QUESTION: My boss wants me to set up an intranet. Where do I start?

Setting up an intranet--an internal Website that only an organization's employees can access--is a formidable task, even for a small firm. That's why your first step should be to evaluate your firm's current and future computing needs, and determine how an intranet would fit into the mix. Among the factors you need to consider are

• the number of employees who have access to and use computers on a regular basis
• access for employees who don't have PCs (through kiosks or public terminals, for example)
• the number of organizational PCs that are networked with IP connections
• the number of on-site PCs that are powerful enough to run all the browser software and plug-ins you'll want to use
• training, if any, needed to use an intranet (from computer basics to more advanced topics)
• remote access needed for telecommuters and on-the-road travelers
• security and regulatory issues that may arise
• IT staff, if any, who have the networking, server management, programming, and design skills to maintain an intranet. Ideally, you should have an intranet server in-house, and behind a firewall.

Next, estimate the return-on-investment (ROI) that an intranet can bring to your organization. How much money can be saved by posting information on an intranet versus printing it for distribution? How much time do people waste searching for information they could quickly locate on an intranet? Will an intranet enable your firm to do things that are either impossible or cost-prohibitive now? How much will it aid travelling employees and telecommuters? Can an intranet replace inefficient legacy systems, or interface with them so they're easier to use? What Web security technology (firewalls, encryption, authentication, and so forth) will you need to safeguard your data, and is it economical? The answers will determine how much you'll need to invest in an intranet, in terms of technology and human resources.

Finally, evaluate how an intranet will fit into your organization's culture; that will drive how you manage it. If your organization is driven from the top down, an intranet team will likely be assigned to do all development and posting, with the various departments acting as clients. If departments are more autonomous, they might want to create and post content themselves. Also consider the roles that different departments (human resources, marketing, and IT, for example) need to play, and how they'll interact.

Once you understand how to manage an intranet, talk with department heads and, if possible, survey the organization at large. Employees will let you know, directly or indirectly, what should and shouldn't go on the intranet. You may also use interviews to allay fears and clear up misconceptions--and there will be some. Listen to them carefully--employees are your customers, and they will determine the success of an intranet ultimately.

Even at this point, you've barely begun. You still need to evaluate technology and Website designs, create templates, and write policies. It's a big job, and if you don't have the internal resources, consider bringing in an IT consultant for assistance.

A closing thought: At each step of your intranet planning, have senior management's blessing and keep them in the loop at all times. Their endorsement will be a powerful asset.

For more information on intranets, visit the author's "Your Intranet as a Training Tool" presentation at http://www.voicenet.com/~lunar/intranet.html, which includes links to several intranet resources.

Published: January 2000