Business Value of an Intranet on Microsoft 365

1. Understanding the Business Value of an Intranet on Microsoft 365 Copyright © 2021BizPortalsSolutions

2. Introduction Every organization, from fortune 500 companies to small and mid-sized businesses, is investing in a Microsoft 365 intranet because along with getting access to all the Microsoft 365 tools (Email, Delve, Yammer, Teams, etc.), users also get access to an array of modules such as content management, task management, news and announcements and automated forms, and many more – depending on the vendor.  Intranets can be a costly investment but the fact that they are so popular is proof that they bring business value to an organization. But how does one quantify the value an intranet brings? Frankly, there is no easy way to measure this. The value lies in its ability to reduce costs and increase productivity. It is also important to evaluate on the basis of intangible benefits, like employee satisfaction, improved communication, or ease of operations.  Making productive use of an intranet portal can help businesses reduce costs of printing and hiring IT personnel, it saves time and streamlines distribution of information. It brings every task, data, and employee under a central hub and allows them to work efficiently within the structured walls of an intranet. According to research, 97% of the companies using collaboration software such as a Microsoft 365 intranet are able to serve their clients more efficiently.   

3. Why an Intranet on Microsoft 365? • A Microsoft 365 intranet is built on the SharePoint framework and integrates Microsoft 365 tools, which extends it into an intranet and digital workplace solution. Microsoft 365 intranet is a central location where you can easily find the information, people, and tools you need to get things done. It provides employees with a platform where they can engage, be up-to-date with the latest company information, share their ideas, and collectively contribute to the company’s goals.  • Here are a few more reasons why an intranet on Microsoft 365 is an ideal solution for you:   • It makes content management and project management hassle-free   • It is customizable and offers anytime, anywhere access    • It facilitates employee engagement and makes HR process easy   • It is scalable and flexible and can be altered as per the needs of the users   • It offers automated forms that can be created and accessed easily    • It offers Microsoft grade data security in the cloud   • It promotes employee satisfaction   

4. Business Value of Microsoft 365 Intranet Let us unpack the benefits that a Microsoft 365 intranet offers and how it can help businesses increase their bottom-line and reduce costs.   1. Saves Time and Improves Productivity   An intranet provides a central location where employees can create, store, search, and manage their data, contacts, tasks, reminders, reports, etc. When all their work and the tools they need to do work are in a single location, it saves time spent on looking for information and allows staff members to work more efficiently. Instead of sifting through e-mails all day long and going back and forth with managers going through the review and update cycle of a documents, employees can simply update documents on the intranet and send a link to their managers for review.  Team sites can be created as per the specific needs of an organization and as a manager you can decide who gets access and what kind of access will be given. For example, if you belong to the Marketing department you may not have any access to the Product Development department but may have “view” access to the Sales department. This helps create a systematic flow of information and ensures that confidential data is not accessed by everyone.   

5. Business Value of Microsoft 365 Intranet 2. Makes Content Management Easy  From e-books to brochures, podcasts and videos, PPT and sales proposals, training videos, HR policies, forms etc., an organization creates a vast amount of content materials for various purposes. An intranet is a hub that stores all the data on the cloud so that it becomes convenient for users to access it anytime and from anywhere. You can create and store files, co-author content, edit documents and even set up an approval process for your documents. A Microsoft 365 intranet includes security and access controls so that your data has the utmost protection.    Using the document management module of a Microsoft 365 intranet, you can organize document in folders and subfolders, you can categorize and tag documents, save your searches, and mark documents, sites and people as “favorites” for quick access. This makes content easily searchable and saves time.  

