If you are planning to launch a company intranet then congratulations! You are joining a growing number of businesses in realizing the many great benefits company intranets have to offer. From improved internal communications, increased levels of employee engagement, and easier sharing of information, through to streamlined and more efficient business processes, a company intranet will undoubtedly make a big difference to your bottom line. Having made that all-important decision to go ahead with an intranet, you will want to make sure that it hits the ground running with a successful launch. So if you want your intranet to come to life with a hiss and a roar rather than a whimper and a murmur then read on for some ideas on how to achieve a successful launch.
Set A Launch Date
Sounds obvious but setting an actual date and counting down to do it is an important first step towards getting staff anticipating the intranet’s arrival. Why not try and tie it in with another important company event such as the national sales conference or annual staff away day. Whatever you do aim to make the launch day special and memorable in some way – supplying cupcakes at morning tea or a pizza lunch as a celebration will have staff looking forward to the event.
Create A Buzz
In the run up to the launch generate a feeling of excitement and anticipation around the office. Put out some teasers about what’s in store with an advertising campaign using as many mediums as possible: posters, videos, emails and blog posts. Put as much effort into the marketing of your intranet as you would to a product launch or new store opening. You’ll find that the investment of time and resources reaps rewards in staff members’ wholescale adoption of the intranet.
Have A Competition To Name The Intranet
Having a name for the intranet gives it an identity and a strong brand presence. A catchy name can be the perfect vehicle for conveying that sense of dynamism and all-round buzz that you want to create. And if you are finding it hard to come up with some ideas why not involve your staff members in a competition? It’s a great way to get staff interested in and thinking about the intranet and the difference it will make. It also gives them more of a stake in the intranet’s success from the get go.
Appoint Company Intranet Champions
Ideally, the champions will have intimate knowledge of the intranet product. They may well be members of the intranet steering group or were part of the needs assessment process that identified the intranet software you have implemented. Their job is to advocate for the intranet on the shop floor. As well as extolling the capabilities of the intranet in advance to their colleagues, come launch day they will also be the chief supporters and troubleshooters in the office. If a staff member wants to know how to set up a customized business form for example, then the intranet champion will talk them through the steps. Perhaps a colleague wants to know how to upload and edit content or add new users. The intranet champion will be the go-to person for all those sorts of queries. What’s more, appointing intranet champions from within the ranks is likely to be better received by employees. Rather than management performing the same sort of advocacy role, staff members will have a better connection with their colleagues who, in any case, have a more thorough grasp of their everyday needs.
Set Up A Comprehensive Training Program
For any launch to be successful, it must be accompanied by a comprehensive staff training program. There needs to be a certain amount of hand-holding while employees become familiar with all the functions and features of the company intranet. What’s more, use a variety of training mediums as well as the traditional classroom-type environment so that you appeal to the whole range of learning styles. Be imaginative. How about how-to videos, shared screen tours, wikis or webinars? Training is fundamental to staff quickly adopting the intranet and using it on a daily basis and so it’s critical that you spend time on this important step.
Walk The Talk
It’s important that managers and senior executives are seen to walk the talk from day one. So if one of the main reasons behind the implementation of the intranet was to improve internal communications, then managers need to be actively using the intranet themselves to communicate. All-staff emails should be replaced by the intranet’s news feed. Maybe the chief executive officer could start up an intranet blog page with motivational pieces or best practice insights from across the organization with the opportunity for staff comments and interaction. A very visible senior management presence on the intranet sends a clear message to staff that it is important and is here to stay.
Set The Intranet As The Default Web Page
If all staff members are forced to view the intranet to access the web, then it’s amazing how quickly they will get used to using the intranet. It’s a fail-safe way of raising awareness. Having a how-to video on the home page or a daily special feature button is another great option for enticing people to take a closer look at what’s on offer in the intranet. Having a summary of the latest company news on your intranet’s home page is also a great idea.
Company Intranets – Plan To Succeed
A successful intranet launch doesn’t just happen by itself. It will require careful planning as well as sufficient resourcing. But having already done the hard yards in setting up and implementing a company intranet, it’s essential that it’s working for you as quickly as possible. Generating some buzz around the launch with the ideas we’ve identified will ensure your intranet arrives with the necessary fanfare and hoopla to make it a success.
If you would like a chat about implementing or launching a company intranet, then the helpful team at MyHub is happy to help. Why not contact us today for an intranet demonstration or take advantage of our free 14-day trial.
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