When it comes to internal processes and technology we’ve heard it a million times: “It’s working just fine, so why should we upgrade?”.  I understand the hesitancy – if things are going smoothly, why risk a bump in the road to get the advantages of upgrades that you aren’t even sure you need? However, when I hear our customers say this about their intranet, the internal solution which is meant to streamline business processes and enhance company efficiency, I must admit, I cringe a little.

I cringe because your business is not a stagnant entity, but a constantly evolving enterprise packed with dynamic variables.  This is why we are constantly looking at industry trends and working with our customers to enhance and innovate our software – to ensure it is scalable and that it grows with the needs of your business.

Consider this…even when you don’t upgrade your software your business continues to grow, which means you are essentially moving backwards.

Evolving with the Digital Workplace

At Intranet Connections, we provide consistent software releases to help accommodate growing businesses and the evolving digital workplace.  Incremental upgrades ensure that changes are easier to perform by the intranet administrator and to adapt to by your end-users (employees).  Pushing upgrades aside for 2 or 3 years can mean more significant functionality and user interface changes that require more time and practice to adapt to learn and modify usage. You don’t want to be the Marty McFly of the of the future, trying to convince everyone your grand ideas for a significant upgrade will lead to a happy ending. Instead, upgrade over time for incremental improvements and change.

Working on the Support Team here at Intranet Connections, I talk with a variety of clients that have joined us over the past 16 years. I have found if a client allows more than one release cycle to pass before the next software update release is available than they are far less likely to upgrade when the next one comes along. This is a real loss for your intranet, for your employees and for your digital workplace. Don’t let these valuable product enhancements pass you by!

Fun Fact: Most of the product enhancements released within our regular software upgrades are in fact direct request from our  customers.

Upgrade to Avoid Stale Digital Workplace

Recently, a client I worked with had inadvertently allowed their intranet to go stale by missing multiple software releases. When I introduced the intranet administrators to the latest and greatest version of our intranet software, they were astonished by all the features and improvements they had been missing! If you are a current customer on an older version of the software, here are just a few highlights from the latest releases:

Robust People Directory (V 11.5)

A popular enhancement of our intranet software is the robust People Directory. The ability to easily find out the status, availability and contact info of your co-workers and colleagues combined with the ability to leverage popular social features defined this upgrade.

Enhanced Online Forms & Workflows (V 12.0)

Enhanced Online Forms and Workflows, are the primary but not only features packed one of our most popular applications, Form Builder. Form Builder was rebuilt from the ground up following extensive feedback from our customer base. The ability to define workflows, approval stages along with a host of different form types, really add to the productivity of our clients’ intranets.

Mega Menus & Mega Pages (V 12.5)

Our latest update introduced a re-vamped navigation menu. Mega-Menus has created a more user-friendly interface on the intranet, providing four times the navigational real-estate as a traditional single list navigation menu. Allowing intranet administrators to put all the valuable resources on your intranet literally at the fingertips of your employees. It simplifies the navigation process for all end-users making it much easier for them to find the content they need. Not to mention the enhancement of our Unlimited Content Pages that allows you to integrate multi-variable feeds and content, that will make any page on your intranet dynamics and informative.

Revitalize Your Digital Workplace

These are just a few of the latest feature upgrades within our software, but there have been many more added over the years with the goal of streamlining and improving business processes.  If you are interested in previewing these intranet enhancements, request a guided tour of our intranet software.

Did you have roadblocks with regards to upgrades which your organization has overcome? Do you have a flawless upgrade process that you find works in your organization?  I would love to hear about them, please leave your comments below.