Intranet Management Intranet ROI statistics: 7 compelling data points for your business case Compelling ROI statistics reveal how the right platform can transform engagement, streamline communication, and drive measurable business growth. Use this data to build a business case your leadership can’t ignore. 8 minute read Table of contents You might also like… Case study How DUCA moved from SharePoint to ThoughtFarmer ThoughtFarmer examples See our LookBook intranet examples Navigate intranet vendors See how G2 ranks industry competitors Looking to acquire a new intranet but can’t convince your stakeholders? You’re not alone. Whether it’s IT concerns about maintenance, finance worries about costs, or leadership questions about ROI, building a compelling business case requires data that speaks to real organizational challenges. The business case in numbers The workplace productivity crisis is costing organizations billions. Only 15% of employees are engaged, workers waste 1.8 hours daily searching for information, and 84% of deskless workers feel disconnected from leadership. Fortune 500 companies lose $31 billion yearly from poor knowledge sharing. However, organizations with the right intranet solutions see dramatic returns: 89% higher customer satisfaction, 10-40% productivity gains, and 20-25% increases in knowledge worker output. The data proves intranet investments drive measurable business growth by addressing engagement, communication, and productivity challenges. Below, we dive deep into the seven most compelling statistics that will help you build an ironclad business case that gets stakeholder approval. We’ve compiled the most powerful statistics that demonstrate how intranets solve critical workplace problems. These stats will help you build a bulletproof business case that gets stakeholders to pay attention, follow the data, and hopefully say yes. 85% of workforces are not engaged The engagement crisis is real and costly. With a staggering 85% of employees not engaged or actively disengaged at work, organizations are feeling big hits to productivity and revenue. The business impact Connected employees improve productivity by 20-25%, equating to potential revenue increases of up to $1.3 million annually Engaged employees are 17% more productive than their disengaged counterparts According to Gallup, highly engaged teams see 10% higher customer loyalty and 23% greater profitability. How an intranet helps Modern intranets boost engagement through personalized dashboards, social features, and interactive tools that keep employees connected and motivated. When employees feel heard and valued through recognition programs and feedback tools, engagement naturally follows. Key stat: Highly engaged business units achieve a 10% increase in customer metrics and a 20% increase in sales. 84% of deskless workers don’t get enough communication from leadership Communication gaps are widening, especially for frontline and remote workers. In a Ragan study, 84% of deskless workers feel they don’t get enough communication from top management. They feel less connected to their companies, and that they are missing out on company news due to poor internal communication. The business impact 43% of employees experience burnout, stress, and fatigue due to workplace communication issues. Ineffective communication costs U.S. businesses up to $1.2 trillion annually. 60% of companies lack a long-term internal communications strategy. How an intranet helps Intranets provide a centralized communication hub that reaches all employees, regardless of location or role. With mobile accessibility and push notifications, even frontline workers stay informed and connected to company updates and leadership messages. Key stat: 67% of companies have implemented new communications tools in the past 12 months showing this is an ongoing challenge that companies are prioritizing. Employees spend 3.2 hours weekly searching for information The hidden cost of poor knowledge management is staggering. According to Slite, employees spend an average of 3.2 hours every week looking for the information they need. — that’s 166.4 hours a year of lost productivity. The business impact The average worker spends 20% of their workweek looking for internal information. 45% of U.S. workers say their company’s document organization system is outdated. Fortune 500 companies lose $31 billion annually from poor knowledge sharing. How an intranet helps Advanced search capabilities, organized content libraries, and AI-powered content discovery dramatically reduce search times. Employees can quickly find exactly what they need without endless scrolling or constant interruptions to colleagues. Key stat: 58% of companies are focusing on integrating their tools into unified ecosystems rather than standalone platforms. Less than 50% of employees feel valued at work Recognition drives performance, yet more than 50% feel only somewhat valued or not valued at all by their organization. This recognition gap directly impacts retention, engagement, and overall workplace satisfaction. The business impact Only 30% of U.S. employees say they’ve been recognized for good work in the past week. Companies that prioritize recognition see 17% higher productivity, 20% more sales, and 21% greater profitability. 