The Hidden Cost of Implementing Intranet Portal Software

An intranet is a private computer network of an organisation that uses Internet protocols, network connectivity and the possibility of an internal telecommunications system to allow their employees safe exchange of information or perform some actions related to the organisation.

Intranet software is what provides this possibility of communications, and collaboration within a private corporate network.

Purchasing intranet software can sometimes turn into a features comparison mini-project, with the software cost as a line item on the list but, it is best to fully investigate the costs involved in implementing an intranet portal project.

After purchasing intranet software, buyers often think “that’s most of the fees already settled”. But we have seen intranet projects turn sour because the cost accrued during implementation exceed the cost of purchasing the intranet software itself.

So, in this article, I am going to explore 5 implementation factors you should consider (and clarify with your vendor) before making that purchase because these factors could significantly impact the total cost of your intranet project.

 

IMPROPER PLANNING

Dividing a project into phases makes it possible to lead it in the best direction. Before acquiring an intranet portal software, you must determine from all stakeholders why you need one, what business goals/objective need to be set for the new intranet, and what technical resources will be required to deliver. All these needs to be determined up front and discussed with potential vendors.

 

INTRANET BRANDING

Every company has their official brand identity, which includes colours and aesthetics. Your intranet may not be your public facing website that acts as the first impression for most consumers, but that does not mean you should ignore traditional web advice to present a visually appealing, well-branded intranet home page.  Unfortunately, intranet branding is usually not taken into consideration, if done at all. And this has a big impact on adoption and even corporate culture. Be sure to check with potential vendors what it would cost to have the intranet look as beautiful as your website, in your own brand.

 

CUSTOMIZATION COSTS

Off the shelf intranet software will not always fit your exact requirements. You might need a feature it does not offer, or you might need certain workflow adjusted to fit your needs, or maybe you even want a new business app built on or integrated with intranet platform. Customizations like this have a way of racking up bills from vendors. You should check with potential vendors what their billing model is.

 

MIGRATING CONTENTS TO THE INTRANET

The most engaging intranets have content that is fresh, accurate, and useful. This starts with deciding which content belongs on the intranet and implementing plans to keep it up-to-date. Proper content evaluation needs to be done in migrating contents from existing systems to the new intranet. In performing a content evaluation, you have to understand employees and business functions, determine which content should be on the intranet and where? This content evaluation and structuring process take a lot of man hours which many companies do not put into consideration before implementing an intranet.

 

POSSIBLE INTEGRATION ISSUE

Possible Integration Issues – When using an intranet, it’s best to integrate as many business processes as possible, so everything is in one central location. Some “out of the box” intranet solutions make this difficult, which can lead to frustration and interruptions regarding productivity. The same can be said for building an intranet, which can make integration of important business processes even more difficult.

That concludes the top 5 hidden factors that could have a huge impact on the implementation cost of any intranet project. If you know others, please share using the comment feature at the bottom.

At Precurio, we are on a mission to drive the extra cost association with intranet implementation down to zero, while at the same time providing a platform that is so flexible, anything can be customised.

Precurio is a simple, affordable and open intranet platform designed for medium sized enterprises. It is a collaborative platform for business solutions that delivers exceptional value in terms of cost and benefits to customers.