Critical Steps to Consider when Choosing a Digital Workplace

With Meta’s Workplace shutting down, many companies face the daunting task of finding a new digital workplace. The good news is that this transition doesn’t have to be overwhelming; in fact, by navigating it carefully, you can end up with a better solution than the one you had before. Here are five critical steps to guide you through the process.

1. Leveraging Your Intranet to Your Advantage

Your digital employee experience should set you apart, enhancing productivity and job satisfaction. A well-utilized intranet can:

• Boost Employee Engagement and Retention: An intranet fosters a dynamic connection between teams, enhancing engagement and unity around a shared mission.
• Increase Productivity and Reduce Costs: By connecting people, tools, and information efficiently, an intranet helps employees work faster and more effectively.
• Improve Communication and Knowledge Management: Personalized communications ensure everyone receives relevant, accurate information, reducing content overload.
• Unite the Workforce: Bridging the gap between remote, in-office, and frontline workers is crucial. A cohesive intranet can bring together diverse groups to work as a unified team.
• Drive Innovation: An open, real-time information system encourages innovation by facilitating faster planning and problem-solving.
• Enhance the Customer Experience: Empowering staff with up-to-date information improves customer service, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty.

See how an Igloo intranet can empower frontline employees

2. Navigating the Internal Discovery Process

Before selecting a vendor, understand your organization’s needs and challenges. Consider the following:

• Identify Business Challenges: Clearly define the issues you aim to solve, such as collaboration, communication, and knowledge sharing.
• Engage Executive Sponsors and Stakeholders: Document their needs and expectations to streamline the evaluation process.
• Understand Employee Workflows: Analyze current tools and workflows to identify what capabilities the new intranet should have.
• Align with Company Culture: Ensure the intranet supports and enhances your existing culture and engagement activities.
• Set Future Aspirations: Plan for growth by setting realistic goals and using a roadmap to track progress.
• Measure Success: Define clear metrics for success and ensure the new solution can provide actionable insights.

3. Establishing Vendor Requirements

Once your internal objectives are clear, identify your vendor requirements. Consider these factors:

• Time vs. Value: Evaluate how quickly the solution can be implemented and its ease of maintenance.
• Control and Maintenance: Choose a solution that allows multiple stakeholders to manage their content while maintaining overall administration rights.
• Total Cost of Ownership: Look beyond the monthly subscription to include implementation, support, and professional services costs.
• Onboarding Experience: Ensure the vendor provides adequate training and support during onboarding.
• Implementation Process: Understand the vendor’s implementation process to gauge the level of support you’ll receive.
• Post-Launch Support: Ensure continuous support and resources are available to keep the intranet evolving with your organization.

Read: How Igloo supports customers throughout the intranet lifecycle

4. Look for Features that Empower Your Entire Organization

Identify the needs of different user groups—content consumers, managers, and administrators. Ensure the intranet solution addresses the needs of all these groups to avoid friction during implementation. Core features to look for include:

• User-friendly Interface: Ensure the platform is easy to use for all employees.
• Robust Content Management: Facilitate easy content creation, publishing, and management.
• Strong Administrative Controls: Allow administrators to maintain control over the platform while enabling decentralized content management.
• Customization Options: Enable the intranet to align with your organization’s unique needs and culture.
• Scalability: Ensure the solution can grow with your organization and adapt to future requirements.

How can you support your many different user types?

5. Understanding the Intranet Landscape

With a clear understanding of your needs and vendor requirements, start evaluating potential vendors. Use the following criteria:

• Alignment with Business Challenges: Choose vendors that understand and address your specific business challenges.
• Demonstrated Use Cases: Look for vendors with proven success in unifying the digital employee experience in your industry.
• Comprehensive Product Offering: Ensure the solution is a fully integrated suite rather than a collection of disjointed features.
• Clarity and Support: Avoid vendors that rely on marketing jargon. Ensure they offer comprehensive support and services beyond just the technology.

Conclusion

Choosing a new intranet solution involves many stakeholders and technical considerations. This blog is designed to help you navigate the complex process and find a partner that meets your needs. With over a decade of experience, Igloo Software has helped organizations across industries improve communication, engagement, and productivity. Get in touch with one of our intranet experts to learn more about what this transition could bring to your organization.