Common Pitfalls When Planning an Intranet – and How to Avoid Them

Building a successful intranet requires a well-thought-out plan that aligns with organizational goals and meets user needs. However, even the best-intentioned intranet projects can run into common pitfalls that hinder engagement, delay deployment, or fall short of objectives.

This blog post will walk you through some of the most common pitfalls in intranet planning and, most importantly, how to avoid them.

Pitfall 1: Focusing on Technology Over Strategy

It might be tempting to prioritize evaluating technology over defining a strategic vision, especially for organization that are leaving an outdated product for a modern one. However, when technology takes precedence over purpose, this will point to a solution that lacks direction leading to limited adoption and engagement.

This pitfall can be avoided by clearly defining the purposes of the intranet. What should it achieve—improved engagement, enhanced communication, collaborative knowledge sharing, streamlined workflows, or something else? Break down the purposes to a high-level solution overview and list capabilities needed. Use the result as a guide for technology choices, ensuring that your intranet not only has impressive features but also delivers clear, strategic benefits that will help drive success.

Pitfall 2: Skipping the Needs Assessment

Phase It is common that organizations start planning their next intranet without understanding what the business and end-users actually need. This often leads to detailed discussions on how many news articles should be surfaced on the start page or terminology in mega menus. Without a solid foundation, it’s easy to end up with a list of scattered features that don’t resonate with users or support organizational goals.

Instead, we recommend that you should start with a thorough needs assessment. Survey employees, hold focus groups, and identify pain points. Understand the business challenges the intranet should solve and align these with organizational objectives. A needs assessment lays the groundwork for building a purposeful, user-focused intranet that adds tangible value—and helps getting the organization ready for the upcoming solution.

Pitfall 3: Bypassing User Experience and Usability

If an intranet is designed to be cluttered, difficult to navigate, or overly complex, employees are destined to find it overwhelming or frustrating to use. Without an intuitive design, even the most powerful tools may go underutilized.

Our recommendation is to follow user-centric methods when designing the new intranet. Prioritize an intuitive interface and make sure to verify it with a group of users representing various locations and departments. Involve employees in the design process through usability testing and feedback sessions, and ensure the intranet is accessible across devices. A clean, straightforward design boosts usability and encourages consistent adoption across teams.

Pitfall 4: Overlooking Change Management

Even the best-planned intranet can fall short if employees aren’t prepared for or comfortable with the transition. Launching a new solution without a change management plan can create confusion, resistance, or low adoption, as employees may not fully understand the purpose or relevance of the new platform.

To avoid this, build a solid change management plan early in your initiative. Communicate the intranet’s value early on, making sure employees understand how it will benefit their daily work. Involve key stakeholders from different departments in the planning phase to gain buy-in and build excitement. Offer training sessions and resources to help users feel comfortable navigating the new intranet. By supporting employees throughout the transition, you’ll drive higher adoption rates and a smoother rollout.

Pitfall 5: Failing to Define Ownership and Governance

Without clear roles and governance policies, an intranet can quickly become disorganized, outdated, or inconsistent. When no one is responsible for maintaining content, the intranet loses value as a reliable source of information, impacting user trust and engagement.

The solution? Establish a governance framework from the start. Define ownership roles, ensuring there are designated people responsible for content creation, updates, and overall maintenance. Develop a policy that outlines content standards, update frequency, and how to keep the intranet aligned with organizational objectives. With a well-structured governance model, your intranet will stay relevant, organized, and valuable to employees over time.

Pitfall 6: Ignoring the Importance of Measurement and Iteration

Many organizations launch an intranet and consider the project complete. However, without ongoing measurement and regular improvements, it’s hard to assess whether the intranet is meeting its goals or uncover areas for enhancement.

To sidestep this pitfall, define key performance indicators (KPIs) like user engagement, content reach, and productivity gains before launch. Use intranet analytics to track these metrics and gather feedback from users to identify strengths and areas for improvement. By committing to regular reviews and iterative updates, you ensure your intranet continues to meet evolving user needs and organizational goals.

Conclusion

Avoiding these common pitfalls can put your intranet on the path to success. By investing time in strategic planning, user research, change management, governance, and ongoing measurement, you’ll create an intranet that drives engagement, improves productivity, and aligns with your organization’s goals.

Ready to start planning your intranet? Explore our resources or reach out to our team of Omnia Coaches for a consultation to help you build an intranet that supports your organization’s unique needs.

If you are not ready for a discussion yet, please check out this document: Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Intranet Success.