Thanksgiving is just around the corner and before we know it the Christmas holiday season will be here and while many of us are looking forward to spending time with friends and family, the anticipation is often tempered by a dread of the overflowing email in-boxes and in-trays that inevitably greet us on our return to the office. Well, it doesn’t have to be like that. You see, a company intranet means that you can stay on top of work issues while also taking some time out from the office. So let’s find out more about how a company intranet will ensure you stay connected this holiday season.
What Is A Company Intranet?
If the idea of a company intranet is new to you, then let’s first have a look at exactly what it is we’re talking about. A company intranet is a secure communications network. Think of it as an internal website that’s only accessible to your staff. The intranet includes a number of business tools and features that are designed to make it easier for staff members to get the job done. These include the following:
file and document storage and management with the ability to easily share files internally and externally- company-wide or team-based news feeds and blogs that keep everyone informed with the same timely messages
- corporate calendars with key events and company deadlines
- staff directories with biographies and areas of expertise that facilitate joint working and collaboration
- automated business processes using online forms that do away with paper- or email-based systems
- quizzes, surveys, and polls to engage with employees and canvass views on a range of issues.
file and document storage and management with the ability to easily share files internally and externallyThis is just a selection of the great features that are available on your intranet. As well as being super-easy to implement, all these features are supported by an intuitive site set up and menu navigation as well as an advanced search capability. Users will quickly and easily be able to source the information they’re after, all in a matter of seconds and with just a few clicks of the mouse.
What Is An Intranet Used For?
A wide range of businesses have implemented intranets: from small enterprises with just a handful of employees to large corporates with many thousands of staff. What’s more, companies in various industries – from retail and manufacturing through to education, financial services and the public sector – have benefitted from a company intranet. The motivation for introducing an intranet may be different for these businesses, but the outcomes tend to be the same:
streamlined business processes- simplified document management
- easier sharing of information and data
- improved internal communications
- enhanced employee engagement
- increased opportunities for joint working.
streamlined business processesStaying Connected
Perhaps the most important advantage is that the cloud technology makes your company intranet accessible 24/7 via a smartphone or WiFi connection. What this means in practice is that you can pretty much remotely accomplish all the tasks that you would normally do in the office. And so, whether you’re spending Thanksgiving out of state at your in-laws, or you’re planning on a warm Christmas holiday in sunny Hawaii, then you can still achieve all that you need to via your tablet and the company intranet.
Keep On Top Of Key Tasks
Do you need to authorize the weekly payroll run so that staff get paid? No problem, log on to the intranet and make the authorization via the intranet’s online form which is then automatically routed to the correct staff member for action.
Maybe yours is a service-based company that needs to service office equipment and air conditioning during the holiday period. With an intranet staff will still be able to communicate with head office seamlessly and schedule appointments, manage orders, estimates and invoicing even if they are actually working from home.
Perhaps the holiday season is one of your busiest sales periods. If so, you can easily keep on top of all the latest sales data by checking the embedded sales data Google spreadsheet in the intranet. All sales staff are able to input their data and the source document is automatically updated by the intranet. These means that the very latest real-time data is always available on the intranet.
And you can also make it easier for those employees that are holding the fort over the holiday season by uploading out of hours and emergency contacts directly onto the intranet. And so rather than searching through an already busy email inbox or paper files, the employee can quickly identify a source of help in just a few clicks of the mouse on the intranet. And while you’re at, make it easy for the skeleton staff that may be having to deal with unfamiliar processes and procedures by having a step-by-step, online how-to-guide available on the intranet for any scenarios or issues they are likely to encounter.
Getting The Balance Right
Now, let’s make one thing clear. We’re certainly not advocating that you spend the whole holiday period working. It’s important that we all take time out to unwind and recharge our batteries. 
However, sometimes it’s necessary to check in from time to time to keep things ticking over and support those staff members that are on duty. What’s more, it’s often necessary to do a bit here and there so that you’re not completely overloaded and chasing your tail when you get back to work.
And for those personnel that are required to spend large amounts of time on the road – either as service technicians, sales people or visiting clients and customers in different states or countries – then the intranet is an absolute lifeline. It enables staff to maintain seamless contact with head office, complete online business processes and get work tasks completed regardless of whether it’s holiday season or not.
Enjoy The Holidays!
A company intranet takes all the stress and worry out of the holiday period. Knowing that you can check in if you need to is often all it takes to let yourself relax and unwind. A change of environment does everyone the power of good and now you can go ahead and make your holiday arrangements with the confidence that you can still complete all the tasks that you would do in the office via the company intranet.
Get in touch with the expert team at MyHub and get started on implementing a company intranet so that you take some time out from work and really enjoy the holiday season. As well as a free demo, MyHub also offers a no-obligation 14-day trial so make sure you contact us today.
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