Nonprofits and the Intranet

Can the Intranet Take Business Processes to the Next Level?

Miranda R. Dalton511C10.18.11

Agenda

• The Concept of the Intranet

• Intranet vs. Internet

• Benefits of the Intranet

• Developing an Intranet/Cost

• Challenges of the Intranet

• Recommendations

Is the Intranet Relevant to NPOs?•Mos

t of the research on intranets has been conducted on the for-profit sector.

•Principles and concepts are applicable to NPOs.

•Information technology can enable organizations to perform more efficiently and effectively.

Business ProcessThe Way an Organization Conducts Business

The intranet will assist NPOs maximize their business processes and

achieve organizational goals.

WHAT IS THE INTRANET?

A concept that utilizes network technologies as a tool to facilitate communication between people or

workgroups.

How Do NPOs Meet Today’s Challenges?

Must have a single, unified infrastructure

that creates an environment for:

• Information gathering and sharing

• Reinforces a common culture and community

How Do NPOs Meet Today’s Challenges?

Information gathering and

sharing

Reinforces a common culture and community

INTRANET

Must have a single, unified infrastructure that creates an environment for:

What’s Difference?

IntranetPrivate

More Secure

A n organization’s internal (www)

InternetPublic

Electronic communication that connects computer networks

around the world

Extranet: Allows the internet to be linked to an organization’s intranet

The Reason? – To allow outside stakeholders to access a company’s intranet via a secured, encrypted line via the internet.

Benefits of the Intranet

• Keeps People in Touch

ex. Email• Facilitates Training and Knowledge Sharing

ex. Employee Trainings• Automates Routine Tasks

ex. Calculating Pay/Generating Checks• Provides Easy Access to Information

ex. Procedures and Manuals Uploaded• Cuts Overhead Costs

ex. Human Resources• Organizes and Communicates Data

ex. Facilitates Information Sharing Between Departments• Markets the organization

ex. Extranet

Return on Investment(Savings)

• Cisco Systems, a for-profit organization, projects a savings of 90 million a year through lower operating costs because of the intranet.

• Cisco Systems believes the intranet is directly responsible for the decrease in staff turnover.

• E-PeopleServe, a joint venture of Telecom and Accenture, estimated that moving HR information to the intranet can save organizations up to 40 percent.

Developing an Intranet

• Varies between organizations

• Talk to the employees * direct indicator

* what would make their job easier

* find out what frustrates them

The Costs

• Determined by what you want the network to accomplish.

• Costs will be less for organizations that already have infrastructure in place such as existing networks, computers, IT manager and/or staff.

Total Costs

Involves fixed expenses to

purchase equipment and variable expenses

to support and manage the necessary software.

Capital Costs - Involves the purchasing costs of hardware and software

Operating Costs - Involves the cost of a specific management team necessary to run system and to provide promotion and training to users

Challenges of the IntranetStart Up and Implementation

A. Reluctance of Employees to Engagei. Specialized Employees

ii. Older Employees

B. Conversioni. Compatibility

C. Costsi. Limited Budgets

Recommendation

Nonprofit Organizations Should

Allocate Resources to Implement Some

Form of the Intranet

Wise Investment

Benefits outweigh the costs

Maximize business performance and service delivery

It will take NPOs business processes to the next level

Works Cited

 (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2011, from Implementing the Intranet and Extranet: Estimate of Cost: Http://wireless.ictp.it/school_2004/lectures/repici/repici_lecture2.pdf

 

The New Uses of the Intranet. (2000, May). Harvard Management Update, 4-5.

 

Do It Right: Building an Intranet. (2008, June). Management Today, 18.

 

Carttar, D., & Nixon, D. (1997, November/December). Do You Need an Intranet. Journal of Property Management, 26-30.

 

Gerstner, J. (2002, February/March). Intranets Mean Business. Communication World, 14-17.

 

McCall, M., & Almeida, K. (2001, July/August). Intranets. Online, 58-59.

 

Mccreadie, S. R., & James, S. G. (1999, June 7). Uses of the Intranet: Challenges to Implementation. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from Medscape Today: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/406902_6

 

Mitchell, B. (n.d.). Intranets. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from About.com: http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/intranets/g/bldef_intranet.htm

 

 

 

Q &A