# ThoughtFarmer Intranet Software > Articles and helpful guides on the best practices in intranet management, communications, collaboration, corporate culture, and more --- ## Pages - [Internal Communications](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/internal-communications/): Empower your internal communication team with intranet software that boosts engagement, streamlines messaging, and connects your entire workforce. - [Information Technology](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/information-technology/): See how ThoughtFarmer's secure, scalable intranet simplifies IT management, integrates with your tech stack, and reduces IT workload. - [Human Resources](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/human-resources/): Empower HR teams with intranet software that improves employee engagement, streamlines onboarding, and centralizes employee resources - [Digital Workplace IQ Quiz](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/digital-workplace-iq-quiz/): Think of it as an IQ test for your internal comms and processes. Take our short quiz to get your score and recommendations. - [Canadian Intranet Software](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/intranet-canada/): Discover why the best workplaces in Canada choose ThoughtFarmer to power up their internal comms, knowledge management, and culture - [Why ThoughtFarmer](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/why-thoughtfarmer/): Discover why the best workplaces choose ThoughtFarmer as the #1 choice to power up their internal comms, knowledge management, and culture - [AI Intranet features](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/ai-intranet-features/): ThoughtFarmer AI intranet features speed up content creation, optimize communication, knowledge sharing, and power-up search. - [Universal intranet search](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/universal-intranet-search/): Intranet search that understands you. Improve knowledge management, and productivity with the most efficient intranet search. - [Design and Theming](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/design-and-theming/): Create an intranet that reflects your brand and culture. Customize logos, colors, layouts, and more—no coding required! - [ThoughtFarmer Analytics](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/analytics/): Learn how intranet analytics can give you insights to measure the success and ROI of your intranet and the impact on internal communications - [Best Intranet Awards 2024](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/best-intranet-awards-2024/): ThoughtFarmer software makes employee engagement easy with features that boost morale and enable employees to collaborate and feel connected - [The Simpplr alternative for modern workplaces](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/the-simpplr-alternative-for-modern-workplaces/): ThoughtFarmer’s highly intuitive and customizable intranet enhances communication and is the perfect Simpplr alternative. - [Mobile intranet app](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/mobile-intranet-app/): ThoughtFarmer's full-featured mobile intranet app makes it easy to access critical updates, online forms, and documents from anywhere. - [Intranet Software Features](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/product/intranet-software-features/): ThoughtFarmer comes packaged with 225 intranet software features, designed to keep employees productive, informed, and engaged. - [Our story](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/about/our-story/): Understanding why we're so passionate about providing the best intranet solutions involves knowing more about our company background. - [Microsoft Office 365 Integration](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/technology/intranet-integrations/microsoft-office365/): Use ThoughtFarmer to easily integrate all the information stored in Microsoft Office 365 applications, like OneDrive and SharePoint - [Google Workspace Integration](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/technology/intranet-integrations/google-workspace/): Access all your existing Google Workspace files, so that you can provide your teams with simplified sign-in and unified search options - [Industries](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/industry/): Our intranet software is ready out of the box or widely customizable, and ThoughtFarmer's intranet solutions can be tailored to any industry. - [Resources](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources-old-2/): We have a number of valuable resources that you can use to start planning, preparing for, and scheduling your new intranet launch. - [Expert support](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/services/expert-support/): Our award-winning expert support is here to help you with every step in building a new intranet and managing it after launch - [Land recognition](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/about/land-recognition/): We're proudly headquartered in Vancouver, BC, and as such, we're passionate about acknowledging the peoples who came here before us. - [Knowledge Management](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/solution/knowledge-management-software/): ThoughtFarmer software makes knowledge management easy with a searchable, easy-to-navigate central hub that's your central source of truth. - [Integrations](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/technology/intranet-integrations/): ThoughtFarmer's intranet integrations create a central hub that connects all of your systems and cloud drives, including Microsoft and Google - [Modern Digital Workplace](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/solution/digital-workplace/): ThoughtFarmer's digital workplace solution enhances collaboration, boosts productivity, and keeps your teams connected with a customizable platform - [Team Collaboration](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/product/team-collaboration-software/): Increase team collaboration across hybrid and remote workplaces with our intranet software solution | ThoughtFarmer - [Community and Culture](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/solution/community-culture/): Boost culture and create a community of engaged employees with an intranet that makes it easy to stay connected and celebrate achievements. - [Product](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/product/): Let ThoughtFarmer show you how our intranet solution can transform your workplace through emplowering employees and increasing engagement - [Platform](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/technology/): With a turnkey solution, built-in security, and the most passionate support team around, ThoughtFarmer is an intranet manager's dream - [Turnkey Intranet](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/technology/turnkey-intranet/): Building an intranet is easy with ThoughtFarmer's turnkey intranet software for the perfect balance of templates and customization - [Administration tools](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/technology/administration-tools/): ThoughtFarmer's intranet administration tools make it easy, including a customizable flexible interface and user management features - [Security and Reliability](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/technology/intranet-security/): ThoughtFarmer's intranet security features risk management solutions and compliance for content security and data privacy - [Business Processes](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/product/business-processes/): Create form workflows with FormFlow, our flexible intranet forms tool that saves time and reduces paperwork and manual processes. - [Employee Communication](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/product/employee-communication-software/): Streamline internal communications with employee communication tools | ThoughtFarmer intranet solutions make it easy for people to connect - [Content Management](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/product/intranet-cms/): An intranet CMS that provides a centralized hub for all your content. ThoughtFarmer is an ideal content management system for businesses. - [Employee Engagement](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/product/employee-engagement/): ThoughtFarmer software makes employee engagement easy with features that encourage employees to collaborate and feel connected - [Solution](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/solution/): Embrace the digital transofrmation solution that keeps employees aligned, while improving communication, collaboration, and engagement - [Internal Communications](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/solution/internal-communications-platform/): Unify your workplace with internal communication software that keeps employees connected, engaged, and informed in one easy-to-use platform - [Services](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/services/): You don't need to be an expert to take your company's intranet to the next level. ThoughtFarmer's award-winning expert support can help - [Cloud Terms of Service - Legacy](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/cloudterms-legacy/): Schedule A: TERMS OF SERVICE PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY AS THEY GOVERN YOUR USE OF THOUGHTFARMER CLOUD EDITION (“THOUGHTFARMER”). THESE TERMS - [Careers](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/careers/): We’re proud of our software and our people. We look for the best and brightest; in return we provide challenging and interesting careers. - [About](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/about/): We build intranet software that helps organizations around the world improve their communication, collaboration, and knowledge management - [Contact Us](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/contact/): Have a question about Intranets? Contact our ThoughtFarmer team by phone or email. We'd love to hear from you! - [ThoughtFarmer Intranet Blog](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/): Articles and helpful guides on the best practices in intranet management, communications, collaboration, corporate culture, and more --- ## Posts - [How MTE used their intranet to celebrate 40 years of culture](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-mte-used-their-intranet-to-celebrate-40-years-of-culture/): See how MTE used their intranet to celebrate 40 years, unite teams, and boost engagement with a fun, decade-themed anniversary campaign. - [What is an Employee Portal?