A couple of months ago, we attended an early presentation on the results of the 7th study on the topic "Intranet managers: projects and budgets for 2016".
Lead, analyzed and presented by Philippe Grange (Facts & Numbers/Group Solutions), the study offers an encouraging vision for this year’s incomings.
The digital transformation: a key element for companies
According to the results, we notice that general management and human resources departments are involved in digitization projects inside companies.
Mainly financed by DSI and conducted by the Communication Manager, the general management’s financial commitment shows that digital transformation becomes a strategic and key subject, in which the HR department is equally involved. One of the possible interpretations is that Y generation employees are becoming more and more important in a company. These contributors have new behaviors, with notable and massive utilization of social and mobile media. Maintaining the control over these aspects will allow HR departments to better integrate young generations in the company.
What are the intranet managers achievements in 2015
Among the achievements of intranet managers in 2015 we find:
- the modernization and redesigning of the intranet. This also takes into account the tool’s ability to connect to mobile devices.
- the release of a collaborative intranet
- the implementation of SNC
- the accomplishment of POC, the creation of studies regarding the tool’s usability or the achievement of a tasks book
- the development or releases of new applications and/or modules
Secondary, we notice the development of "Serious Games" or of MOOC. We observe that the answers depend on the stage of digitalisation in the respondent company. We can group them in 2 categories:
- Companies in study or launch phase
- Companies that are in the second phase of their transformation project
What are the budgets and projects for 2016?
This is the good news of 2016!
According to this study, budgets are increasing in 2016. Even better, not only are they growing, but the average increase is in the range of 50%.
This represents, in my opinion, a sign of the growing awareness of the strategic importance and value that digital transformation projects bring to a company.
These budgets will be mainly used for:
- the development of responsive and accessible tools for mobile devices
- the implementation of SNC (Social Network of the Company)
- promoting the intranet or the SNC
- the elaboration of a workplace
- the monitoring of the project’s evolution
Where do wikis fit in this ecosystem?
Wikis registered good results, making the top of the list for projects quoted for 6 to 18 months with the KM (Knowledge Management) and intranet personalization.
Wikis are perfectly adapted tools for collaborative work issues, due to their strong participative dimension, but they’re also excellent for organizing knowledge and information in the company.
The expectations of intranet managers in relation with providers for 2016-17
As a wish list, here are some the objectives intranet managers have set for 2016-17:
- Speed and agility: the development of tools according to the user’s needs and expectations
- Being informed regarding the best-practices on the market
- Offering assistance in the implementation phase of the projects and support for the release
- Suggestions of new features that exist or can be implemented
- Simplification of the tools and of the back office admin
- Alignment of the cloud with the security exigences needed for safely managing the company’s internal information
- Efforts in simplifying (purifying) the consultation and contribution interfaces
- For SNC, as for the intranet: improvements in the aesthetics and performance!
- Security doesn’t have to act in the detriment of easy access.
If you also want to configure an intranet on a short or medium term and most of your needs are expressed in this list, do not hesitate to get in contact with our team for a demonstration of XWiki Cloud or for a feasibility study. We are always happy to interact with people who are interested in subjects like the digital transformation of a company, information and knowledge management and also collaborative work and the Digital Workplace.
Benjamin Lanciaux
Marketing Communications Manager @ XWiki
