Practical Strategies for a Successful Intranet

SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific SSC Pacific established its intranet in 1996. It was one of the first organizations to see the value of an organizationally bounded Internet that could leverage the newly developed browser technology--the term intranet had not even been coined when it was implemented at SSC Pacific. From its inception until October 2009 13 years, SSC Pacific continuously employed a small group to develop, update and maintain the Centers intranet information architecture and its implementation. This paper documents the knowledge obtained by the SSC Pacific intranet group that was responsible for developing and implementing the continuous improvements reflected in the SSC Pacific intranet. Much of this knowledge was gained through the day-to-day experience of updating and maintaining the intranet. Constant dialog with end-users customer feedback supported and prioritized development and updated initiatives, and was integral to understanding customer needs. Knowledge was also realized through conscientious research into the latest industry best practices, and by studying other organizations intranets. This paper attempts to capture the knowledge learned by this group in one of 10 strategies, or as a subset of a particular strategy.