77.9% of employees would work harder if they felt better appreciated. How an intranet helps Built-in recognition tools, peer nomination systems, and celebration features make appreciation visible and consistent. When recognition becomes part of daily workflow, it transforms company culture and drives performance. Key stat: Employees who experience recognition report a 29% greater sense of work/life balance, a 33% stronger feeling of belonging, and a 27% improvement in self-rated health. 61% of employees aren’t reading emails Despite email being the most commonly used communication tool, it’s clearly not working. 60.8% of respondents ignore email in the workplace. The business impact 74% of individuals say they feel stressed or overwhelmed by the volume of emails in their inbox. More than 33% of employees surveyed said that email and message overload could drive them to quit their jobs. Critical information gets lost in cluttered inboxes How an intranet helps Intranets replace email overload with targeted, relevant communication. Role-based content delivery ensures employees only receive information that matters to them, reducing noise and improving focus on core tasks. Key stat: The number of email users is expected to surpass 4.85 billion globally by 2027. The noise is only getting louder. 51% of remote workers feel excluded from company culture The remote work revolution has created a new challenge: keeping distributed teams connected to company culture and each other. 51% of remote workers feel more excluded than their in-office counterparts, creating engagement and retention risks. The business impact 60% of remote workers have reported being left out of key updates. Only 56% of deskless workers feel connected and engaged with their employers. Cultural disconnection leads to lower engagement, reduced collaboration, and higher turnover Remote workers miss out on informal learning, mentorship, and relationship building How an intranet helps Intranets bridge the remote work gap by providing virtual collaboration spaces, company culture touchpoints, and equal access to information and resources. Social features, team directories, and virtual coffee chats help remote workers build relationships and feel valued as core team members. Key stat: Companies with engaged remote workforces see 21% higher profitability than those with disengaged distributed teams. Building an Intranet Business Case Workbook Step-by-step guide to ensure a successful intranet project Get the guide 49% feel that poor internal collaboration affects customer experience Poor collaboration isn’t just frustrating, it’s expensive. When teams can’t work together effectively, projects fail, deadlines are missed, and innovation stagnates. The business impact In a study by Forrester Consulting, 49% said poor internal collaboration negatively affected customer experience 40% said it reduced employee productivity Companies with strong collaboration see measurably better outcomes How an intranet helps Modern intranets break down silos with cross-departmental workspaces, project collaboration tools, and unified platforms that make teamwork seamless regardless of location or department. Why these statistics matter for your business case The data is clear: disengaged employees, poor communication, and inefficient processes are costing organizations millions in lost productivity, turnover, and missed opportunities. But more importantly, these statistics show the massive potential ROI of getting it right. A well-implemented intranet doesn’t just solve problems, it transforms how your organization operates. Higher engagement, better communication, streamlined knowledge sharing, and stronger collaboration all translate directly to your bottom line. Ready to build your business case? These statistics provide the foundation for a compelling intranet business case. Use them to address stakeholder concerns, demonstrate ROI potential, and show how an intranet investment pays for itself through improved productivity, retention, and employee satisfaction. The question isn’t whether you can afford to implement an intranet; it’s whether you can afford not to. How ThoughtFarmer can help ThoughtFarmer’s award-winning intranet platform is designed to solve the exact challenges outlined in these statistics. Our user-friendly, SharePoint alternative transforms how organizations communicate, collaborate, and share knowledge. Transform your workplace with: Intuitive design that drives adoption from day one — no training required Powerful search that finds information instantly, ending the endless hunt for documents Mobile-first approach that keeps remote and frontline workers connected Social features that build community and boost engagement across all teams Easy content management that makes keeping information current effortless Seamless integrations that work with your existing tools and workflows Unlike complex enterprise solutions, ThoughtFarmer focuses on simplicity and user experience. Our platform is built for real people, not IT departments, ensuring high adoption rates and measurable ROI from day one. Turn these statistics into your success story Book a call to learn more how ThoughtFarmer can help you build the business case that gets approved.