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Creating Intranet 2.0
As a result of ongoing digitalization and the ever-increasing demands on internal communication and collaboration, Skaylink has decided to completely overhaul its existing Intranet. The platform used up until now – a relic from the company’s early days – couldn’t keep up with current needs for user-friendliness, targeted information distribution, and efficient maintenance.
The “Intranet 2.0” project resulted in the implementation of a modern, structured, and future-proof platform based on Microsoft SharePoint. It not only provides employees with relevant information, but also fosters a sense of community and belonging within the company. We will now take a look at the challenges, potential solutions, and results of this transformation process.
Task
The previous Intranet solution had never undergone a thorough user experience evaluation, and served merely as a quick stopgap solution for the employees of Skaylink’s four founding companies.
Skaylink’s Internal Communications team saw room for improvement in several areas, particularly in terms of user-friendliness, tailoring content to specific target audiences, and the effort required to maintain the site. At the same time, they wanted a clearly structured and transparent rights allocation process.
The Modern Work team was given the task of developing a concrete concept for a new SharePoint-based Intranet. It specifically leveraged the capabilities and synergies between SharePoint sites, Viva Engage, Viva Connections, dashboards, apps, topics, and news – tailored to specific use cases:
- Presentation by departments
- Reporting features (e.g., views, likes, reactions)
- Integration of existing sources and content
Framework conditions
Skaylink brings together 7 companies with about 550 cloud enthusiasts. 3 employees put the developed plan into practice and got the project up and running in just 3 to 4 months.
Goals of the new Intranet
- To create a modernized Intranet based on the existing solution
- To deliver content in a targeted manner, tailored to the target audience
- To present information clearly and transparently
To bring clarity to the information architecture
At the start of the project, a kick-off meeting was held with stakeholders from the Modern Work, Core Consulting, and People & Culture teams. In a group meeting, we defined the project’s goals, expectations, and scope. We then conducted several workshops and interviews to identify both functional and non-functional requirements. We identified content, applications, and the specific needs of various target groups – from subject-matter experts to executives.
Based on the insights we gained, we developed a project plan with clearly defined milestones, time frames, resources, and responsibilities. The team deliberately adopted an agile approach so it could respond flexibly to new requirements without disrupting day-to-day operations.
Our experts from the Modern Work Circle worked closely with the stakeholders to refine the requirements. The goal was to create an Intranet that provides information about various divisions and departments and promotes internal networking and a sense of community within Skaylink’s decentralized structure. For example, employees ought to also be able to find out about upcoming events, such as the Summer Event, and important topics, such as company car policies.
Requirements and project plan
We addressed the following questions:
- What information is available (file types, content, organizational context)?
- Where is this content currently?
- Who creates content and for whom?
- Who is allowed to access which content?
- What is the life cycle of information (e.g., updating)?
- What legal, security, or compliance requirements apply?
- How do we ensure multilingual support and version management?
Our solution approach
First, we began with the technical setup of the SharePoint environment, including the configuration of all necessary permissions. Then we configured the basic site structures and customized them.
After that, we developed reusable site templates that allow the departments to manage their content independently. At the same time, we implemented comprehensive governance processes: Clear responsibilities for content management, regular updates, and security checks ensure stable, long-term operation.
Results and successes
- Thanks to an iterative approach, the project team was able to quickly incorporate direct feedback from test groups and avoid mistakes early on.
- The user experience improved noticeably thanks to intuitive navigation, a clear site structure, and a personalized dashboard.
- The departments now manage their own content, which significantly reduces the workload for the Internal Communications team. Information flows are becoming more efficient.
The redesign of the Intranet paved the way for a modern, flexible, and employee-focused communication platform that can continue to evolve alongside Skaylink’s needs over the long term.
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