The primary purpose a company intranet is to keep the public from accessing information and services that are only meant for a business and its employees. However, there is another important purpose the intranet serves which is to unite a dispersed workforce in an organization. Here is a look into the company intranet and how useful it can be in any company.
Company Intranet features that keep dispersed teams united
An intranet is more than a set of static web pages. It is the hub of everything an employee needs on how to go about his/her work and get things done the right way. Below are the features that make an intranet a crucial tool for any dispersed teams of an organization:
- Sharing and collaboration – A good company intranet has the functionality of sharing and collaboration with everyone’s opinion being counted, a person’s rank in a company notwithstanding. Sharing is made more effective through the creation of a blogging feature that allows employees to view, comment, and share information.
- Social networking – Social networking and sharing over the internet is paramount. Employees create awareness about the company to people and market the company’s products as well. This kind of connection to creates a sense of community within and outside the organization.
- Push notifications – These are instant alerts that show up on your desktop or mobile device to notify you of recent activities like new projects assigned to you, content updates, and conversations relevant to you. Push notifications are a good way of alerting employees on anything that needs their attention.
- Contact management – This is a database of all employee contacts in an organization. Having this feature allows employees to communicate with relevant team members. It ensures that employees get help when they need it and from the people directly involved with the issue at hand. It promotes clear internal communication hence efficiency at work.
Importance of a company intranet for geographically dispersed teams
Teams no longer have to be in the same physical location to work effectively. Thanks to the company intranet, field sales teams, satellite offices, and remote workers to mention a few, are connected to the company’s headquarters despite their location. Intranet makes this possible through:
- Defining a team’s purpose. Having a common goal makes it easier for your employees to unite. A team charter can be created to ensure that members are focused and their main strive is to achieve the company’s goals.
- Giving feedback and rewarding good performance. This goes a long way in ensuring that your employees feel recognized and part of the company no matter how far they are from the workstation.
- Sharing simple successes. For any organization to succeed, goals must be set and after achieving these goals, it is important to share the joy. Despite the geographical barrier, a company intranet can be a useful tool in achieving this. It is also one of the ways to show your team that you appreciate them even with the distance. This keeps them motivated to achieve more.
Today’s intranet technology breaks geographical and hierarchical barriers. When optimized, a company intranet has the capabilities of increasing productivity, longevity of workforce, and even having a significant impact on a company’s bottom line.