Ways To Sell the Intranet To Your Organization--checklist

Ways To Sell the Intranet To Your Organization--Checklist

1. 
   Why companies have created intranets
   

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  Because of the power and possibilities for the tools to solve business problems
  
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  To meet communications needs
  
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  To access information
  
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  To share information and support mobile users
  

2. 
   Traditional model for building your intranet--the formal approach
   

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  Step 1: Do you need an intranet?
  

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  Why do you need or want an intranet?
  
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  What are the goals of your organization?
  
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  What are your problems and opportunities because of the rapidly changing business environment?
  
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  Are you reengineering a business process that requires an intranet as part of the new process?
  

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  Step 2: Are you ready?
  

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  What area or areas should you include?
  
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  Do you have the infrastructure?
  

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  What are your computer needs?
  
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  Is that area on a LAN or WAN?
  
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  Does the LAN or WAN use TCP/IP?
  

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  Do you have the skills and resources needed?
  

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  Do you have expertise in setting up and running TCP/IP?
  
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  Do you have expertise in Unix or Windows NT?
  

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  Do you have the people resources to take on the extra workload?
  
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  Do you have someone who can take the lead in developing and maintaining applications?
  

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  Step 3: Develop a project plan and proposal
  

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  What’s in the proposal?
  

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  Identify the problems with the process.
  
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  Define the current process and why the problems occur.
  
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  Create a future process that will solve the problems.
  
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  Develop an implementation plan for the future process.
  

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  Detailed implementation plan
  
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  Cost justification--benefits and savings, cost and expenditures, summary and calculation of ROI
  
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  Time line
  

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  Executive summary
  

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  Step 4: Present the proposal and sell the concept
  

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  Use simple and clear language.
  
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  Make it short and to the point.
  
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  Stick to the facts.
  

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  Step 5: Implement it. Pilot and roll out.
  
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  Step 6: Measure the results
  

3. 
   Internet model for building your intranet--the grassroots approach
   

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  Step 1: Do you need an intranet? See step 1 of Traditional model.
  
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  Step 2: Are you ready? See step 2 of Traditional model.
  
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  Step 3: How do you proceed? Do steps 3 through 6 concurrently.
  

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  Champions and steering committees--determine roles.
  

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  Create and spread the vision of how the intranet can help.
  
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  Eliminate obstacles.
  
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  Sponsor and provide funding for the intranet team.
  

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  Support from the top executives can be counterproductive depending upon your culture
  
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  Should you get outside help?
  

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  Identify your goals.
  
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  What do you need?
  
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  Should you get help?
  

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  Go it alone if you have the people with the necessary skills and time.
  
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  Bring in some help if you’re running pretty lean and mean.
  

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  What should a consultant do?
  

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  Help you identify your goals for the intranet
  
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  Help you work through any organizational issues
  
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  Meet with areas throughout your organization to help identify needs for an intranet and the types of information that should be found on your intranet
  
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  Help identify how people use the information and how you should provide it to them
  
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  Help identify the sources and locations of information you need on your intranet
  
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  Identify ways to get the information on the intranet and determine any conversion that’s required
  
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  Identify any network infrastructure you need and help with the procurement and installation required to get the network ready for the intranet
  
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  Identify server hardware and server and browser software needed for the intranet and help with installation.
  
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  Identify authoring and graphics tools for publishing web content
  
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  Identify document databases, conversion tools, and any tools necessary to provide access to existing documents
  
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  Assist with development of internal web structure and design
  
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  Help develop guidelines and standards
  
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  Help develop a publishing and approval process
  
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  Help create demos
  
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  Help promote the intranet throughout the organization
  
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  Help form an intranet team and help them get focused
  
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  Help develop applications and links to legacy databases
  
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  Help figure out how to bring suppliers and customers into your intranet to provide opportunities for business partnerships
  
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  Help identify and implement workflow and groupware
  
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  Help identify and implement leading edge technologies
  
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  Help to ensure you meet your intranet goals
  

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  How do you select a consultant?
  

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  Who--hardware and software vendors, systems integrators, independent consultants
  
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  What are their capabilities?
  
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  What alliances do they have?
  
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  What is their intranet experience?
  
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  Do they focus on solutions?
  
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  Do they understand your culture?
  
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  Who have they worked for previously?
  

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  Identify what you expect from your consultant and what they should expect from you.
  
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  Define how you’ll both know when the project is a success.
  

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  Step 4: Build your intranet--the champion funds initial development which includes:
  

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  Determine and develop infrastructure needs
  
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  Determine security needs and implement security
  
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  Evaluate and select an internet service provider
  
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  Select and install hardware and software
  
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  Plan for maintenance of your intranet
  

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  Step 5: Create your audience
  

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  Identify and select the tools you will need
  
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  Determine how to deploy these tools to your users
  
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  Develop a plan for training and supporting users
  

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  Step 6: Promote your intranet. Recruit web publishers and users.
  

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  Build the demo--steps include
  

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  Set up the computer.
  
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  Learn HTML.
  
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  Decide if you need an introduction.
  
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  Determine what to include in the demo.
  
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  Build sample applications.
  
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  Build the real intranet.
  

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  Present the demo--steps include
  

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  Schedule the demos.
  
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  Tailor the demos to your audience.
  
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  Build enthusiasm.
  
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  Answer questions and address concerns about the Internet and intranet.
  

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  Step 7: Create widespread enthusiasm and capability--the role of the intranet team
  
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  Step 8: Make your intranet pervasive
  
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  Step 9: What lessons have we learned and where do we go from here?
  

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  What lessons have you learned?
  
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  Next steps
  
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  Apply the lessons you’ve learned as you do new phases of your intranet.
  
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  Identify new tools to add to your intranet.
  

4. 
   Which way should you go--Traditional model or Internet model?
   

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  Traditional model. Use the Traditional model if you need to build the infrastructure for your intranet. You can keep your infrastructure project separate and use the Internet model for the rest of your intranet project.
  
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  Internet model. Use the Internet model if you already have the infrastructure and your culture allows grassroots efforts.