Creating a customized Intranet: Utilities and Best Practices

If there is one thing that is fundamental for a good management in a company, is both internal and external communication. When communication is clear and accessible, the work environment, productivity and customer service improve considerably. To achieve this, a fundamental piece is to have a corporate intranet.

What is an Intranet and Why Should my Company Have One?

An intranet is a private space that allows a secure and controlled communication with the users that have access to this space and thus to be able to share resources of interest for a project. In a company an intranet can have several benefits such as improving organization and collaboration and increasing the efficiency of teamwork.

Microsoft SharePoint is the most popular choice for creating an intranet because it allows organizations to create collaborative websites customized to the needs of each business with accessibility from any device. In addition, it allows the inclusion of collaboration tools such as shared calendars, bulletin boards, shared documents, etc.

Utilities of SharePoint in a Company

One of the utilities of SharePoint is to contain large amounts of information in an orderly manner for easy access and search. This is achieved through the creation of lists and libraries that can store up to 30 million items is just one of them and the application of powerful segmentation filters that allow finding information quickly and accurately.

Working in this way also allows information to be stored securely as we can customize the general or specific permissions of each of the elements in SharePoint. It is also possible to keep track of file versions, user who has made the last modification and restore a previous version if necessary.

Version History in SharePoint

By allowing collaborative work, several people can modify the same document at the same time and if there is an error, the previous version can be restored. Having the documents centralized in the same place avoids sending outdated versions of the document by e-mail. With SharePoint the link to the document is sent and viewing and editing will always be on a single centralized document.

Another utility is to create workflows that the organization has defined within its document approval and review processes. Through them, you can specify the actions to be performed in a sequence. There are 3 workflows available by default: approval, collection of comments and collection of digital signatures. It is also possible to establish that the rest of the users cannot see a document until the authorized person to whom the approval has been requested approves it, thus facilitating that all the information is truthful. If you want to know more benefits of using SharePoint you can see them here.

Approval workflow in SharePoint

Best practices for creating an intranet

If you are thinking about creating an intranet, here are some tips on how to do it.

1. Define the purpose of the intranet. Decide what resources you will share on the intranet and determine who has access to it.
2. Set up access permissions. This will allow you to select which types of users have access to documents and other content on the intranet. This ensures that only authorized users are viewing confidential information.
3. Design the intranet website. SharePoint offers several templates for creating intranet websites that are quick and easy to set up and allow intuitive and comfortable use, generating an optimal user experience.
4. Customize the user interface. If you need a customized development of a corporate intranet that adapts to the particularities of your business, with SharePoint and Intelequia it is possible. This way, users can find the information they need faster.
5. Train users. Once you set up the intranet, it is a good idea to train users so that they can take full advantage of all the benefits of the platform and get the most out of it.

If you have an effective intranet in your business, you will be able to achieve your goals faster and if this tool also allows integration with other productivity tools such as Microsoft 365, you will multiply the efficiency of your organization. From Intelequia we can help you create an intranet that adapts to the needs of your business, integrate it with other tools of your work environment and perform document migrations.

Would you like to create a SharePoint Intranet for your company?

At Intelequia we have extensive experience in creating Intranets as well as in data migration and user training. If you want to know more, you can contact us to request a free demo about SharePoint and clarify any doubts you may have.