Do you know where everything is in your digital workplace? It’s an easy question for me to ask. However, the answer may be more difficult for you to answer.
In 2015, intranets are now at a jumping off point to become digital workplaces. People are increasingly using different methods to connect whenever they need to. When they connect it is to find information, use apps, share some news or ask for help with a work problem.
In my last two posts I have covered how this is a wonderful opportunity for you to make your digital workplace a great experience, encouraging more frequent use and improving the productivity of people using it for their work.
By combining a clear information architecture with a good governance framework you create a thriving digital workplace, not a barren desert where there is little chance of finding that oasis of vital content you need.
To successfully transform your intranet into a wider digital workplace where everything may be in the cloud with people accessing it from any device, anywhere and at anytime, you need to consider these steps:
- It is critical your governance framework and information architecture are synchronised and have the same scope. You should have one person with overall responsibility for making sure this happens. You also need a common understanding of what they both include. Making this transparent on your digital workplace so other people can see them helps any gaps or overlaps to be spotted quickly and acted upon.
- You need to agree what that scope should be. Is it for accredited content, collaborative content, and applications or only some of these? Whatever the scope is, you need to communicate it clearly with stakeholders. You also need it approved so you have the authority, should you need it, to contact anyone operating outside of its scope.
- Your governance framework needs to have the roles and responsibilities set out with a hierarchy showing reporting lines for strategic and operational activities. It also need to include the publishing standards for your content owners, editors and application owners to comply with. This is essential for a consistently good experience for anyone using your digital workplace.
- Your information architecture needs developing to meet the requirements of your organisation. It should become an overarching structure for all your content and applications. Get these right and you have the ingredients for a consistently good user experience, achieving two aims:
- Help people using your digital workplace to quickly find what they need for their work and to be more productive.
- Help publishers and app owners to easily find the right place for their accredited and collaborative content, and applications.
Try to avoid a piecemeal approach by implementing only some of these steps. That can lead to confusion and a poorer experience as people keep adjusting to the changes. It will also lead to less productive employees and less frequent use of your digital workplace.
That is something you need to avoid by considering how all the steps can be adopted and the full benefits gained for your organisation. Now, that’s a good message you want to communicate, isn’t it! 🙂