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MIS382-Chapter 5 Who Is Using Intranets and How Are They Using Them?

  1. Amgen Incorporated
    integrates corporate library materials into intranet (HR information, IS training classes & registration)
    hard to keep information current
  2. AT&T Corp.
    • started in 1990
    • Uses
      • Top-down approach: internal directory; Knowledge Management System
      • Local, bottom-up approach: group meetings
    • Results
      start-up cost = $50 million, total cost = $100 million; savings = $30 million/year
    • Lessons Learned
      Issues and challenges:
      • connecting many networks with gateways
      • rapid and unpredictable growth
      • conversion of legacy applications to utilize IP network
      • Project received management support
      • AT&T created a Network Board of Directors
  3. Bell Atlantic Corporation
    • started in 1994
    • Uses: corporate documentation for HR, legal, internal systems, processes and procedures
    • Results: saved several hundred thousand dollars in printing costs
    • Lessons Learned
      • establish standards for content, look, and feel
      • treat the entire corporate intranet as a single information source
      • develop standards that allow new servers to be brought into the web
  4. Booz Allen & Hamilton
    • started in 1995
    • Uses: Knowledge On Line (KOL) - reports, proposals, best practices, and collaboration conferences
    • Results: changed the way employees think about knowledge and information; opened up new business opportunities
    • Lessons Learned
      Challenges:
      • wanted intranet to represent leading-edge application technology
      • had to train employees in emerging skills
      • content management
      • integration of team representing all facets of the business
      • team focused on content, function, and use as opposed to technology
      Recommendations:
      1. focus on business problem first
      2. try to avoid bleeding-edge technologies
      3. business must lead the effort and take ownership
      4. don't get cute with the graphics
      5. avoid excessive hierarchy in your navigation
  5. EDS
    • started in 1994
    • Uses
      • infoCentre - EDS Corporate Repository: Business, EDS Facts, Employee, News, Research, Technology, Newsgroups
      • Career Library
      • Corporate Shared Financial Services
      • Fulcrum - repository for software components
      • Organization Chart
      • Credit Union Bulletin Board
      • Standards
      • Virtual Reality Center
      • PointCast networking
      • IRC
      • :
    • Results: increased communications speed; leverage intellectual capital of company
    • Lessons Learned
      Issues:
      • installing TCP/IP and implementing DNS
      • fear of the intranet not being secure
      • fear that employees will spend all their time "surfing the net"
      • modify existing processes from paper-oriented communications
      • getting groups to take ownership of the information
      Things that worked well:
      • right solution to provide access to information
      • keeping information in native form (e.g. MS Word) and using HTML catalog
      • many of the Systems Engineering and Communications groups bought in easily
      Recommendations:
      • Have a business architecture that drives the value of the intranet.
      • Concentrate on compelling content in the beginning
      • Creating content for the intranet should be part of each process that creates content for other media
      • Buying corporate licenses for products
  6. JCPenney Company, Inc.
  7. Rockwell International Corporation
    • started in 1995
    • Uses
      • company vision
      • corporate newsletter
      • open positions
      • employee directory
      • IS policies
      • business travel
      • links to business and financial news
      • links to government sites
    • Results
      saves time, improves communications, awareness, and responsiveness through information sharing
    • Lessons Learned
      1. recommendations
        • get it done quickly
        • don't expect to get it right the first time
        • foster creativity
        • do more capacity planning and anticipation of volumes
        • provide a search engine
  8. SAS Institute Inc.
    • started in 1993
    • Uses
      • Sales and Marketing - strategies and directions for selling software products, press releases, reviews
      • Departmental homepages
      • R&D Documentation for software developers
      • Planning and direction documents
      • Production and release schedules
      • Description of work processes
      • Downloaded resources for software developers
      • Software design team specifications
      • User manuals for products and internal tools
      • Job openings and photos of new employees
      • etc.
    • Results
      • cost has been minimal (uses free servers and browsers)
      • improved communications, especially cross-organization communications
      • created a de facto standard for publishing
    • Lessons Learned
      • use a single server
      • people will get possessive of data, its display, and its organization
  9. Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI)
    • started in 1994
    • Uses
      "Silicon Junction is an organizational structure for the information contained within the environment"
    • Results
      • information dissemination
      • applications to increase organizational productivity (Electronic Requisition System)
    • Lessons Learned (major issue - fantastic growth)
  10. Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI)
    • started in 1994
    • Uses
      • primarily workgroup reference information
      • TI White Pages
      • front ends to legacy applications
      • TI-wide information repository
    • Results
      • provided excellent sharing of information
      • allows collaboration via newsgroups
      • provides excellent platform for future applications
      • empower end users and lessening dependence on IT Department
    • Lessons Learned
      Issues:
      • Ownership of the environment
      • network performance issues
      • Lack of TCP/IP connectivity
      • Inadequate awareness of intranet possibilities
      Recommendations
      • let end users drive the strategies
      • have guidelines, recommendations, and standards for the intranet
      • plan ahead for the demand of the network
      • spend quality effort getting IP to the desktops of all users
      • keep homepage "alive"
      • If IT dept. doesn't have R&D funds, get end users to fund it
      • Get IT dept. into a leadership position sooner
      • provide more solutions in the web server area for workgroups without technical skills
      • Do a better job of staying ahead of the demand curve on the network
  11. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
    • started in 1995
    • Uses
      • Human Resources
      • HRIS
      • Benefits
      • Purchasing and Logistics
      • TRAC (Turner Reciprocal Advertising Corporation)
      • policy manual
      • job postings
    • Results
      1. gives employees direct access to current information
    • Lessons Learned - needed a format that was cross-functional and fun to use
      Recommendations:
      • involve many, but appoint a leader
      • just get it going (don't try to please everyone)
      • keep it current
      • learn more about the technology before getting started
      • create a plan for the project before moving on it
  12. United Parcel Service of America (UPS)
    UPS intranet
    • started in 1994
    • Uses
      • company news
      • group projects
      • contact people
      • employee phone book
      • terms glossary
      • department specific information
      • database querying
    • Results
      • cut cost by avoiding continual paper handouts and circulation
      • allows support of only a single database in one location
      • increased communication, more timely information, ease of getting and updating information
    • Lessons Learned
      • start small and be prepared for major growth
      • put procedures and standards in place ahead of the growth
  13. An anonymous company
    • Uses R&D
      • business units
      • Engineering
      • HR
      • IS
      • Communications
      • regional offices and plants
      • stock prices
    • Lessons Learned
      issues faced:
      • Organizational - bringing all of the "players" together
      • Technical - Getting everyone on the TCP/IP network
      • Other - educating senior management
      Recommendations:
      • allow intranet to grow (somewhat chaotically)
      • Use a cross-functional network (Internet Team)
      • Start earlier
      • Have standards and guidelines in place
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