6. Business Value of Microsoft 365 Intranet 3. Brings Digital Tools under One Roof   Most businesses today deploy multiple applications such as SAP, ERP, and CRM etc. which help them work and accomplish their short-term and long-term goals. However, having different applications with no way to assimilate the information can lead to duplication and redundancies which often cause confusion.   A Microsoft 365 intranet allows you to not only bring together all Microsoft 365 tools, but also integrates with other line of business tools to provide one cohesive, comprehensive solution, where everything is available in one place and all work can be accomplished in that central location.   4. Improved Project Management    In every organization, managers need to track projects they are involved with and move them along to completion. They need to have visibility into all projects at a high level to help them report to top management; as well as at a granular, task level to enable them to help their team members meet their due dates by resolving issues and removing bottlenecks, if any. 

7. Business Value of Microsoft 365 Intranet Managing a project portfolio and its roadmap, creating and assigning tasks to team members, addressing the needs of remote employees and bringing the scattered team together are important activities of the business that cannot be overlooked.   A turnkey intranet solution provides the tools that can help you manage projects by defining teams, sharing event calendars, tracking risks and issues and creating custom tracking lists. It has an intuitive UI and provides a consolidated view of projects - you can view how many projects are completed, on track, in process etc.    5. Employee and HR Engagement  The definition of work in recent times, has changed. It is WHAT you do, not WHERE you do it.   This means people are working from anywhere - whether it is from home, in a coffee shop, at the park, or while on the go. Considering this work transformation in businesses, it is important for the HR department to make sure that remote workers stay up-to-date with news and announcements, changes in policies, implementation of new process and other bits and pieces of information that may affect their daily work and efficiency. 

8. Business Value of Microsoft 365 Intranet An intranet acts as an employee hub that offers your staff with a central location where they can update documents, review content and files, share ideas and find answers to frequently asked questions. They also have access to training videos and knowledge base that can enhance their learning. This boosts inter-organizational communication and improves employee proficiency.    A Microsoft 365 Intranet makes HR processes easy. For example, with automated forms and reports, you can inform everybody about an event and receive RSVPs, if required; which saves the cost and time involved in printing invitations, buying paper, and managing replies.   6. Social Collaboration    Apart from the business tools, an intranet also includes social networking and collaboration tools. A Microsoft 365 intranet can leverage its collaboration tools to create a social experience using the following:   Yammer is a social networking feature that can be used for group chats and discussions. It can also be integrated with the news feature so that employees can like and comment on it.    Skype can be used for instant messaging; voice calls and video conferencing. 

9. Business Value of Microsoft 365 Intranet Exchange online provides a central place for all your emails, calendars, contacts and tasks.    SharePoint is a powerful tool and a great starting point for growing businesses because it helps store, organize, search, find, manage, and collaborate in one place.  When employees are allowed to share their thoughts through discussions, polls and comments, the discussions become interesting, easy to follow, and it brings people together. It expedites the flow of information between organizational levels.   Social collaboration tools also help facilitate employee onboarding of new members. A welcome discussion can be started which will allow both onsite and offsite employees to participate and introduce themselves. Training videos and documentation can be made available through the intranet so that newbies can orient themselves to the company and their department. An intranet encourages people to join together for a common cause- it gives them the voice that can help leaders and managers address their concerns directly.   

10. Business Value of Microsoft 365 Intranet 7. Employee satisfaction  Research has proved that employee satisfaction plays a huge role in the health, well-being, and survival of a company. A happy employee will work more efficiently, be more involved in the activities of the business, and feel part of the organization. This in turn will result in a boost in productivity, creativity, and commitment – all which affect the organization's bottom line in a positive manner. An intranet allows co-workers to share their work, ideate together, cultivate ideas, and learn from others through networks and communities and access peer support. This indeed allows far-flung employees, freelancers, and consultants to work more productively and collaborate irrespective of time and distance.  

11. Conclusion To encapsulate, a intranet on Microsoft 365 offers various benefits to the organization that results in cost reduction and employee satisfaction. It is the digital workplace where staff members can create files, assign tasks, store information and manage it, set up reminders, manage security access and communicate with colleagues via different channels. A Microsoft 365 intranet caters to the business needs of all the departments of an organization - it facilitates social collaboration, enhanced employee efficiency, quick search, automated forms and easy publishing of news and announcements.