Irish Computer Society Survey Shows Staff Don't Use Intranet for Work
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80% of survey participants had problems with intranet search and navigation and felt these needed improvement while 35% find it difficult to access the right information on their company intranet. Up to half said that intranet was not used for daily work related tasks with many indicating non-company external sites as being more useful.
The research, carried out by Amárach Consulting, and sponsored by content management software provider pTools Software, surveyed over 180 participants from Irish companies with intranets. The conclusions show a significant level of dissatisfaction by staff with the usefulness of company intranet systems.
Tom Skinner Managing Director of pTools Software said: 'Although the trend is towards more sophisticated development, clearly getting the basics right is essential for intranet end-users. We work with organisations deploying intranet solutions and the research shows a very healthy level of intranet development but also a recognition of the need for improvement.' Skinner continues: 'Intranet is becoming an application space, replacing other overused parts of the network like email. But basically it's still about sharing information efficiently and putting order into internal communications. We know that getting the simple things right delivers the most powerful results for end-users and this recent research confirms this.'
Unlike the 2006 survey, which concentrated on technologies used, this year the focus moved to user experience. Usability and accessibility remain significant issues that need development, Microsoft Internet Explorer dominates browser desktop and, unusually, many users say they regularly gain access to intranet remotely from home or mobile device. Among the key findings of the report are:
• Almost half say they don't actually use the intranet to support daily work.
• Almost 1 in 3 staff users say their company intranet is not useful in relation to daily work.
• Half of those surveyed say that intranet Search is ineffective and 80% think navigation and search need improvement.
• 2 out of 3 intranets fail to provide an accessible or text only version.
• 35% can't access the right information on their company intranet.
• Accessing staff and personal contact details like phone directories is the most common and most useful activity.
Commenting on the research Jim Friars, chief executive of Irish Computer Society said: 'This research provides a valuable insight into intranet usage in Ireland and how employees use them. By making this an annual survey we aim to grow knowledge of intranet activity and allow members to benchmark against the trends and results identified.'
"Our survey shows that intranet end-users have strong opinions about the usefulness and usability of the company intranet and that expectations based on Internet experience are very much a feature of how workers understand intranet," noted Gerard O'Neill, chief executive of Amárach Consulting.
Related links to this article:
Irish Computer Society
A full copy of the report is at this link
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