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-an-employee-portal/): Employee portals are centralized hubs where employees can access important information, collaborate on projects, and engage with colleagues. - [Build better intranet pages with new section and navigation designs](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/build-better-intranet-pages-with-new-section-and-navigation-designs/): Designing standout landing pages on your intranet shouldn’t require expert skills or a whole team of designers. - [ThoughtFarmer Named High Performer and Momentum Leader in G2 Spring 2025 Reports](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/thoughtfarmer-named-high-performer-and-momentum-leader-in-g2-spring-2025-reports/): Leading Intranet Provider Earns Multiple Distinctions with Outstanding Customer Satisfaction Scores Across Key Performance Categories - [Best practices in designing effective intranet navigation](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-navigation/): How to design intranet navigation that's intuitive, user-friendly, and aligned with the needs of employees. - [Top Intranet Trends](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/top-intranet-trends/): Here's our list of top 8 intranet trends shaping the workplace in 2025. See what leading companies are working on to enhance employee experience. - [Is this the best intranet ever? ](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/is-this-the-best-intranet-ever/): What makes a great intranet? Is it good navigation? Stunning design? The award winning intranet from the department of labour has it all. - [New Banking Industry Success Guide: How Banks and Credit Unions Are Winning with ThoughtFarmer](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/banking-intranet-success-guide/): Learn from seven leading financial institutions that have transformed their operations with ThoughtFarmer's award-winning intranet solutions - [7 creative April Fools' Day jokes for remote workplaces [2025]](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/april-fools-day-jokes-for-remote-workplaces/): If you are looking for virtual April Fool's pranks for your workplace, consider trying out one of these ideas. - [How to appreciate your employees on Valentine’s Day](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-remotely-appreciate-your-employees-on-valentines-day/): All employees—whether desk based or in-office—deserve recognition. Here's how to ensure they feel seen and appreciated for their hard work. - [Lack of communication in the workplace? Here’s 8 ways to fix it. ](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/lack-of-communication-in-the-workplace-heres-8-ways-to-fix-it/): Lack of communication is defined as a lack of trust among colleagues, managers, and administration; information and knowledge is not shared. - [The ideal intranet: 13-point checklist](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/the-perfect-intranet-13-point-checklist/): Finding the perfect intranet is hard. Shiny features, persuasive sales calls, and the pressure of finding a solution that fits your budget. - [Introducing the ThoughtFarmer LookBook: A visual guide to stunning intranet examples](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/inspiring-intranet-examples-with-thoughtfarmers-theming-lookbook/): Finding creative intranet examples to guide your design can be challenging. That’s why we created the ThoughtFarmer Theming Lookbook. - [Overcoming the “so what” of intranet analytics](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/overcoming-the-so-what-of-intranet-analytics/): Having trouble understanding the value of intranet analytics? Here’s a breakdown of what to measure on your intranet, what it means, and why you should care. - [How to celebrate Lunar New Year in your workplace](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-celebrate-lunar-new-year-in-your-workplace/): To help celebrate the Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year, we’ve put together a few ways to recognize this special holiday in your workplace. - [A complete glossary of internal communications and intranet lingo](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/a-complete-glossary-of-internal-communications-and-intranet-lingo/): Trouble keeping up with evolving communications lingo in the workplace? Our glossary makes it easy to understand every related internal comms term and acronym. - [Award-winning intranets: 11 intranet examples for impact, innovation, and design](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/award-winning-intranets-11-intranet-examples-for-impact-innovation-and-design/): Looking for intranet examples? A well-designed intranet can have a positive impact. We’re excited to share these intranet examples with you. - [10 new year’s resolutions for your intranet](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/10-new-years-resolutions-for-your-intranet/): With a new year upon us, it’s time to take that momentum and set some resolutions for your intranet. Intranet resolutions... - [Is the Hybrid Workplace the Future of Work?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/hybrid-workplace/): Explore the hybrid workplace: balancing productivity, reduced stress, and flexibility for the future of work. - [ThoughtFarmer’s 2024 Rewind: Innovation, laughter, and success](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/thoughtfarmers-2024-rewind-innovation-laughter-and-success/): From launching exciting new products to celebrating heartwarming customer success stories, this year has been an adventure. - [Do you have a workplace silo problem? 5 ways an intranet can help](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/do-you-have-a-workplace-silo-problem-5-ways-an-intranet-can-help/): Workplace silos can block communication & collaboration. An intranet centralizes info, encourages teamwork, & creates unified culture . - [What is internal communications? We analyzed 40 definitions to find out. ](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-internal-communications-we-analyzed-40-definitions-to-find-out/): If you have ever searched the term “internal communications”, you are likely already aware of the dozens of definitions that exist. - [What is the Digital Employee Experience?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-the-digital-employee-experience/): The Digital Employee Experience focuses on how staff work, tools they use, & the culture they exist within. - [Knowledge management: What is it? And can an intranet help?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/knowledge-management-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters/): Knowledge management tools like an intranet can help employees create, learn, share, and leverage intelligence together. - [10 intranet content ideas when you aren’t feeling creative](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/10-intranet-content-ideas-when-you-arent-feeling-creative/): These 10 content ideas provide timely, engaging content that resonates with your team, keeps them informed, and even boosts morale. - [Why law firms are rapidly adopting intranets](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/why-law-firms-are-rapidly-adopting-intranets/): A law firm intranet is a great way to manage knowledge because it enables quick access to large quantities of information. - [7 ways to add holiday spirit to your intranet](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/7-ways-to-add-holiday-spirit-to-your-intranet/): Whether or not you choose to remember the evening, sharing pictures from your holiday work party on your intranet is a great way to engage employees. - [14 best practices to transition your intranet project to an intranet program](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-transition-your-intranet-project-to-an-intranet-program/): The only way to make an intranet project into a long term success is to transition the project into an ongoing intranet program. - [It’s time to start managing intranet forms from your phone](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/why-its-time-to-start-managing-intranet-forms-from-your-phone/): It was important for us to ensure complete form functionality was available on our new mobile app. Now, your intranet forms can be... - [10 ways an intranet can combat email overload](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/9-ways-your-new-intranet-will-ease-your-email-pain/): Suffering from email overload? If any of these scenarios sound a little familiar, it might be time to try an intranet. - [Why a mobile intranet app is essential for today’s workforce](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-improve-the-digital-employee-experience-for-deskless-employees-and-frontline-workers/): Discover how a mobile intranet app empowers deskless workers, enhances communication, and boosts engagement, making it easy to stay connected - [Do you have an intranet or a Frankennet?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/do-you-have-an-intranet-or-a-frankennet/): Why using Microsoft 365, Teams, and email instead of an intranet falls short, and how a real intranet boosts internal comms and engagement. - [What is a Digital Workplace?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-a-digital-workplace/): Discover what a digital workplace is and its benefits. Learn more about creating an efficient digital work environment. - [Handling political tensions in the workplace: promoting respect and reducing conflict](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/workplace-communication-maintaining-civility-during-contentious-times/): Psychological safety in the workplace is nothing new, but the polarizing and divisiveness is causing emotional outbursts and strong opinions. - [How to measure and improve employee satisfaction: best metrics and expert tips](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-measure-employee-satisfaction-best-metrics-and-expert-tips/): Retaining employees requires effort. Here are some metrics for measuring employee satisfaction and expert tips for improving it. - [How to determine if an intranet is easy to use](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-determine-if-an-intranet-is-easy-to-use/): We’ve outlined how to determine if an intranet is easy to use, the benefits, and why we prioritize ease-of-use at ThoughtFarmer. - [The 10 best intranet software platforms & solutions for 2025](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/the-10-best-intranet-software-platforms-solutions-for-2024/): Looking for the best intranet software? We’ve simplified the process for you by narrowing down the top 10 intranet solutions in 2025. - [6 business challenges solved by our mobile intranet app](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-business-challenges-our-mobile-app-will-solve/): The ThoughtFarmer mobile intranet app kicks it up a notch with a mobile-friendly experience that is native to the iOS & Android platforms. - [Introducing mobile homepages: Optimizing your intranet for mobile devices](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-mobile-homepages-optimizing-your-intranet-for-mobile-devices/): With more employees accessing intranets from their smartphones, it’s important to provide an intranet homepage that is optimized specifically for mobile use. - [Introducing Shared Cards: Faster content syndication with fewer errors](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-shared-cards-faster-content-syndication-with-fewer-errors/): With Shared Cards, you can create a piece of content once and use it wherever needed on your intranet which improves intranet management. - [7 ways your intranet can ensure secure internal communication](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-ways-your-intranet-can-ensure-secure-internal-communication/): Secure internal communication ensures that this information remains confidential and is only accessible to authorized people. - [ThoughtFarmer Named One of the Best Workplaces™ in Canada 2025](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/thoughtfarmer-named-one-of-the-best-workplaces-in-canada/): ThoughtFarmer is proud to announce that the company has been recognized on the 2025 Best Workplaces™ in Canada List. - [Best practices in designing and planning bank and credit union intranets](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/planning-financial-intranet-projects/): Here are some intranet best practices we recommend when planning an intranet for a bank, credit union, or financial services company - [What makes good collaboration? 