A SharePoint intranet basically needs to be the engaging, interactive and connecting link between the employees in an organization and the role of the SharePoint intranet elements is to make it engaging, interactive and connecting link to boost work culture. So, What is the key aspect of an intranet? And Why is it so important to keep a track of how it reflects the interests of the employees as well as the company as a whole, virtually creating an environment which can give a boost to the work culture.
But with so much diversity that the intranet possesses, deciding upon the key elements…what to keep and what to let go, becomes difficult. So, here is a list, which can help us out of this dilemma.
Top 5 Key Sharepoint Intranet Elements
1.DESIRED FEATURES
Well Organized and Connected Profiles
Staff directory is the most basic requirement in an intranet. Besides, each profile should be properly updated, and contact details should be easily accessible by other profiles. It should also have options for work groups. Each of these profiles should have their roles well-defined as well as different permission levels for each.
Integrated Search
Searches should not give in too less or too much information…also, it will be great if a single search can take care of all the platforms in a single go. There should be a clear governance policy in place along with regular monitoring of search analytics.
Tools for two–way communication
There should be tools like chat boxes which encourage the interaction of employees on one to one level. In this way, peer to peer communication will become stronger which in turn lead to a betterment in team spirit.
2.ACCESSIBILITY
Intranet is supposed to be the gateway to accessing the different aspect of the organization by people with different needs,be it handling the important information, peer to peer conversations or official communication. Therefore, an intranet is desired to provide quick and seamless access to tools and applications required to carry out all the works smoothly.
Alt texts along with images
Alt texts are just texts describing some visual entities like images, graphs etc. So, it is very helpful if some members of the intranet have visual impairments. It also plays a helpful part in knowing about the image contents if the network is too feeble to load them.
Proper color contrast
Proper color combination in the foreground and background are very necessary. It should be clearly accessible and easy to perceive by everyone’s eyes.
Using proper headings, subheadings and navigation
Proper headings and sub-headings make the contents easy to access. Also, easy navigation tools must be placed throughout the intranet to make it easier to move from one feature or content to another.
3. DATA SECURITY
Password Protection and Access Rights
Every account on the Company intranet must be password protected. Apart from this, there should be different levels of security for accessing different kinds of information and content present in the intranet. For high security data, biometric passwords, two-step authentications or multi-user validations can be applied.
Simplified Security Features
The safety measures of the intranet should be as simple as possible. Complexity not only leads to confusions but also leads to carelessness on the part of the employees. Basic steps such as one click encryption, multi device otp verification, periodic captcha security etc. can be very easy to use, yet ensure enough security.
Encryption
Encryption is the process of encoding a message or information in such a way that only authorized parties can access it and those who are not authorized cannot. It is just like Lock and Key. The information is encoded and acts like being locked from any access and only the one with the Key that is, the Encryption access code will be able to decode it and use that information. Sensitive information within the intranet must be kept or communicated only in encrypted form. This can prevent the huge emergency cases of data theft.
4.ENGAGEMENT
Tailored Content
Just like the content designed for the customers, the content designed for the in-house people is equally important. The content on the intranet should be good enough not only in the work–related aspects but should cover the personal interests of employees too as much as possible and as illustrated as possible.
Engagement-Specific Ranking
The content present on the intranet, whether in informative, formal or just for fun categories, all of them must be ranked according to their engagement level. The extent to which the users are opening, liking, sharing or performing any kind of engagement activity, should be the factor deciding how much visibility and ranking each of those entities enjoy.
Dynamic Homepages
The intranet should have a great engaging homepage which changes and is tailored according to the interests of the user using widgets. Therefore, the same homepage at the exact same time for two different users will be different. Along with it, the important notices and information which everyone should know, should also be updated on the homepage frequently.
5.MOBILITY
The intranet should surely be accessible from anywhere and anytime regardless of the device, we wish to use. So, being adaptable to different devices is a highly desired feature of the intranet. Also, it needs to be kept in mind that the speed remains decent in every device.
Feel something else is essential too in an Intranet apart from the Sharepoint Intranet Elements mentioned above? Let us know in the comments below.
