Success Factors in Leveraging the Corporate Information and Knowledge Resource Through Intranets

Abstract

The chapter presents the empirical findings of two large organizations’ attempts at competitively leveraging the knowledge and information sharing capabilities of intranets. The work sought to identify the organization and management requirements that are critical to the realization of business benefits of intranet investments. The qualitative analysis suggests that intranets do provide a communications infrastructure that enables communities to exploit their information and knowledge resources for improved business performance provided a number of enabling changes is implemented. Next to the provision of continual user training, the user community must compile the business case, appoint the content manager, and negotiate guidelines for use. Unless these organizational and management changes constitute an integral part of the implementation strategy, the intranet will fail to deliver its investment objectives.