10 real-world tips](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/good-collaboration-10-tips/): We often lose sight that good collaboration ultimately depends on people, not technology.Here are ten real-world collaboration tips: - [What collaboration really means](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-collaboration-really-means/): Confused about all the different types of collaboration software? Collaboration is a deeply human activity, and no tool on its own can fix it - [What is an intranet? The definitive explanation](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-definitive-explanation/): A company intranet is a private website used by an organization to help streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, & centralize information. - [Best practices for your internal communications software](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-best-practices-that-improve-internal-communication/): Unlike some software, you don’t reap the benefits of an intranet instantaneously. To get the most of your internal communication software... - [Intranet software for a small business: is your organization big enough to need an intranet?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/is-your-organization-big-enough-to-need-an-intranet/): Small companies need intranets too. But how small is too small? And will you know when it is time for intranet software for a small business? - [Security permissions: What they are and why you need them](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/security-permissions-what-they-are-and-why-you-need-them/): If you are seeking a new intranet solution you may have heard the term security permissions. Here’s what you need to know: - [4 Ways to transform your intranet into an olympic playground](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/4-ways-to-transform-your-intranet-into-an-olympic-playground/): Have you caught olympic fever? Here’s how you can use your intranet to host your own intranet games, enhancing team dynamics along the way. - [G2 Summer badges highlight our customer focus](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/g2-summer-badges-highlight-our-customer-focus/): We brought home 11 G2 badges this summer in various employee intranet categories, and here’s what it means - [Introducing the Content Review Tool: Keep your intranet content accurate and up-to-date](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-the-content-review-tool-keep-your-intranet-content-accurate-and-up-to-date/): Content is the backbone to any intranet, but keeping it current can be a real drag. That’s why we are excited to announce the release of our new Content Review Tool to help you manage outdated and inaccurate content on your intranet more effectively. - [2024 Best Intranet Award Winners](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/2024-best-intranet-award-winners/): See who won a ThoughtFarmer Best Intranet Award and get inspired by the most innovative, impactful, and beautiful intranets of 2024. - [Introducing Content Blocks: Streamline your intranet content creation](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-content-blocks-streamline-your-intranet-content-creation/): Content Blocks enables admins to pre-create blocks reusable content to save you time, reduce errors, and improve the content creation. - [Intranet Project Planning 101: Part One – Determining deliverables & using an intranet project checklist](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/project-planning-101-part-one-checklist/): Find out how to break your intranet project down into easy, digestible steps. Free sample checklist included! - [The best intranet examples](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-award-winning-thoughtfarmer-intranets/): We compiled some of the best award-winning ThoughtFarmer intranets into a white paper. These 6 intranet examples will inspire your project. - [The effects of poor communication in business (and 8 tips to fix it)](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/poor-communication-in-the-workplace/): Learn the causes and effects of poor communication in the workplace and the tips to turn a lack of communication in business into effective communication. - [Introducing AI Create and AI Enhance: Transforming intranet content creation](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-ai-create-and-ai-enhance-transforming-intranet-content-creation/): ThoughtFarmer's AI Create and AI Enhance will revolutionize the way you work by simplifying intranet content ideation, creation, and editing, ensuring consistency across all communications for a more productive workplace. - [Knowledge bases vs. knowledge sharing platforms: What's the difference?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/understanding-knowledge-bases-vs-knowledge-sharing-platforms/): Discover the differences between knowledge bases and knowledge sharing platforms and how they drive organizational success. Explore their key features, use cases, and benefits to optimize knowledge management in your business. Choose the right solution with insights from this comprehensive guide. - [Accessibility: What it is and why it’s a priority at ThoughtFarmer](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/accessibility-what-it-is-and-why-its-a-priority-at-thoughtfarmer/): Intranet accessibility ensures the functionality and content of your intranet is accessible regardless of physical barriers. - [5 tips to effectively communicate with Gen Z employees](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/effectively-communicate-with-gen-z/): Gen Z’s unique way of communicating and collaborating is changing the way we interact in the workplace. - [AI, innovation, and ThoughtFarmer: The future of work](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/ai-innovation-and-thoughtfarmer-the-future-of-work/): Discover how AI is revolutionizing intranets. ThoughtFarmer combines design, technology, and ethical practices to enhance human capability and customer experience. - [Introducing Multiple Homepages: For a more personalized intranet experience](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-multiple-homepages-for-a-more-personalized-intranet-experience/): At ThoughtFarmer, we understand the need for a more personalized and efficient intranet experience. - [ThoughtFarmer awarded High Performer, Best Support, Easiest to Use in G2’s Spring Awards](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/thoughtfarmer-g2-spring-awards-2024/): G2 badges are a testament to our product and the level of service we provide. Learn why our customers love us. - [How to improve internal communication in 2025](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-improve-internal-communication/): Master the art of effective communication in 2025 and explore how you can create a culture of effective collaboration and engagement within your workplace. - [5 ways to encourage knowledge sharing in the workplace](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/knowledge-sharing/): Knowledge sharing is the exchange of ideas and insights between individuals or groups to enhance learning, collaboration and innovation. - [The ultimate guide to corporate wiki](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/corporate-wiki/): Discover how corporate wikis can enhance knowledge management and collaboration. Explore key features, best practices, and implementation strategies. - [9 ways to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/ways-to-celebrate-employee-appreciation/): Fun and simple ideas to recognize your employees for all that they do. Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day and make your team feel valued. - [Introducing Collaborative Drafts: Revolutionizing content creation together](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-collaborative-drafts-revolutionizing-content-creation-together/): We've rolled out Collaborative Drafts to make it easier for teams to create and edit content together, and streamline the editing process. - [5 ways to prepare your workplace for an emergency](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/5-ways-to-prepare-your-workplace-for-an-emergency/): Proactive planning and the right communication platform minimizes damages when an unfortunate circumstance derails your business. - [Top 10 Intranet Trends for 2024](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/top-10-intranet-trends-for-2024/): Here’s our list of the top intranet trends in 2024 to inspire you with ideas to create a more engaging employee experience. - [Introducing the Enhanced Editor: Elevating the content creation experience](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-the-enhanced-editor-elevating-the-content-creation-experience/): We’re excited to announce the launch of our Enhanced Editor. - [How to create a culture of transparency in the workplace](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-create-a-culture-of-transparency-in-the-workplace/): Promoting transparency in the workplace is essential for building trust within your company. Learn how your intranet can play a critical role. - [Build deeper connections for more engaged employees](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/build-deeper-connections-for-more-engaged-employees/): ThoughtFarmer will help to improve your workplace communication and culture, with enhanced profile pages, and our hobbies and interests card. - [Top 25 ideas to create the best company intranet](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/top-25-intranet-ideas-for-the-best-company-intranet/): Good intranet software makes easy for people to share news and collaborate. Here are some of the best ideas for a successful intranet. - [25 creative