs by providing a paperless platform for sharing information, which can result in significant cost savings for organizations.

The disadvantages of an intranet

Kuten olemme nähneet, intranetin käyttöön liittyy monia etuja. Kuitenkin, ne eivät kaikki ole samanlaisia. Unlike modern solutions, traditional intranet offerings often have the following drawbacks:

Traditional intranets require employees to navigate to another destination to access information

Real-world data does not support the claim that intranets are designed to be easily accessed. Knowledge workers feel overwhelmed by tabs, apps, channels, and information, which can cause context-switching and a loss of focus. Traditional offerings act as portals that act as yet another destination for employees to visit.

Traditional intranets often need IT administration to update, scale, and maintain

Traditional intranets are admin-heavy. They require specialized IT knowledge to maintain. This sometimes results in them being a bit behind the UX and security curve.

Jokin niin yksinkertainen kuin “etusivun” päivittäminen voi vaatia useita vaiheita, ja uuden osion luominen juuri perustetulle tiimille voi viedä pitkä aika, jos intranet ei sisällä sisäänrakennettua wiki-osaa. Ideally, an intranet CMS allows for easy-to-update employee communications and documentation.

Perinteiset intranetit eivät läpäise tiedon ylikuormitusongelmaa.

Employees feel stressed by the quick exchange of information in chat and video apps such as Slack or Teams. This happens whether they are in the office or working from home.

The fast pace of communication can be overwhelming for them. Intranets may not be effective as a replacement or addition to some applications. They can also worsen information overload instead of improving it.

Traditional intranets get stale almost as soon as content is published

Intranets need good content to attract employees. Content teams sometimes use clickbait to encourage employees to use the intranet.

Toinen ongelma vanhentuneen sisällön kanssa on se, että se on usein epäluotettavaa. This can lead to employees disregarding the information they find, and ultimately stopping searching altogether.

Perinteiset intranetit eivät edistä yhteistyötä eri yritysten välillä.

Tottakai, aikaisemman aikakauden digitaalinen kaupunkitori ei enää toimi. Ne ovat yhtä paljon viestintätiloja kuin se surullinen ‘90-luvun ostoskeskus, joka suljettiin kaupunkisi viime vuonna. Nykyään sisäinen viestintä, yhteistyö ja koordinointi tapahtuvat siellä, missä työntekijät jo yhdistyvät: heidän “virtuaalisessa pääkonttorissaan”, joka sijaitsee Slack  tai Microsoft Teams.

Intranet best practices

Jos olet käyttämässä intranet-ohjelmistoa, on olemassa monia tapoja varmistaa, että kaikki saavat parhaan hyödyn siitä. To get the most out of your investment, follow these best practices:

1. Reach workers where they are

We are all working online now. It is important for everyone to communicate effectively. This is especially crucial in a remote or hybrid work environment. Use your portal to foster employee engagement by posting updates and information regularly.

An intranet, when used right, can be a tool for everyone in the company to collaborate, along with your chat system. Why not see if you can integrate the two? When you connect to Slack or Teams, you can send information and documents to anyone when needed.

2. Reduce time wasted finding important information

The best way to get the most out of your setup is to treat it as a single source of truth for all employees. Älä anna intranetisi kaaottua vanhentuneen tiedon kanssa. It will make it hard for people to find what they need.

Jos kokoonpanossasi on sisällönhallintajärjestelmä, joka tekee selväksi, milloin asiakirja on viimeksi päivitetty—tai, vielä parempi, jos se voi flagata mahdolliset päällekkäiset sisällöt—hakijat löytävät tarvitsemaansa huomattavasti helpommin.

3. Keep your team productive by preventing time-consuming interruptions for key employees

It happens at every company: a few subject matter experts (SMEs) who hold lots of information are frequently interrupted by colleagues who need answers. A study by the University of California and Humboldt University found that it takes workers up to 23 minutes to regain focus after being interrupted.

Experts can avoid disruptions by adding their knowledge to a single source of truth to make it accessible by anyone who needs it, when they need it. A little more effort upfront can have huge time management implications down the road.

4. Avoid wasteful context switching to keep employees productive in the tools they use every day

Integrating with your chat platform is great, but integrating with all the other tools employees need to do their jobs? Much better. Look into next-generation solutions that can serve information in any web-based tool.

How do you create a company intranet that improves productivity and drives employee engagement?

Jos nykyinen intranetisi kärsii alhaisesta käytöstä, älä paniikoi! Check out this specific action cycle designed to help you build buy-in, identify a replacement (if you need one), roll out the new approach, and create a sustainable solution. Learn more about creating urgency in change management.

1. Make a plan for adoption

First, figure out what you think went wrong the first (or 47th) time. What were the major factors preventing long-term, widespread adoption, and what are some specific ways to resolve them?

2. Set goals

Some examples of goals to set are:

• Timelines
• “Employee feedback gathered by June 1st”
• “Decide whether to keep or replace our intranet by July 31st”
• “Rollout new guidance/tool by October 1st”
• Measures for success
• Include regular and stretch goals
• Regular goal: People use the intranet at least 1x/week for 6 months on average
• Stretch goal: People use the intranet at least 1x/day for 6 months).

