Services: Intranet Architecture, Usability and Findability Assessments
Business Context
Often a thorough review of the current intranet environment is required before an improvement project – such as a taxonomy-based search or navigation system – can be launched. Such a review can be a critical piece in the justification of a new approach, and should be encouraged if there is concern among business executives that “things are working fine the way they are.”Typical Outcomes and Deliverables
Current intranet assessments typically address three subject areas:- The technology architecture underlying the current intranet
- The usability of the current intranet, as defined by current users
- The degree to which critical information is findable using the current modalities for information access – search, navigation, labeling, categorization, etc.
Deliverables include a complete written diagnostic of the current intranet environment, along with a management summary presentation to be delivered to relevant stakeholders and senior executives.
Client Sponsorship and Participation Required
Executive sponsorship and a commitment to act on the results of the intranet architecture, usability and findability assessment are critical to success. Often the CIO can be the primary sponsor for this review, although it is preferable to have business units represented as well.SearchScience Expertise and Qualifications
We have extensive experience helping clients identify strengths and weaknesses in their current intranet deployments along dimensions of architectural soundness and scalability, quality of user experience, and ease of finding required materials on the intranet.Timeframes
An intranet architecture, usability and findability assessment can usually be completed in 4 to 6 weeks, provided that pre-developed methodologies, checklists, and questionnaires are available to the assessment team.