intranet launch ideas and examples](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/25-creative-intranet-launch-ideas/): To ensure the success of your intranet you need a dedicated and creative launch campaign. Here's 25 ideas to propel your intranet. - [Why every intranet needs a pet gallery [adorable photos included]](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/why-every-intranet-needs-a-pet-gallery-adorable-photos-included/): An intranet pet gallery is a fun and engaging way to connect with colleagues and create a sense of community within the workplace. - [[VIDEO] Leading and Laughing In Turbulent Times](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/webinar-leading-and-laughing-in-turbulent-times/): Watch our video featuring ‘humor in the workplace’ expert Michael Kerr who will chat how to maintain a more positive outlook. - [Intranet scalability: What to look for when choosing intranet software for your business](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-scalability-choosing-the-best-intranet-software-for-your-business/): In this blog post, we will explore the importance of a scalable intranet and how organizations can ensure their intranet will grow with them. - [Want immediate intranet engagement? Try an intranet poll.](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/want-immediate-intranet-engagement-try-an-intranet-poll/): If you're struggling to get employees to engage on your intranet consider implementing intranet polls to encourage participation. - [How to encourage intranet content creation across your organization](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-encourage-intranet-content-creation/): Intranet content creation is no longer just IT's responsibility. Modern intranet software makes it easy for everyone to play a role. - [30 Intranet content ideas (and one cute puppy)](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/30-intranet-content-ideas-and-one-cute-puppy/): Here are 30 intranet content ideas that will help you grab employees’ attention and keep them coming back to your intranet for more. - [How engineering firms are benefiting from intranet software](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/engineering-firms-use-cases-intranet-software/): Learn about intranet use cases and how engineering firms are increasing productivity, streamlining communication, and fostering innovation. - [10 reasons (and solutions!) for poor intranet adoption](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/10-reasons-and-solutions-for-poor-intranet-adoption/): Suffering from poor intranet adoption? It's about how you design, promote, and maintain it that makes all the difference. - [6 ways to support employees during a financial crisis](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-ways-to-support-employees-during-a-financial-crisis/): By using an intranet, companies can better navigate through the challenges posed by a financial crisis and emerge stronger on the other side. - [Intranet use cases: Real-life scenarios for every employee](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-use-cases-real-life-scenarios-for-every-employee/): Intranet software can benefit many different employee roles. Which one of these use cases could most further your organization? - [Using AI to create intranet content](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/using-ai-to-create-intranet-content/): AI is rapidly becoming the new shortcut to creating content. So how can you use it to help create intranet content? - [Introducing Administrator Roles: Enhanced security and control ](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-administrator-roles-enhanced-security-and-control/): Administrator Roles allows you to assign different permissions to IT administrators, HR managers, content editors, and more. - [Workbook: Intranet Buyers Guide](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-buyers-guide/): Looking for a guide to help you choose the best intranet? Look no further than the updated Intranet Buyers' Guide. - [You’ve decided you need an intranet. So what next? ](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/youve-decided-you-need-an-intranet-so-what-next/): No one actually enjoys the process of intranet software selection. But there is no mistaking that it does involve effort. - [Content sprawl: What it is and how to keep it from cluttering your intranet](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/content-sprawl/): No one intends for their intranet content to get out of control, but it can easily happen. Here's how to address content sprawl. - [Case Study: Corus Orthodontists launches intranet to manage rapid growth](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/case-study-corus-orthodontists-launches-intranet-to-manage-rapid-growth/): Learn how Corus deployed an intranet that resulted in high adoption, reinforced core values, and a centralized location for trusted news. - [Can AI help with internal communication?](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/can-ai-help-with-internal-communication/): AI tools like ChatGPT have exploded in popularity, leaving many content creators wondering: Will AI tools replace the need for human content? - [How to structure a law firm intranet](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-structure-a-law-firm-intranet/): One type of project that we have a lot of experience with is building law firm intranets. Here's how so structure your law firm intranet. - [“Can I speak to a manager?” How an internal knowledge base can reduce customer service friction](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/can-i-speak-to-a-manager-how-an-internal-knowledge-base-can-reduce-customer-service-friction/): How an intranet can help employees find information, collaborate with others, and locate subject matter experts. - [[VIDEO] How to organize your intranet content to enhance productivity](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/webinar-how-to-organize-intranet-content/): Together, with the team from Optimal Workshop, we share the secrets to achieving a superior intranet Information Architecture. - [Neurodiversity in the workplace. What it is, and how to nurture it. ](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace-what-it-is-and-how-to-nurture-it/): What is neurodiversity and how to best support your employees with conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia - [How to create an intranet RFP [Free Template Included]](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-create-an-intranet-rfp-free-template-included/): Our RFP template makes it easy for you to compare vendors and find the right intranet platform for your company. - [7 tips for building an onboarding hub on your intranet](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/7-tips-for-building-an-onboarding-hub-on-your-intranet/): Starting a new job can be overwhelming for both the employer and the employee. Here's some tips on how to improve the onboarding experience: - [What intranet content strategies work? We analyzed 16,000 intranet posts and this is what we learned](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-intranet-content-strategies-work-we-analyzed-16000-intranet-posts-and-this-is-what-we-learned/): What intranet content strategies work? And what are other organizations doing to achieve and sustain intranet adoption? - [6 ways to use your intranet to celebrate Halloween](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-ways-to-use-your-intranet-to-celebrate-halloween-in-the-workplace/): With Halloween quickly approaching, here are some excellent ways to celebrate and share in all the festivities of the season. --- ## Success Stories - [Coast Central Credit Union](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/coast-central-credit-union/): How ThoughtFarmer helped Coast Central Credit Union improve internal communication, employee engagement, and information accessibility. - [Genus](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/genus/): Understanding the value of a purpose-built intranet solution can be challenging—especially when you have an existing SharePoint solution. - [DUCA](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/duca-financial-services-credit-union/): How moving from SharePoint to a ThoughtFarmer intranet breathed new life into a leading credit union’s communications and culture - [Vancouver International Airport](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/vancouver-international-airport/): Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - [PrideStaff](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/pridestaff/): Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - [Rick Engineering](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/rick-engineering/): Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - [Thurber Engineering Ltd.](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/thurber-engineering-ltd/): Thurber Engineering's new intranet helped them centralize knowledge, increase employee engagement, and streamline communication. - [Corus Orthodontists: An intranet to smile about](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/corus-orthodontists-an-intranet-to-smile-about/): Learn how we helped Corus scale their growth by improving internal communication and helping them create an exceptional workplace culture. - [JD Bank](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/jd-bank/): How JD Bank's intranet created a central source of truth, allowing easy access to all information in one location. - [RFTA](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/rfta/): Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - [Arkansas Urology](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/arkansas-urology/): With the help of ThoughtFarmer’s Professional Services, Ian was able to quickly launch their new intranet without any hurdles. - [Marigold](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/marigold/): Intranet case study on how a marketing technology company used an intranet to unite their employees around the world. - [Lenczner Slaght](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/lenczner-slaght/): Legal firm Lenczner Slaght launched a new intranet to share and manage important knowledge, serving their needs today and into the future. - [Hachette Book Group](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/hachette-book-group/): Hachette’s intranet allowed the publishing company to create and share information, and maintain a strong sense of community. - [PCI: Inside the best place to work](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/pci-inside-the-best-place-to-work/): Have you ever wondered what makes a workplace exceptional? Or what it takes to win a top employer award? PCI's case study... - [Coast Mental Health](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/coast-mental-health/): The majority of employees at CMH are deskless and remote. Many employees are also part-time, or casual