Why Now is the Perfect Time to Change your Company Intranet

2023 is here, and now is the perfect time for you to focus on implementing or changing to a new and improved company intranet.

For most organisations, a company intranet makes a fundamental change in employee collaboration and productivity. An intranet will be your company’s digital workplace; one of the biggest trends for businesses in 2020. As time draws on, digital workplaces are only becoming more popular as businesses realise the benefits of going digital. Company intranets are central to the digital workplace, especially in today's current climate where there is more of a need to connect and engage your workforce and bring them together as one.

A recent survey has shown that 68% of employees use their company intranet but not to its full advantage and only 13% of employees reported participating in their intranet daily. The right intranet for your company should be a well-oiled machine with intuitive features, time-saving elements and an increased capacity for collaborative efforts. 2023 is set for even more advances to allow UK intranets to take businesses to new heights of success and efficiency. 

Signs you need to change your company intranet strategy

First of all, you need to find out if your existing intranet is aligned with your company’s long term goals. For instance, if your company’s business objective relates to international expansion, you will need to evaluate whether your intranet caters to a globalised workforce. This entails enabling remote access, facilitating collaboration across multiple time zones and offering the right tools and features for different office locations. 

When you should move to a new intranet solution; the main signs:

Employee adoption rates 

The intranet is designed to be a tool for collaboration and productivity, where employees can share resources, connect with colleagues and post announcements. If there is a lack of or decreasing communication and collaboration on your intranet, it is a clear sign that you need to adopt a new intranet solution.

At Oak, we’re committed to improving and enhancing our product on an ongoing basis and you can expect to see useful new features and functionality appearing regularly, improving employee retention.

Your company intranet content is inaccurate, out of date or repetitive

Investments in digital workplace technologies and tools is increasing each year thanks to a growing focus on communication and collaboration in the business world. 

Creating content is an ongoing life-cycle on the intranet and is not a one-time event. Many organisations lack relevant and fresh content, resulting in these common pain points for employees:

• Inaccurate or outdated information
• Lack of trust in the information on the intranet
• Less efficient means of communicating and information retrieval
• Lack of or difficulty with collaboration

Oak is an out-of-the-box solution that aims to make implementing a digital workplace easy, making collaboration and productivity the main focus for your employees.

The intranet you're using has poor user experience

Your company intranet is there to add value for your employees who expect a high level of performance from their digital workplace. Without a strong user experience, end-users often fail to take full advantage of the intranet. Many leaders struggle to crack the code for good user experience, but it comes down to something quite simple, finding out what end-users want and recreating it.

Oak gives your workers an enjoyable experience, wherever they are. Ideal for organisations with deskless or remote workers - we give employees the power to access their company intranet at any time, from anywhere. 

Information takes a long time to surface 

If it takes your employees too long to find important files, forms, documents, or other resources, it is time to rethink your company intranet strategy. Your intranet is intended to be a hub of information while providing the necessary resources for employees to efficiently complete their tasks. If they have to spend a lot of time looking for such resources, the productivity of the employee and company is at risk.

Oak however, provides an intranet solution that is easy to configure and maintain, we’re able to deliver innovative and flexible solutions to suit our customer’s needs and tailor their experience.

Top 5 UK intranet trends for 2023

The past year has been a year of change, a year of never-seen-before digital trends and workplace transformations. So, now could not be a better time to change your company intranet.

The current climate means that more employees are required to work from home and at the same time, businesses are scrambling to adopt digital workplace technologies that enable teams to work efficiently from different locations. So, having the right company intranet to connect your workforce is more vital than ever.

Organisations across the world have rapidly been adopting modern intranets to facilitate communication, collaboration and employee engagement to support their workforce who are remote working. Unlike a traditional intranet, modern intranets bring together knowledge, tools and applications on a comprehensive, collaborative interface, all to access everything they need from one single place. Here are the top 4 intranet trends for 2023, if your company intranet fails to bring in these elements, it may be time to rethink your solution.

1. Artificial Intelligence 

AI has become a popular feature in intranets in 2023 due to its ability to automate tasks, personalise user experiences, and improve efficiency. AI-powered chatbots handle routine inquiries, freeing up time for employees to focus on more strategic work. Personalisation is enhanced as AI algorithms analyse user behaviour and deliver tailored content, increasing engagement and productivity. Intelligent search powered by AI enables quick and accurate retrieval of information from vast intranet databases. AI-driven data analysis provides valuable insights for decision-making and process optimisation. Virtual assistants streamline collaboration by managing tasks such as scheduling meetings and document sharing. Additionally, AI enhances security by monitoring network activity and detecting potential threats. Overall, AI in intranets boosts productivity, user experience, and security, making it a highly sought-after feature in 2023.

In an example, a multinational corporation called TechPro implemented an AI-powered intranet system in 2023. Intelligent chatbots handle routine inquiries, freeing HR and IT departments for strategic tasks. Personalisation is achieved through AI algorithms, delivering tailored content to employees. Intelligent search retrieves information quickly from vast databases. Virtual assistants streamline collaboration by managing tasks such as scheduling meetings and document sharing. AI enhances security by monitoring network activity for potential threats. TechPro's AI-powered intranet significantly improves productivity, user experience, and security, illustrating the value of AI in intranets in 2023.

2. Mobile Integration

In 2023, a significant trend is the optimisation of intranet features for mobile devices. As companies develop mobile apps for their intranets, remote and frontline workers, whether desk-based or deskless, gain the ability to access intranet information and stay connected with colleagues without relying on a desktop computer. This mobile access empowers employees to retrieve information on the go, resulting in enhanced engagement, productivity, and collaboration, especially in today's challenging times.

For example, imagine a construction company implementing a mobile app for their intranet. Field workers can easily access project blueprints, safety guidelines, and equipment manuals on their smartphones or tablets. They can quickly communicate with the office team, report issues, and request support, all without having to return to the main office or rely on cumbersome paper documents. This mobile optimization not only improves efficiency but also fosters seamless collaboration between on-site and off-site teams, driving overall productivity and streamlining operations.

By prioritising mobile optimisation for their intranet, companies across various industries can empower their workforce, improve communication, and ensure that essential information is readily available, leading to increased engagement, heightened productivity, and strengthened collaboration.

3. Social Collaboration

Social features in company intranets are just as important as a positive company culture when it comes to productivity in the workplace. Social intranet tools like messenger, team workspaces and timelines encourage engagement between teams and individual colleagues.

The more users engage with the social tools in your company intranet, the more feedback you’ll receive on how to improve and optimise this area of your digital workplace strategy. If you haven't already implemented a social intranet, Oak is the perfect solution. 

Oak messenger and timelines are designed to improve employee collaboration, engagement and workplace productivity, users can send instant messages to one specific person or a whole group. Perfect for department communication, remote workers and general social interaction.

4. Personalised Experience

Personalisation will be a crucial element in all uk intranets in 2023 and beyond. Since hundreds of employees will be using the same intranet platform at work, personalisation is so important to ensure that employees are getting more meaningful and efficient interactions.

If users are seeing what they want and need to see on an intranet platform, they are more likely to enjoy using their company intranet. This could be as simple as showing company news specific to a particular department or team suggesting relevant internal content based on an employees interests and skills.

Invest in a new intranet solution with Oak