*Update: Whoaaa, this blog post is really old! Check out some more recent posts here.
Every project, intranet or otherwise, is constrained by 3 cardinal factors: Scope, Cost, and Schedule. Changing one of these constraints affects the others. For example, if you tighten the schedule, the cost will need to increase and/or the scope will need to decrease.
In Step 3: Communicating Your Intranet Requirements, you defined your scope. Now you need to define your budget and your schedule. Take into consideration both one-time costs and recurring costs as the intranet transitions from a project to a program.
A constraint is anything that inhibits or prevents your intranet project from progressing. In addition to scope, cost and schedule, consider these additional constraints:
Language. Does your organization work in languages other than English? If so, support for specific languages is a constraint for your intranet software.
IT constraints. Some organizations must work within specific technical constraints. Some examples:
- Intranet must be cloud-based (software and hardware managed by vendor)
- Intranet must be self-hosted (software and hardware managed by your company)
- Intranet must be integrated with Active Directory
- Intranet must use Microsoft server software only (e.g. Windows Server, SQL Server)
HR constraints. Launching a new intranet requires specific skills. Depending on the scope of your project, it may be constrained by the availability of certain human resources, such as:
- Graphic designer for branding
- IA designer for content and navigation
- Trainer
- Software developer for custom extensions and integrations
Have questions? Get in touch! We're always happy to hear from you.