workers, this means... - [VHA Home HealthCare](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/vha-home-healthcare/): As workplaces transitioned to remote work environments, the challenge of connecting and informing dispersed employees has increased. - [Vancouver Police Department](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/vancouver-police-department/): Here’s how a high-tech crime unit leveraged their intranet as a comprehensive knowledge management platform. - [MedData](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/meddata/): Find out how healthcare technology company MedData used gamification on their intranet to boost intranet engagement. - [Capital Region BOCES](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/capital-region-boces/): How deploying ThoughtFarmer intranet, a SharePoint alternative, drove a tremendous increase in connection among employees. - [Destination Canada](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/destination-canada/): Read how Destination Canada created an intranet that empowered employees to share information and celebrate their success. - [Central 1](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/central-1/): Learn how Central 1 switched from SharePoint and used their social intranet to foster a new corporate culture of Service Excellence. - [ACCA](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/acca/): Learn how ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) used their intranet to bring everyone together. - [KWL](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/kwl/): KWL is an engineering firm in British Columbia specializing in water infrastructure solutions. See how they use their ThoughtFarmer intranet. - [GCT](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/gct/): Global Container Terminals moves over 2 million containers a year. Its employees stay connected and informed with ThoughtFarmer intranet software. - [Cannondale](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/cannondale/): For Cannondale, an international apparel company with 10 brands, ThoughtFarmer has narrowed the gaps between people and helped create a stronger team. - [Ozinga](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/ozinga/): Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - [Assiniboine Credit Union](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/acu/): The intranet is now at the heart of ACU with 93% of employees logging on to Mosaic at least once a day. 73% percent use the intranet every hour. Learn how! - [Farm Bureau Bank](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/farm-bureau-bank/): Employees took responsibility at FBB and helped create a social media intranet that defines the organizational culture. View the case study - [USGS](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/usgs/): See why USGS uses ThoughtFarmer’s social intranet wiki software as the go-to resource for USGS Nevada Water Sciences. - [Continuum](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/continuum/): Learn how Continuum used ThoughtFarmer intranet software to drive innovation and connect five global offices, spanning three continents. - [Penn State](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/penn-state/): Penn State completed an award-winning, enterprise intranet launch, in just 7 weeks. Learn how they did it. --- ## Job Postings --- ## Landing Pages --- ## Resources - [Secrets to a great intranet: 7 banks and credit unions that got it right](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/secrets-to-a-great-intranet-7-banks-and-credit-unions-that-got-it-right/): See how a bank intranet can revolutionize internal communication and collaboration, and improve efficiency with a centralized platform. - [Corporate culture audit](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/corporate-culture-audit/): Learn what it takes to cultivate a positive corporate culture and why it's important. Whether you’re an HR professional, a... - [G2 Employee Intranet Software guide](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/g2-employee-intranet-software-guide/): Every quarter, G2 evaluates the leading employee intranet software vendors. This report summarizes the findings from G2’s evaluations, and looks... - [Product Update, June 2023](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/thoughtfarmer-product-update-june-2023/): Our latest update includes a new content review tool that was designed to help content owners and reviewers ensure the... - [Intranet RFP template](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/36587/): Have you been tasked with creating an RFP for a new intranet? Our helpful guide will walk you through what... - [Understanding SharePoint's hidden costs and considering other intranet alternatives](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/sharepoint-alternative/): What to consider when using SharePoint for your intranet, and how it compares to other intranet alternatives - [Fraud in the Workplace](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/fraud-in-the-workplace/): Did you know that 75% of employees have stolen from their company at least once? From data theft to inflated... - [Award-winning intranets](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/32154/): What makes an intranet so incredible that employees keep going back to it every single day? These inspiring intranets examples... - [ThoughtFarmer Mobile App](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/thoughtfarmer-mobile-app/): Join our Product and CS team they take a deep dive into our new mobile app! The app brings the... - [Leading and laughing in turbulent times](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/leading-and-laughing-in-turbulent-times/): ‘Humor in the workplace’ expert Mike Kerr, chats about how a little humor can go a long way in improving... - [Building an Intranet Business Case](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/building-an-intranet-business-case-2/): Join us as we walk you through the key steps involved in crafting a winning business case to get your... - [Actionable steps to a diverse and inclusive workplace](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/actionable-steps-to-a-diverse-and-inclusive-workplace/): Diversity and inclusion is rapidly becoming a high priority in workplaces around the world, yet many of us are still... - [Optimizing Internal Communications](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/optimizing-internal-communications/): What we learned from analyzing 80 high-performing intranets. To get the most out of your intranet you need access to... - [Webinar: Ten Steps for a Successful Intranet Launch](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/webinar-ten-steps-for-a-successful-intranet-launch/): Securing an intranet is a victory in itself, but it’s really only half the battle. Join us for a 30... - [Intranet Use Cases](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/intranet-use-cases-2/): Understanding your potential intranets users, and what motivates them. - [ThoughtFarmer Intranet Analytics](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/thoughtfarmer-intranet-analytics/): How is your intranet performing? If you don’t know the answer, this webinar will show you how to measure your... - [How to organize your intranet content to enhance productivity](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/how-to-organize-your-intranet-content-to-enhance-productivity/): For your intranet to succeed, content must be well organized, well structured, and intuitively labeled. In other words, your intranet... - [ThoughtFarmer FormFlow](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/thoughtfarmer-formflow/): FormFlow is an add-on for ThoughtFarmer that helps streamline your processes, boost your efficiency, and allow you to accomplish more,... - [Building an intranet business case](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/building-an-intranet-business-case/): From the early stages to the final presentation, this free guide will walk you through every step necessary to give... - [Intranet use cases](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/intranet-use-cases/): Use cases can help convey the benefits to a particular user, allowing you to explain how an intranet can specifically benefit them. - [Building an Intranet Navigation](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/intranet-information-architecture/): From performing a content audit to building a sitemap, to validating, verifying, and maintaining your hard work, this white paper... - [Intranet Buyers Guide](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/intranet-buyers-guide/): This free workbook guides you through 10 key steps of understanding business goals, choosing the right team, defining requirements, and... - [Ten steps for a successful intranet launch](https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/resources/ten-steps-for-a-successful-intranet-launch/): To ensure all your intranet goals are met, you will need a dedicated strategy for success, that continues long after... --- # # Detailed Content ## Pages > Schedule A: TERMS OF SERVICE PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY AS THEY GOVERN YOUR USE OF THOUGHTFARMER CLOUD EDITION (“THOUGHTFARMER”). THESE TERMS - Published: 2012-04-19 - Modified: 2023-10-03 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/cloudterms-legacy/ Schedule A: TERMS OF SERVICE PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY AS THEY GOVERN YOUR USE OF THOUGHTFARMER CLOUD EDITION (“THOUGHTFARMER”). THESE TERMS EXEMPT OPENROAD COMMUNICATIONS LTD. ("OPENROAD") AND OTHER PERSONS FROM LIABILITY AND ALSO LIMITS THEIR LIABILITY, AND CONTAINS OTHER IMPORTANT PROVISIONS THAT YOU SHOULD READ. YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS. By using ThoughtFarmer, you acknowledge that these Terms are an agreement between OpenRoad and you and all persons you represent (and for purposes of these Terms, "person" includes natural persons and any type of incorporated or unincorporated entity) regarding your access to and use of ThoughtFarmer. Each time you use ThoughtFarmer you signify your acceptance and agreement to the current version of these Terms. If you do not agree with each provision of these Terms, do not use ThoughtFarmer. OpenRoad provides ThoughtFarmer to you (“Subscriber”) upon the terms and conditions set out below. By using ThoughtFarmer, Subscriber agrees to abide by the terms of this Terms of Service (“Terms of Service”). 1. Services and Payment. Consistent with Exhibit A, OpenRoad hereby agrees to provide ThoughtFarmer and Subscriber agrees to pay the Subscription Fee (the “Fee”). In addition, ThoughtFarmer will provide Technical Support Services (“Support”) as described in Exhibit A. 2. Modifications. OpenRoad may from time to time modify or enhance ThoughtFarmer. OpenRoad will endeavour to give Subscriber notice of this. