Overseeing team collaboration in a world where remote work is increasingly common can feel like fighting an uphill battle. One of the barriers to productivity is not having everyone on the same intranet infrastructure, which can lead to frustration as well as fragmentation.
Thankfully, with the right business-focused intranet software, you can overcome many common obstacles and streamline collaboration, even when remote members of the team you lead are involved. So how can you go about choosing the perfect intranet package? Let’s dive in.
Check out the competing solutions
First off, if you aren’t up to speed with the state of play in the intranet software market, it’s a good idea to get an overview of the providers out there and the packages they offer.
Checking out this comparison article of company intranet software is a good starting point, as it outlines the features of the biggest players, as well as the pros and cons that they bring to the table.
Consider team requirements
Another essential point to take onboard is that just because a particular package might be right for some businesses, that doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for yours.
As such, it’s helpful to start by setting out what your remote teams actually need to be able to collaborate, and using what you come up with as a means to rank prospective intranet software solutions.
Your priorities might point towards secure data storage, or they could be focused around fast and convenient communication between colleagues. In addition, you might be looking for a service that can keep employees engaged and loyal, even if they can’t make it to the office.
Whatever the case may be, choosing a software setup will be simpler if you know what you are looking for going into this process.
Explore compatibility and integration options
Most businesses will already have certain software tools in place and in use by team members. If you are happy with some aspects of this and you don’t want to lose them in order to adopt other intranet assets, then you’ll have to check up on whether compatibility will be an issue.
As a rule of thumb, platforms from the same provider will offer a good degree of interoperability and integration. This can, of course, mean that you end up using all of the same tools from a single umbrella ecosystem, even if not all aspects are exactly market-leading or ideal.
Third-party integrations are supported surprisingly commonly. So you don’t have to go all in with the likes of Microsoft, Google, or anyone else if you think a bespoke setup would be more appropriate.
Look at costs
The cost of any productivity-focused Internet software will clearly be a factor that determines its suitability. It is also an aspect that can be broken down in different ways, whether on a per-user basis, on a rolling subscription, or on a perpetual-licensing basis.
All of this can make picking packages according to their price quite tricky. Even so, it’s a process worth going through. And you should also remember that if productivity is significantly improved by the tools you adopt, then costs will be swallowed by the other benefits you receive as a result.
Be open to feedback
Lastly, let your team members have a stake in the selection process by asking them about their preferred software tools and means of collaboration.
You might find some strong and useful opinions coming from employees on this matter. It’s also a good way of avoiding adopting a platform that doesn’t gel with your team.
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