Modern intranets are all about storing information, improving communication, and boosting productivity within the company. But, the biggest question is, as a company, should you invest in your own intranet or outsource it? This article discusses the pros and cons of building your company’s intranet in-house vs outsourcing it. Here is what you need to know.
What Is An Intranet?
An intranet is a closed private network which is only accessible to a company or organisation’s members. It is typically used to collaborate on message boards and chat rooms or share information among employees, such as task lists, contact lists, calendars, documents, etc.
Should You Outsource Or Build An Intranet For Your Company?
Well, both outsourcing and building-in have their pros and cons. While outsourcing is a more affordable and less time-consuming option, the problem lies in its limited flexibility for customisation and upgrades. On the other hand, when building an intranet solution from scratch, you certainly have better control over the features and functionality you want to include. However, this can cost you a lot of time and money. Ultimately, the decision comes to two factors –
- How much money and time are you willing to spend? 💰⌛
- How flexible are you regarding the design and functionality of the intranet software? 💻
Apart from this, here are the other factors to consider when deciding on buying vs outsourcing.
1. Decide what you want the intranet to accomplish
First, you must clearly understand your goals and what you want to achieve. Do you want to improve communication between your employees? Are you looking for an effective way to organise tasks and collaborate? Are you looking to share documents and other valuable data? Once you have a crystal clear idea about what you want to achieve with the intranet, you can start thinking about the functionality you need. It is then advised to check whether you can get all the features in an outsourced intranet system or you might want to consider building it.
2. Pick the right platform
There are several intranet platforms; you need to pick the most suitable one for your organisation and the employees. Some examples include Microsoft Teams, Workplace from Meta, Microsoft SharePoint, Jostle, Yammer, etc.
3. Plan and design the intranet
After you have a clear idea about the features you desire from an intranet and the correct platform, you should choose the design features of the intranet. How do you want your intranet to look? What is the desired layout of the intranet? And so on.
Once you’ve chosen a platform, you must plan and design the intranet. This will include deciding on the layout and design of the intranet, as well as the pages and features you want to include.
4. User accounts and permissions
The next important thing is setting up user accounts and permissions, which determines the list of people with access to the intranet and how much control they have over it.
5. Employee training
Once you have established the intranet, ensure your employees are well-trained to use it thoroughly. They should know how to access the intranet, search for the data, share information, access data, and use several features. Encourage your employees to use it so that it becomes an integral part of their routine.
6. After-service maintenance
Whether you decide to buy or build your own intranet, it’s essential to keep it up-to-date. It should be regularly updated with the latest information and news about what’s going on in your company.
Buy or Build?
In the end, the decision of whether to outsource or build an intranet in-house comes down to your specific needs and budget. If you have the resources, building an in-house intranet can be a great way to save money and have more control over the features and functionality. However, outsourcing may be the better option if you’re looking for a more cost-effective and customisable solution.
Conclusion
Ultimately, a company should choose a cost-effective way to cut down unnecessary expenses. In my opinion, outsourcing your intranet needs is generally the ideal choice for many businesses.