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any modifications or enhancements to ThoughtFarmer are subject to these Terms. OpenRoad reserves the right to interrupt access to ThoughtFarmer from time to time for... --- --- ## Posts > See how MTE used their intranet to celebrate 40 years, unite teams, and boost engagement with a fun, decade-themed anniversary campaign. - Published: 2025-06-10 - Modified: 2025-06-10 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-mte-used-their-intranet-to-celebrate-40-years-of-culture/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement How do you honor four decades of company history, unite employees across newly acquired firms, and celebrate a founder’s legacy all at once? For MTE, the answer was simple: turn the intranet into a party. Happy (almost) birthday, MTE! As the engineering firm is set to mark its 40th anniversary this year, MTE brought the celebration to life through its intranet, Bruce—named in honor of their late founder. But this wasn’t just a commemorative banner and a message from leadership. It was an all-out, months long, decade-themed experience, complete with throwback content, gamified team challenges, and lots of retro flair. Throwing it back, one month at a time MTE’s internal celebration spans their 4o years, from the 1980s to the 2020s, spotlighting a different decade each month. Every page within “Bruce” transforms with custom artwork and visual themes like the pixelated blues and bubble fonts we loved so much in the 90s, creating a vivid experience that’s as fun as it is meaningful. I don’t know about you, but I have all of the Saved by the Bell feels right now. Staff can earn points for their team by: Completing themed surveys Uploading photos from the past (bonus points for perms and power suits) Sharing favorite projects and stories Each month culminates in a leaderboard update, building excitement and driving friendly competition across teams. A culture built on legacy and looking ahead This campaign isn’t just about the past. It comes at a pivotal moment in MTE’s history. The company has recently acquired several other engineering firms, adding fresh faces and locations to its growing team. The anniversary celebration has helped integrate those new employees into MTE’s culture, building a bridge between the old and... --- > Employee portals are centralized hubs where employees can access important information, collaborate on projects, and engage with colleagues. - Published: 2025-05-13 - Modified: 2025-05-13 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-an-employee-portal/ - Categories: Intranet Management Employee portals serve as centralized hubs where employees can access important information, collaborate on projects, and engage with colleagues across the organization. Employee portals: features, benefits and best practices If you’re new to internal communication tools or intranet software, you’ve probably come across the term employee portal. Maybe you thought, "Wait—isn’t that just an intranet? " Kind of. But also... not quite. Let’s dig into what an employee portal is, how it works, and why it might just be the unsung hero of your digital workplace. So, what is an employee portal? Here’s a simple definition we like (shoutout to PeopleSpheres for the wording) “Employee portals are HR portals or intranet portals that ensure private and secure communication and interactions in an online space. ” In other words, it’s a secure digital hub where employees can log in to find tools, resources, updates, and everything they need to navigate their workday. That includes HR documents, company news, forms, calendars, directories—you name it. Employee portal vs. intranet: What’s the difference? These terms get used interchangeably, but they serve slightly different purposes: Intranet: A broad internal platform designed for company-wide communication, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and project management. Employee portal: A more focused solution, often centered around HR and employee-specific tools like time-off requests, benefits info, and personal data management. Think of it like this: an employee portal is often one key piece of a modern intranet, customized for the employee experience. Top features of employee portals Every organization’s needs are different, but here are the features that show up again and again in great employee portals: Document managementA central spot to store and organize... --- > Designing standout landing pages on your intranet shouldn’t require expert skills or a whole team of designers. - Published: 2025-05-07 - Modified: 2025-05-07 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/build-better-intranet-pages-with-new-section-and-navigation-designs/ - Categories: Intranet Management Designing standout landing pages on your intranet shouldn’t require expert skills or a whole team of designers. For many organizations, creating clean, visually engaging sections or department pages sometimes means working with templates that limit their ability to create customized experience. . Enter ThoughtFarmer. Our new section and navigation card layouts that make building custom landing pages that are more modern and visually appealing than ever.   More choices, more control. With this release, admins and content creators can choose from six new navigation card templates, on top of the updates to existing favorites. Whether you need a compact directory-style menu or a bold, grid-based layout to highlight key pages, you’ve now got more tools to build the page you want. What’s new: 6 new navigation cards: Choose from multiple directory and grid-style options to suit your content strategy and visual preferences. Cleaner layout options: Hide the default left-hand navigation for distraction-free, full-width pages. Enhanced styling: Tweak columns, spacing, image padding, and more with flexible configuration settings. Visual appeal: Use icons as thumbnails or page markers to make navigation more intuitive and visually compelling. Why it matters Your intranet landing pages act like the front door to a department, initiative, or key resource area. They should make a good first impression. With ThoughtFarmer’s updated navigation cards, you can: Showcase content in a way that’ just right for you Align the look and feel of each page with your unique style  Create a more intuitive user experience without requiring help from IT or design teams Whether you're managing HR resources, centralizing IT documentation, or building a landing page... --- > Leading Intranet Provider Earns Multiple Distinctions with Outstanding Customer Satisfaction Scores Across Key Performance Categories - Published: 2025-04-21 - Modified: 2025-06-05 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/thoughtfarmer-named-high-performer-and-momentum-leader-in-g2-spring-2025-reports/ - Categories: Intranet Management Leading Intranet Provider Earns Multiple Distinctions with Outstanding Customer Satisfaction Scores Across Key Performance Categories ThoughtFarmer has achieved significant recognition in G2's Spring 2025 Reports, earning prestigious designations as a High Performer, Best Support provider, Momentum Leader, and Easiest To Do Business With in the Employee Intranet category. These latest honors bring ThoughtFarmer's total G2 accolades to over 150, underscoring the company's sustained leadership and innovation in intranet solutions. G2 stands as the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace, with more than 100 million professionals annually leveraging its authentic peer reviews to make informed software decisions. Multiple Category Excellence ThoughtFarmer's Spring 2025 recognitions span several critical categories: High Performer Best Support Momentum Leader Easiest To Do Business With The company earned exceptional satisfaction ratings that significantly outpace industry averages: 96% for Quality of Support 95% for Performance and Reliability 96% for Ease of Doing Business With "These G2 recognitions reflect our unwavering commitment to excellence in both product development and customer service," said Darren Gibbons, President at ThoughtFarmer. "We're particularly proud that these awards come directly from verified customer feedback, validating our focus on building intuitive, reliable intranet solutions that truly transform workplace communication and collaboration. " Industry Expertise and Impact While serving clients across diverse sectors, ThoughtFarmer has developed specialized expertise within banking, finance, and engineering organizations. The company's intranet platform addresses the unique regulatory, security, and knowledge management challenges these industries face. ThoughtFarmer's continued recognition reinforces its mission to make work better by enhancing workplace experiences through improved employee collaboration, communication, and engagement. Experience ThoughtFarmer To learn more about ThoughtFarmer's award-winning intranet... --- > How to design intranet navigation that's intuitive, user-friendly, and aligned with the needs of employees. - Published: 2025-02-20 - Modified: 2025-05-13 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-navigation/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: card sorting, intranet navigation, task testing, IA, user experience Effective internal communication is the backbone of a connected, engaged, and high-performing workforce. In this definitive guide, we break down what internal communication really means, how it has evolved over time, and why it’s more critical than ever in today’s hybrid work environment. With real-world examples, expert insights, and actionable strategies, you’ll learn how to align your teams, boost employee engagement, and build a thriving workplace culture. Have you ever found yourself lost browsing around your company's intranet trying to find specific information or files? It's a common problem. 47% of employees find it difficult to use their intranet. Navigating an intranet that feels like a maze can seriously hinder employees’ productivity, engagement, and collaboration within the company. