(published in Brainstorm! December 2004)

An intranet is a restricted computer network; a private network created using World Wide Web software. It is a set of password protected web pages that is used for communication purposes within a company or organization. These web pages can be event calendars, new alerts, phone lists, customer lists, procedure manuals and so much more. Anything that is normally kept somewhere in a filing cabinet can be put in a database on the web to be accessed only by persons authorized by that company. By having this information easily available, communication is much smoother and immediate. This is especially true of organizations that have employees or associates who are not working at the office all the time.

Each person in the organization is given a username and password that allows them access to the online database of information. From there, the company can have whatever information needs to be available. Some companies choose to have client information accessible while other need internal communications such as calendars to show who is on duty, holidays, or special events. Some choose to have notes of meetings on their Intranet so that those who are unable to attend can find out what happened. Still others want job descriptions, procedures and office hardware manuals available to everyone.

We all have heard of the "hit by the bus" scenario. This is one way to avoid that problem by not having all the most important information in someone's head. There are so many other uses for an intranet to make communication easier. Here are some examples to get you thinking:

Intranets can be fun too. You can set up your intranet as the first page your staff sees when they log onto the Internet. You can post a quote of the week, birthdays, anniversaries and announcements, fun photos, introductions to new employees, press releases and talking points, frequently asked questions (FAQs) or whatever information will continue to build your office community. What you can do is limited only by your imagination.

A company intranet is like having all the company manuals, documents and schedules all in one place. By having this together and easily available, there is no excuse for someone not knowing what is going on in the company.

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