10 Tips for Effectively Using Your Intranet

"Upload them and they will come."

While a similar phrase rang true for Kevin Costner in 1989's hit Field of Dreams, the same doesn't necessarily apply when it comes to Intranet systems. Just because a franchise company can post its operations manuals on a private Intranet site doesn't mean its franchisees will automatically and habitually go online to read them.

Intranets are dynamic. More than just a place where franchisees can rely upon to access the latest manuals, marketing materials, price lists and forms, Intranets also allow franchisees to network with the corporate support team, certain suppliers and other franchisees within the system. It's not the technology itself that makes for an effective Intranet; rather, it's the way the technology is applied.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help franchisors and franchisees make best use of their Intranet system:

1. Involve your franchisees in the system's development. Most franchisors mistakenly design Intranets based on what "they" think franchisees need. To gain true insight into franchisees' needs, franchisors should choose a representative group of franchisees (or their Franchise Advisory Council) in the development of their Intranet system. They can provide valuable input, and help promote the Intranet to other franchisees once it's ready to go.

 

2. Keep it simple. Keep in mind the basic philosophy that "you shouldn't have to read a manual in order to access the manual." Simple navigation and ease-of-use is critical to an Intranet system's success. Use icons whenever possible. Understand that the average franchisee simply wants to access information they need as quickly and easily as possible.

 

3. Utilize a common document format. Instead of posting documents in a specific version of Microsoft Word (or other program), try converting your documents to PDF (Portable Document Format). That way, users can easily view and print any PDF document using a free plug-in called Acrobat Reader, regardless of whether they have the application that was used to create the original document.

 

4. Keep it fresh. To encourage frequent franchisee Intranet visits, add meaningful content on a regular basis. In addition to operations manual updates, consider posting regular new items, announcements, regional sales reports, online training courses, quick polls and even a "quote of the day" or "tip of the day" from the CEO or other franchisees.

 

5. Promote online networking. Consider incorporating private or group discussion forums into your Intranet that either allow franchisees to ask you questions privately, and/or share information, ideas and tips with other franchisees using a bulletin board or chat format.

 

6. Incorporate an email module and user directory. For those franchisees that prefer individualized support outside of a bulletin board format, incorporate an email module and user directory containing profiles of the corporate team and other franchisees. Message receipt verification also is a worthwhile additional feature.

 

7. Promote third party participation. Once your franchisees are online, consider granting industry experts or approved suppliers restricted access to your Intranet. Doing so will allow these "outsiders" the ability to sponsor a discussion forum with your franchisees or purchase a banner advertisement to promote their products or services.

 

8. Incorporate a "Search" capability. Wading through several hundred documents in order to find a specific price list can be time consuming, if not impossible. Instead, add a search feature that allows franchisees to search for specific documents by keyword, subject or date range. This feature significantly reduces time spent searching for information online.

 

9. Utilize external reminders. It's unrealistic to expect busy franchisees to constantly log on to your Intranet to check for newly posted material. Instead, consider incorporating an external email reminder program that automatically alerts franchisees about newly posted Intranet items via e-mail summaries at pre-set intervals.

 

10. Be your own promoter. Remember, an Intranet system cannot promote itself. In order to drive franchisees to your Intranet system, you must make it a priority to clearly communicate to them how the Intranet will benefit them specifically, perhaps even holding a special mandatory meeting at your annual convention and sending out written communication that outlines the benefits. Even after they log on, you'll have to constantly promote new content and features designed to make their lives' easier.

About the author: Daniel P. Martin is founder and president of IFX International, Inc., (www.ifxonline.com) the leading applications service provider for franchisor-franchisee communications systems. Martin has 18 years of franchise structuring and management experience (including hands-on experience as a franchisee) and five years of Intranet development and hosting experience. Since debuting its Intranet system in 1996, IFX has built, developed and hosted systems for more than 90 franchise organizations.