Why the intranet?
Organizational knowledge is a complex thing, and communicating it throughout a company or organization can be a very challenging thing. Computers have become the prime depositories for all types of organizational knowledge, and Domino is a leading tool in the dissemination of that knowledge. But how we choose to disseminate that knowledge requires careful planning and deliberation. Often organizational knowledge is simply hard to find -- even in organizations long used to the use of Notes or other such technologies. The trick here is how you organize that knowledge and information -- it must be organized in such a way as to be accessible and useful to the "clientele" or employees of the company.

The other key thing to keep in mind is how much time and money a well designed intranet can save--and cost. Ponder for a moment how much wasted energy is spent seeking critical information within a company --enormous amounts. What if the key contact isn't in or available? What if no one knows where that document went? What if the database where that information was no longer exists? There are many "what ifs" that can be pondered. The lesson here is that the intranet can become the center for all of this information. Want the latest buzzword for this sort of thing? Try "knowledge management".

The intranet may be your company's cultural, information, and organizational center. This may sound obvious, but designing it is the really tricky part.

Where to start?
Domino Intranet Starter Pack, provided by Lotus, is an excellent tool to begin the creation of your Intranet -- if you're planning on using the Web rather than Notes for your clients. The Intranet Starter Pack provides all of the basic functionality necessary for any company -- bulletin board, discussion, calendar, employee information, key forms, etc. It comes pre-packaged and ready to be installed.

Flexibility, simplicity, and organization
If you've visited poorly organized Web sites (and who hasn't?), you know how difficult it is to find what you're seeking, or, for that matter, to even know what you're seeking. Your intranet must be different or it will fail. An organized intranet needs to be useful, simple to understand, and flexible to the needs of your employees.

Tip: Terminology is critical--try to model the areas of your Intranet on your actual business. Use the same terms on your intranet whenever you can.

Customization
Every employee is unique. Individual employees belong to different areas of the organization, have different information needs, and interact with their community in their own way. No problem! Domino, particularly in R5, makes it incredibly "easy" (everything's relative…) to customize for different needs. The larger an organization is, the more extensive an intranet needs to be, and the more customizable it needs to be to meet the needs of the organization. Take "My Yahoo" as an example of the idea. You are designing a portal for your employees to the information they need--whatever it may be.