Editing Intranet (section)

==Benefits==
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Intranets can help users locate and view information faster and use applications relevant to their roles and responsibilities. With a [[web browser]] interface, users can access data held in any database the organization wants to make available at any time and&nbsp;— subject to security provisions&nbsp;— from anywhere within company workstations, increasing employees' ability to perform their jobs faster, more accurately, and with confidence that they have the right information. It also helps improve services provided to users.

Using [[hypermedia]] and Web technology, Web publishing allows for the maintenance of and easy access to cumbersome corporate knowledge, such as employee manuals, benefits documents, company policies, business standards, news feeds, and even training, all of which can be accessed throughout a company using common Internet standards (Acrobat files, Flash files, CGI applications). Because each business unit can update the online copy of a document, the most recent version is usually available to employees using the intranet. Intranets are also used as a platform for developing and deploying applications to support business operations and decisions across the internetworked enterprise.

Intranets allow organizations to distribute information to employees on an ''as-needed'' basis; Employees may link to relevant information at their convenience rather than being distracted indiscriminately by email. The intranet can also be linked to a company's management information system, such as a time keeping system.

Information is easily accessible to all authorised users, enabling collaboration. Being able to communicate in real-time through integrated third-party tools, such as an instant messenger, promotes the sharing of ideas and removes blockages to communication to help boost a business's productivity.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

Intranets can serve as powerful tools for communicating (such as through chat, email and/or blogs) within a given organization about vertically strategic initiatives that have a global reach throughout said organization. The type of information that can easily be conveyed is the purpose of the initiative and what it is aiming to achieve, who is driving it, results achieved to date, and whom to speak to for more information. By providing this information on the intranet, staff can keep up-to-date with the strategic focus of their organization. For example, when [[Nestlé]] had a number of food processing plants in [[Scandinavia]], their central support system had to deal with a number of queries every day.<ref name="McGovern">{{cite web|url=http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2002/nt_2002_11_18_intranet_roi.htm|title=Intranet return on investment case studies|last=McGovern|first=Gerry|date=November 18, 2002|access-date=2009-04-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406042110/http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2002/nt_2002_11_18_intranet_roi.htm|archive-date=April 6, 2009}}</ref> When Nestlé decided to invest in an intranet, they quickly realized the savings. Gerry McGovern says that the savings from the reduction in query calls was substantially greater than the investment in the intranet.

Users can view information and data via a web browser rather than maintaining physical documents such as procedure manuals, internal phone list and requisition forms. This can potentially save the business money on printing, duplicating documents, and the environment, as well as document maintenance overhead. For example, the HRM company [[PeopleSoft]] "derived significant cost savings by shifting HR processes to the intranet".<ref name="McGovern" /> McGovern goes on to say the manual cost of enrolling in benefits was found to be US$109.48 per enrollment. "Shifting this process to the intranet reduced the cost per enrollment to $21.79; a saving of 80 percent". Another company that saved money on expense reports was [[Cisco]]. "In 1996, Cisco processed 54,000 reports and the amount of dollars processed was USD19 million".<ref name="McGovern" />

Many companies dictate computer specifications which, in turn, may allow Intranet developers to write applications that only have to work on one browser such that there are no cross-browser compatibility issues. Being able to specifically address one's "viewer" is a great advantage. Since intranets are user-specific (requiring database/network authentication prior to access), users know exactly who they are interfacing with and can personalize their intranet based on role (job title, department) or individual ("Congratulations Jane, on your 3rd year with our company!").

Since "involvement in [[decision making]]" is one of the main drivers of employee engagement,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.employment-studies.co.uk/report-summaries/report-summary-drivers-employee-engagement|title=Report Summary: The drivers of employee engagement {{!}} Institute for Employment Studies|website=Report Summary: The drivers of employee engagement {{!}} Institute for Employment Studies|language=en|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref> offering tools (like forums or surveys) that foster peer-to-peer collaboration and employee participation can make employees feel more valued and involved.