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be the case. When you streamline the way information is organized and accessed within your intranet, your employees are more likely to stay engaged with company resources, contribute to discussions, and collaborate effectively with their colleagues. In this article, we cover everything you need to know about intranet navigation: What is intranet navigation Understanding employee needs and behaviors The 6 steps to creating effective intranet navigation 8 best practices for effective intranet navigation What is intranet navigation? Intranet navigation refers to the system or structure within an organization's intranet that allows users to move between different sections, pages, and resources. Intranet navigation doesn’t solely consist of top-level navigation or menus. It also encompasses other elements, such as utility navigation, in-page navigation, and search functionality Effective intranet navigation plays a crucial role in allowing users hassle-free access to pages, tools, and apps which helps to enhance employee productivity, engagement, and collaboration. Understanding employee needs and behaviors Designing an intranet navigation system isn't just about organizing information—it's about creating an experience that meets the needs and preferences of the people who will be using it day in and day out. Imagine you’re the head chef of... --- > Here's our list of top 8 intranet trends shaping the workplace in 2025. See what leading companies are working on to enhance employee experience. - Published: 2025-02-19 - Modified: 2025-02-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/top-intranet-trends/ - Categories: Intranet Management Here’s our list of the top intranet trends in 2025 to inspire you with ideas to create a more engaging employee experience. Top 7 intranet trends shaping the digital workplace in 2025 Intranets have evolved far beyond their origins as simple document repositories. Today's digital workplaces are dynamic hubs that connect employees, streamline work, and drive engagement. Let's explore the key trends that are transforming how we work and collaborate. 1. Intelligent digital assistants The integration of AI is revolutionizing how employees interact with intranets. Smart assistants help workers quickly find information, automate routine tasks, and receive personalized recommendations. This technology makes the digital workplace more intuitive and efficient, saving valuable time and reducing frustration. 2. Personalized experiences Modern intranets now deliver tailored experiences based on an employee's role, location, and preferences. This personalization ensures that each worker sees the most relevant content and tools, significantly boosting engagement and productivity. ThoughtFarmer offers employee communication tools that facilitate targeted broadcasts, notifications, and group discussions. 3. Enhanced mobile experience Deskless workers make up 80% of the global workforce but are often underserved. Mobile accessibility is essential. Modern intranets need to prioritize mobile-first design with dedicated apps, offline access, and mobile-optimized features that keep employees connected wherever they work. ThoughtFarmer offers a full-featured mobile app to provide easy access for your teams out in the field or on the go. 4. Team-based collaboration spaces Digital micro-communities within intranets help teams streamline their work. These spaces combine document sharing, project management, and communication tools in one accessible location, making collaboration more efficient and organized. 5. Employee well-being focus Organizations are using intranets to support employee wellness through integrated... --- > What makes a great intranet? Is it good navigation? Stunning design? The award winning intranet from the department of labour has it all. - Published: 2025-02-12 - Modified: 2025-04-29 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/is-this-the-best-intranet-ever/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: best intranet, intranet use cases A great intranet isn’t just about looks—it needs smart navigation, strong structure, and solid performance. The New York State Department of Labor’s intranet nails all three. What makes a great intranet? Is it good navigation? Stunning design? A solid structure? Yes, yes, and yes. Over the years, we’ve seen countless intranets—some clever, some quirky, and some that blew us away. Case in point: DOLi, the impressive intranet from the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). It’s so well-crafted that even our Design Lead at ThoughtFarmer was drooling. But DOLi isn’t just beautiful—it’s built to perform. Let’s look at what they got right: A wide variety of use cases Like many of our customers, NYSDOL has figured out that a good intranet is more than just a bunch of great content. They are using their intranet for a wide variety of use cases. From employee onboarding, to knowledge sharing, to building connections. A well designed architecture Modern and intuitive, DOLi was designed with input from employees across the agency to create a well-structured architecture that makes work resources and information easy to find. Clear information architecture is key to a successful intranet, helping employees quickly locate what they need and work more efficiently. An employee recognition program The DOL Employee Recognition Program was relaunched through the help of DOLi. Employees are encouraged to nominate their colleagues for awards by completing a form through ThoughtFarmer’s FormFlow feature. A standing recognition hub remains including the photo shuffle feature that showcases all of 2023’s winners. Monthly celebrations The DOL recognizes monthly celebrations through the use of videos and posters throughout building locations. With the launch of DOLi, monthly celebration... --- > Learn from seven leading financial institutions that have transformed their operations with ThoughtFarmer's award-winning intranet solutions - Published: 2025-02-06 - Modified: 2025-02-06 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/banking-intranet-success-guide/ - Categories: Intranet Management Learn from seven leading financial institutions that have transformed their operations with ThoughtFarmer's award-winning intranet solutions ThoughtFarmer, the premier provider of intranet software tailored for the banking industry, has released its latest ebook "Secrets to a Great Intranet: 7 Banks and Credit Unions That Got It Right". This resource is packed with actionable insights and real-life success stories, illustrating how modern intranet platforms can significantly enhance internal communications and customer service in financial institutions. "Staying competitive in the financial sector means managing a unique set of communication and knowledge-sharing challenges," said Darren Gibbons, President. "Our latest ebook highlights our dedication to supporting banks and credit unions, showing how our intranet solutions can improve operations and strengthen employee engagement. " The ebook details how intranets like ThoughtFarmer not only improve communication but also ensure compliance, facilitate mergers, and maintain business continuity with robust, scalable features. Key Highlights: Case studies from institutions such as Coast Central Credit Union and JD Bank. Analysis of intranet features crucial for the banking environment, like digital workflow automation and centralized compliance information. Expert commentary on common use cases and how to use intranets to improve organizational efficiency. The guide also outlines essential intranet features for financial institutions, including comprehensive employee directories, digital forms and workflow automation, and compliance documentation management. Explore ThoughtFarmer's industry solutions for Banks and Credit Unions. Schedule a call with one of our intranet experts to learn more about how ThoughtFarmer can work for your organization. --- > If you are looking for virtual April Fool's pranks for your workplace, consider trying out one of these ideas. - Published: 2025-01-30 - Modified: 2025-03-18 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/april-fools-day-jokes-for-remote-workplaces/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement With many employees working in a remote or hybrid environment, physical pranks and jokes aren’t as easy as they used to be. But, that doesn’t mean you still can’t engage in some funny office pranks. It's that time of year again where it is acceptable to shrink wrap a colleague's desk, stuff your boss's desk full of balloons, or rearrange the keys on a coworker’s keyboard.   However if you work in a hybrid or remote workplace you will need to be a little more creative.   That doesn’t mean you still can’t have a little fun in the workplace—especially on April Fools' Day.   So if you are looking for virtual April Fools' pranks, or even funny office pranks, consider trying out one of these ideas:  Virtual April Fools' pranks for your hybrid or remote workplace 1. Rent a meeting llama By now, almost everyone has attended a virtual meeting where a dog or cat makes a cameo appearance. But what if you could have a llama attend your next meeting? A nonprofit animal sanctuary called Sweet Farm has made this a reality by allowing organizations to hire a llama in their Zoom meetings. 2. Change things up on Zoom or Google Meet Most meetings today occur virtually on video. By leveraging filters or uploading custom images you can switch up your background to something entertaining and humorous. Or if you wanted to really go all in, you could go beyond a static image and change your background to a video of you walking in on yourself, like this guy did. 3. Give yourself a new job title If you have ever wondered what it would be like to be CEO for the day,... --- > All employees—whether desk based or in-office—deserve recognition. Here's how to ensure they feel seen and appreciated for their hard work. - Published: 2025-01-28 - Modified: 2025-01-28 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-remotely-appreciate-your-employees-on-valentines-day/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement All employees—whether desk based or in-office—deserve recognition. Here's how to ensure they feel seen and appreciated for their hard work. Most of us associate Valentine’s day with chocolate and flowers to our significant others, but February 14th is also an excellent time to show appreciation and gratitude to your colleagues!   Research shows that engaged employees are more productive and less likely to seek out a new job. Of the employees that do leave, one study found that 50% of them would stay if they were tangibly recognized. Another study revealed that 40% of employees who “do not feel meaningfully recognized will not go above their formal responsibilities to get the job done. ” So don’t wait for an annual employee review to tell a colleague how amazing they are—use that time now!   Intranets are a great place to recognize and applaud the amazing achievements by your employees. Here are four ways to show employee recognition in your intranet:  Deliver some praise  Shout-outs are a great way of empowering employees to recognize each other for their outstanding contributions, and are easy to deliver within ThoughtFarmer. As a ‘virtual candygram’, a Shout-out could be given for anything from a successful sale, a great presentation, or even recognition for juggling work and homeschooling duties. The great thing about Shout-outs is that they can be configured so everyone in the organization sees them, or they can be sent to a specific group or group page.   