Managing intranets to improve business process

Technological innovations have already provided the tools to transform information management. Now the task is to focus these technologies to improve business process in a world where knowledge and in particular, efficient, timely access to knowledge is a critical economic factor in the commercial success of an organisation. Where intranet technologies have been successfully deployed in businesses, a commensurate transformation in key business processes follows. Investment in intellectual capital, a key metric in the knowledge economy, can be retained through the development of corporate memory. Changes in the nature of information management facilitate structural alterations in essential business processes, with a pay‐back in the areas of quality, timeliness, relevance and reduced cost. However, intranet technology is not a painless panacea: it requires a clear business driver and a structured implementation. This paper draws on practical experiences of introducing intranets in a variety of business contexts and highlights the benefits and procedures required to ensure successful implementation.