3. Seek employee input

Kysy ihmisiltä, mitä mieltä he ovat käyttämästään ratkaisusta. Do they like it in theory, but find it too cumbersome to use? Have they used different solutions or approaches at other companies? Do they wish they could use what friends at other companies are using? Learn how to create an efficient tech stack.

4. Select an intranet platform

Jos nykyisen alustasi ongelmia ei voida ratkaista, tee huolellinen taustatyö ja etsi uusi intranet-toimittaja. Look into employee recommendations, and search on review sites like G2 and TrustRadius.

5. Assign tool ownership

Determine who will be responsible for the overall success and rollout of your new intranet (or approach). Learn why you might want to use a knowledge manager.

6. Configure your selected tool

Time to get your team settings, spaces, and permissions figured out!

7. Develop the content

This might involve importing documentation from elsewhere, creating entirely new resources, or completely rewriting existing content. Learn why bite-size information is best.

8. Employee initiatives to improve adoption

Avoid long, tedious trainings. If you need training, consider using self-service modules instead of traditional all-day sessions. For more exciting options, offer swag or host a party!‍

9. Measure success

Don't forget to check in on your goals.

Important features of intranet software

Jos olet valmis luomaan todella loistavan työntekijäkokemuksen, tiedät, että sinun on löydettävä parhaat intranet-ohjelmistot—työkalu, joka voi tehdä enemmän kuin perinteiset. The latest knowledge management and company wiki solutions take everything great about intranets and make them even better. Tässä on asioita, joita voit odottaa:

Amazing UX

The staid, overstuffed, ‘90s (and not in a cool way) look of the traditional intranet is best quickly forgotten. Guru has a simple—but intuitive—user experience designed to serve trusted answers whenever and wherever employees are working.

Strong search capabilities

You should be able to find what you need without knowing all the details. In the Guru platform, that means advanced enterprise AI search that works in whatever app or tool you're currently working in.

Integration capabilities

Context-switching kills productivity. Siksi Guru peittää jokaisen verkkosivuston selaimen laajennuksen kautta ja se integroituu natiivisti Slaciin, Microsoft Teamsiin ja muihin viestintä- ja yhteistyösovelluksiin, joita tiimisi jo käyttää, joten sinun ei tarvitse lopettaa sitä, mitä olet tekemässä, käyttääksesi sitä.

Keep information accessible everywhere

Riippumatta siitä, missä työntekijäsi ovat tai mitä työkalua he käyttävät, vastauksen saaminen tulisi olla yksinkertaista. Get served context-specific knowledge before you even know you need it with Knowledge Triggers, or take knowledge on the go with the Guru mobile app.

Analytics

Gurun syväanalytiikka antaa ylläpitäjille ja kirjoittajille mahdollisuuden jatkuvasti arvioida asetuksia yrityksen tietämyksen aukkojen ja tehottomuuksien perusteella sekä antaa yksityiskohtaisia analytiikkaa tuotteen käytöstä.

Track how users engage with content

Pahin tunne on laittaa työtä johonkin—ja sitten ei ole edes ketään, joka näkisi sen. Guru allows you to see not just who has read your Card, but how many times people have copied or favorited it. Don't know what people are looking for? Use search analytics to see what people are searching for and eliminate those content gaps.

Ensure compliance requirements are met and kept organized

Älä pysähdy vain näkemään, kuka on lukenut Kortin kerran. Lähetä ilmoitus Gurussa, kun jokin muuttuu, ja seuraa, kuka on nähnyt ja tunnustanut sen. That's an easy way to make sure nothing is getting lost in a busy inbox or lengthy document.

Easy adoption

A great intranet solution should make employees want to use it. After rolling out Guru, not only has “Did you Guru it?” become a standard response, but companies see a long-term return on investment thanks to high adoption.

What is an extranet?

Ekstranet on osa yrityksen intranettä. A private network like an intranet where vendors, partners, and authorized customers can access information from a company's network.

The term "extranet" gained popularity in the early 2000s. It was used by organizations to refer to a central location for sharing data. This data could only be accessed by specific workgroups.

Since the extranet is structured like an intranet, it relies on IP and TCP for data exchange. Extranets also have security features such as firewalls and password-protected login details to prevent unauthorized access.

Examples of extranets

• A distribution network to maintain communication between suppliers and distributors
• A central collaboration tool for a franchise to communicate across numerous locations.
• Cross collaboration across government agencies
• Ecommerce site integration to exchange inventory data via a secure network
• A project management tool where a project manager can share documents and contracts with subcontractors and other stakeholders
• A board portal where members of an association can access meeting minutes and board documents
• Onboarding documents for subcontractors or freelance hires who do not have access to your employee intranet

Intranet vs. ekstranet: mikä on ero?

An intranet and an extranet are both private networks that use internet technologies, but they differ in terms of access and purpose.

Intranet:

• An intranet is a private network accessible only to an organization's employees.
• It is used to share company information, resources, and tools internally.
• Access to an intranet is restricted to authorized users within the organization and typically requires a login.

Extranet:

• An extranet is an extension of an intranet that allows controlled access to authorized external users, such as customers, suppliers, or business partners.
• It enables an organization to securely share information and collaborate with specific external parties.
• Access to an extranet is granted to specific external users through authentication methods like usernames and passwords.

Basically, an intranet is limited to internal use within an organization, while an extranet can be accessed by external parties. Both types of networks aim to facilitate secure communication, collaboration, and information sharing using internet technologies.