Benefits of Intranet Intelligence

Streamline Tasks with Web Tools—Save Time & Money

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Intranet Intelligence

Streamliine.com

Overview

Your company will operate more efficiently:

• Streamline tedious and repetitive tasks
• Simplify complex tasks
• Reduce human error
• Streamline communication
• Increase efficiency
• Gather information, giving managers at every level greater visibility into company and employee functions

Why Intranets?

Even a small company can benefit greatly from a corporate intranet. Knowledge management is a vital process in any business, large or small. Bill Gates writes regarding intranets and other web-based knowledge sharing tools in "Business @ the Speed of Thought":

"The idea of intellectual capital is more than a management concept. Intellectual capital is the intrinsic value of the intellectual property of your company and the knowledge your people have. Properly managing this capital raises your corporate IQ and could have a major impact on your company's valuation."

General Benefits

• Increases efficiency
• Facilitates communication
• Extensive reporting
• Easy to use
• Easy to customize

Streamline

• Virtually all paper forms can be replaced with digital forms, resulting in less waste, better documentation, and easier customization
• The desired features of otherwise bloated and expensive help desk, contact management, and scheduling software can be inexpensively reproduced, customized to your specifications

Automate

• Any repetitive clerical task can be automated or have the human error component reduced
• Complex mathematical computations and filtering, sorting and searching tools are simple for computers
• With ongoing analysis, links to frequently used information can be added to the navigation, saving visitors time

Leverage

• Enforceable consistency of web browser version (for instance, employees can be required to use only the latest version of Internet Explorer) and computer operating system (again, employees use what is provided) within an enterprise allows greater integration with other office applications
• Almost any widely used third-party software or forms can be accessed via the intranet, maintaining appropriate security and streamlining workflow

Validate

• User input can be validated and enforced, ensuring that critical information is included in work orders, reports, requests, or virtually any kind of communication

Feedback

• Simple feedback tool lets users report problems or suggestions with minimal effort, helping you to keep your content accessible and current

Information Sharing

• Employee/Department/Phone List
• Search
• Training and Orientation

  Orienting new employees is a critical, but often overlooked, function. Employees need to know more than the technical aspects of their job description. They need easy access to phone lists, seating location charts, company information such as address, phone and fax numbers, organization charts, and a seemingly endless array of information which is often stored only in the heads of key employees. From company policies to the location of the lunchroom, the new employee shouldn't have to struggle to find her way around. Time spent searching for this information is not only frustrating to the employee, but wasteful of company time and resources.

  An intelligent intranet utilizes various PowerPoint presentations, HR forms, and PDFs to provide all the information a newbie would need to feel more at home in their new environment. It reduces training and orientation time immensely, providing benefits both intrinsic and abstract—sending savings directly to the company's bottom line, and improving employee morale and a team spirit.

HR Management

• Human Resources Management

  Preparing for new hires can be a demanding experience. An intranet can be used to simplify, even semi-automate the process.

  When prospects respond to employment ads, they are entered into the 'Prospects' tool. When a new hire accepts an offer of employment, HR enters the particulars in the 'New Hire' form, which is pre-populated from 'Prospects'. Immediately, all affected departments and personnel are notified of the new hire's starting date, department, and basic needs.

  A form is automatically forwarded to the hiring manager or the appropriate personnel to enter all necessary setup information: type of computer needed, type of network and remote access, software needs, location, phone; whatever is needed to have a workspace ready for the employee on their first day. A follow-up form is used by each department as an online checklist to ensure completion of all aspects of setup, and to track certain assets for retrieval in case of termination.

Workflow: HelpDesk

• HelpDesk, InterDepartmental Requests

  IT HelpDesk software usually falls into one of two categories: much too expensive, or not powerful enough. This completely customizable HelpDesk and interdepartmental request system replaced an off-the-shelf package which had loads of features the client didn't need, required an annual maintenance fee, and was licensed per user, preventing widespread use.

  The custom application allowed all IT personnel to monitor their own work order queue, plus that of all employees who reported to them. Custom permissions allowed some users to submit requests on behalf of others, allowing administrative assistants or team leads to work more efficiently. And since there was no per-seat cost, every department could have their own request queue, allowing access to virtually every employee.

  Reports were available in real time, based on requestor, responsible party, department, date-range, or completely ad hoc.