Highlight a teammate With many of us now working remote it can be challenging to get to know your colleagues. It’s not like before when we... --- > Lack of communication is defined as a lack of trust among colleagues, managers, and administration; information and knowledge is not shared. - Published: 2025-01-28 - Modified: 2025-01-30 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/lack-of-communication-in-the-workplace-heres-8-ways-to-fix-it/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: internal communications, communication, mobile intranet, asynchronous communication Lack of internal communication isn’t always obvious. It often creeps up slowly without us even realizing it. Here are some not-so-obvious signs, and how to improve it in your workplace. Most employees wake up to a flurry of workplace messages. New emails, Slack messages, intranet notifications, and sometimes even text messages. That’s a lot of places to check. So, we must all be amazing at communication right? Er, not exactly. Despite all the collaboration tools and platforms at our disposal, we still haven’t mastered communication in the workplace. Why? Because as great as these tools are, they aren’t a magic bullet. Especially if we don’t understand the core challenges we are trying to address in the first place. Or, we mistakenly conclude that because we hold town halls, launch an intranet, send out newsletters, and host team-building events, that surely we must be doing everything right. But solid internal communication is much more complex than satisfying a list of comms best practices. It’s about quality, not quantity. It’s about choosing the right comms channels, sharing the right content to the right people at the right time, and creating real opportunities for feedback and idea sharing. But before we get into how to fix a lack of communication in the workplace, let’s first look at some of the most common signs. Signs of lack of communication Lack of communication is defined as a lack of trust among colleagues, managers, and top-level administration; information and knowledge is not shared and passed along as it should be. There are a lot of obvious signs of lack of communication, like: low email open-rates, weak adoption of the intranet, or scattered internal knowledge. However poor... --- > Finding the perfect intranet is hard. Shiny features, persuasive sales calls, and the pressure of finding a solution that fits your budget. - Published: 2025-01-27 - Modified: 2025-03-31 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/the-perfect-intranet-13-point-checklist/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: intranet, Intranets, intranet software, intranet content, perfect intranet An intranet is more than just features. It’s about employees feeling connected to each other, informed on company news, and empowered with the knowledge to do their job. Does your intranet match up to this list? A good intranet is critical to the success of your organization. Especially in a remote or hybrid workplace where employees now require a digital/virtual headquarters to access documents, people, and news. A perfect intranet can also play a large role in connecting employees to culture and a deeper purpose.   So whether you are acquiring an intranet for the first time, looking to improve your existing intranet, or just want to know if your current intranet is on par with award winning intranets, we invite you to review this checklist:  Ideal intranet features list 1. Personalized content A great intranet is sticky, and has a way of keeping employees coming back day after day. This requires not just new and frequent content, but content that is personalized to its users. Personalized content also removes the ‘noise’ of any content that is not relevant to employees. Be sure that your intranet platform includes feature that support tailored user experience. 2. Interactive forms for employees to take action and participate An intranet should be interactive and allow for feedback, surveys, and form creation. Things like hardware requirements or benefits enrolment can all be easily accommodated through your intranet. 3. Self-service features No one has time or patience for confusing navigation. Your intranet should make it easy for employees to find what they are looking for, so if there are links and content you know are popular, make sure you include that content up front, or in quick links. Determining which pages are... --- > Finding creative intranet examples to guide your design can be challenging. That’s why we created the ThoughtFarmer Theming Lookbook. - Published: 2025-01-22 - Modified: 2025-05-29 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/inspiring-intranet-examples-with-thoughtfarmers-theming-lookbook/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement Our greatest intranets weren’t created by designers; they were created by people like you. Our latest eBook helps you achieve all your design and branding goals. One of ThoughtFarmer's biggest strengths is its flexibility to reflect your organization’s unique brand and culture.   But finding creative intranet examples to guide your design can be challenging—especially when success depends on it. That’s why we created the ThoughtFarmer Lookbook.   This guide is filled with real-world intranet examples that showcase how thoughtful design and smart content layout improve user engagement and functionality. You’ll see how to create: Eye-catching homepages that grab attention and boost engagement Personalized dashboards that surface the most important content Easy-to-use navigation for finding information quickly Branding and design elements that reflect your organization’s personality Why intranet design matters A beautifully designed intranet does more than look good—it encourages employees to use it. Good design: Simplifies information access, reducing search time Reinforces your brand and culture, making it feel like a part of your organization Highlights important updates, keeping employees informed Drives engagement, ensuring users return regularly Who should use the Lookbook? Whether you're building a new intranet or redesigning an existing one, the ThoughtFarmer Theming Lookbook offers practical intranet examples for: Intranet managers searching for fresh design ideas Communications teams who need better content layouts HR professionals working to improve employee engagement IT leaders balancing design with functionality Each example is paired with real-world results, showing how smart design leads to intranet success. Sneak peek of the intranet examples inside the Lookbook Corporate branding in action Maintaining brand consistency strengthens trust and recognition, and your intranet should be no different. The example below uses creative... --- > Having trouble understanding the value of intranet analytics? Here’s a breakdown of what to measure on your intranet, what it means, and why you should care. - Published: 2025-01-21 - Modified: 2025-01-21 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/overcoming-the-so-what-of-intranet-analytics/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: Intranet metrics Having trouble understanding the value of intranet analytics? Here’s a breakdown of what to measure on your intranet, what it means, and why you should care. Measuring intranet performance can feel exciting initially—especially if you're new to it or your previous intranet didn’t allow for it.   But after a while, you’ll probably find yourself wondering what to do with all this data. 500 people viewed your last post. So what? What does this mean? Here’s a breakdown of what to measure on your intranet, what it means, and why you should care. Tracking intranet usage Tracking intranet usage involves watching and measuring how employees use the intranet, including which pages they visit and what content they view. So what? Tracking intranet usage is crucial. It helps you see how well your intranet is succeeding and how much employees like it. By analyzing the most-used pages and features, you can improve the content and make it more useful. It also shows if employees need more help or training with certain parts. Measuring content performance Measuring content performance involves tracking how employees interact with intranet content. This includes metrics like page views, time spent on pages, search effectiveness, engagement rates, and user feedback. So what? These metrics reveal which content is useful and engaging, highlight gaps or issues, and can help improve the overall user experience. For example, tracking views, comments, and shares of a news article about a major company reorganization can help gauge employee interest, engagement, and any concerns about the changes. Hot tip: For content ideas employees love, check out our blog post "30 Intranet Content Ideas. " Analyzing user engagement patterns Analyzing user... --- > To help celebrate the Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year, we’ve put together a few ways to recognize this special holiday in your workplace. - Published: 2025-01-19 - Modified: 2025-01-22 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-celebrate-lunar-new-year-in-your-workplace/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: diversity and inclusion Learning more about your colleagues and their cultural backgrounds is a great way to build inclusion and employee engagement. It’s time to get festive! The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, starts on January 29th 2025, and it is the year of the Snake according to the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle. The Lunar New Year is a 15-day celebration that celebrates all things positive while wishing peace, longevity, health, and luck for the new year. It starts on a slightly different day in January or February of each year, as it follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, instead of the Gregorian calendar. We’ve put together a few ways to learn about traditions, as well as some innovative ideas to celebrate the Year of the Snake in your workplace. The Year of the Snake The Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac symbolizes wisdom, intelligence, and mystery. People born under this sign are often seen as insightful, analytical, and charming. They are known for their grace, keen intuition, and ability to make well-calculated decisions. The Snake also represents transformation and renewal, suggesting personal growth and adaptability. Additionally, those born in the Year of the Snake are considered calm, determined, and ambitious. Creative ways to celebrate Chinese New Year in your workplace Participate in cultural learning Acknowledging religious and cultural holidays is an important step towards fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Chinese New Year focuses on starting fresh for the year and removing anything negative. This history of the Chinese New Year goes back over 3000 years and originated within the Shang Dynasty. Take the time... --- > Trouble keeping up with evolving communications lingo in the workplace? Our glossary makes it easy to understand every related internal comms term and acronym. - Published: 2025-01-09 - Modified: 2025-01-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/a-complete-glossary-of-internal-communications-and-intranet-lingo/ - Categories: Intranet Management, