The intranet makes it possible for more than 100 business managers to contribute and control content in a dynamic environment and keep their own administrative operations running smoothly as a result of more timely communications. SSA's target users were internal, as is the case with most corporate intranets, but that hardly makes intranet planning and implementation easier. Intranet audiences must be segmented and targeted the same way a marketing department looks at its customer bases. You have to get inside their heads and understand what they want to accomplish on a daily basis in order to make the intranet useful. If users don't find value in a site the first time they visit, it will be tough to convince them to use it on a regular basis.
Usability is a major concern.
Addressing intranet usability requires an in-depth understanding of how target users function in their job responsibilities, and their level of technical acuity. Usability and ROI are so tightly linked that any intranet functionality designed for CSRs must be extremely intuitive. Involving target users early in the planning process is essential to ensuring usefulness and usability. Their perspectives on what they'd like accomplish on the intranet, and how they would go about achieving their goals, will eliminate hours of guesswork for those outlining the basic site structure, functionality, and content. It's important to never lose sight of the fact that the exchange of information is the primary goal, and that the quality of the content will drive the site's success.