Workflow: Purchase Requests

• Purchase Requests

  This online purchase request system was designed to eliminate the enormous amounts of paperwork and physical effort often required to submit a request for funds. All requests are routed based on business rules and the company heirarchy. Generally accepted accounting practices are adhered to throughout. Accounting information can be gathered up front from the requestor or during the process, saving time, effort, and aggravation in the accounting department. In this case, the system is slated to connect directly to Great Plains, allowing approved requests to be automatically entered as Purchase Orders in the accounting system, eliminating manual re-entry. Technology also exists to create digitally signed PDFs on the fly, adding to the security of the system.

  Users can begin a request, then save an unfinished form as a draft, recalling it later to complete it, or reusing the draft for frequent or similar orders. Approved users can submit requests on behalf of others, allowing purchasing agents or administrators to handle clerical tasks on behalf of others.

Workflow: Document Management

• Document Management

  Document management tools, like technical support tools, seem to fall into two categories: not enough features, or way too many features (with a price tag to match.)

  The primary purpose of document management is storing documents in an easily-retrievable manner while applying appropriate security. Your network already has many of the features necessary to perform those fundamental functions. Throw in some workflow and search tools, customize it to fit your corporate personality, and you've got an economical fully customized document management solution—without spending tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Workflow: Weblogs

• Weblogs

  Communication between departments and even within departments can be difficult to track. Employees work different shifts, in different departments, even different cities, making widespread and sometimes even localized communication of important but not time-sensitive data a problem. A weblog solves these issues. All data is stored in a database, logged by user, type of information, and any other criteria necessary.

  Asynchronous communication, that is, not bounded by time, is often critical in a business environment. Members of one or more departments, or even the whole enterprise, can be notified immediately, or whenever they are available. Information can be entered when it's fresh in the minds of those involved, and read, analyzed, or acted on immediately or later, as appropriate. And all information is fully searchable, allowing precious 'knowledge nuggets' to be retrieved and reused.

Workflow: Custom Tools

• Refund Requests

  This refund request processing system was created for a health insurance administration company.

  Keeping track of refund requests from various departments was a time-consuming and error-prone manual process. This system gave appropriate access to users who could create refund requests and those who should only view them. Processing tools kept all interested parties in the loop with email notifications and online reports.

  The tool gathered information from Microsoft's SQL Server and IBM's DB2 database server to validate refund information.

Facilitate Communication

• Most companies make general announcements by printed documents or email—Intranet Intelligence saves paper, increases visibility, and minimizes email issues
• Bio pages for employees can include all their contact information and office maps.
  • Provides security because you know what your fellow employee looks like
  • Fosters team spirit and allows individual expression
  • Contributes to sharing of expertise by listing skills, streamlining the dissemination of institutional knowledge
  • In a larger company, it's easier to find people when you have a map to their office

Easy to Use

• Forms which absolutely must be paper can be stored in an appropriate digital format and printed as needed. A web form can create a printable version of the form with custom data inserted
• Self-help tools (network printer self-install, knowledge base of shared information)
• Virtually all aspects can be maintained by non-technical personnel

Easy to Maintain

• Easily updatable content—Using off-the-shelf tools or custom web forms, content in virtually all areas can be maintained by existing staff rather than requiring ongoing maintenance by web professionals
• Events database—Simple tools allow any clerical person to maintain an events database which can display holidays, birthdays, company anniversaries, meetings, etc
• Divisions by department and topic—Each department can maintain their own subnet, customizing the content and navigation for maximum departmental benefit

Easy to Customize

• Everything fully customizable
• Dynamic, easily maintained custom request forms
• High-speed connection of a local area network makes advanced use of audio and video possible

Extensive Reporting

• Reports can be static, allow minor customization, or be fully ad hoc
• Reporting has infinite capabilities for filtering, aggregation, trending

Enterprise Dashboard

• Enterprise dashboard can provide a company snapshot, including charts

  Dashboards are an excellent tool for aggregating and filtering large amounts of information in order to get an enterprise overview at a glance. Modules are customizable by department or user. Data can be real-time or historical. Using Microsoft Office Web Components, Excel charts can be generated on the fly from real-time or historical data.

Network Monitoring

• Basic network monitoring without expensive tools

  A common problem on smaller networks is running out of storage space on file servers. Network personnel are usually much too busy putting out fires to keep an eye on less urgent issues, and proactive monitoring tools can cost thousands of dollars. This tool monitors available drive space on any servers desired, and proactively notifies appropriate personnel when space drops below fully customizable thresholds.

Security

• Uses and respects network permissions
• Security beyond network permissions can be enforced, and maintained by non-technical personnel

We Think They Sell Themselves

To request access to a live demonstration of our tools, simply use our contact form or call our toll free number 877.771.SPIN (7746)

The demo tools are designed to allow you free access to test and explore without requiring our assistance. However, we're always available should you have questions, comments, or problems.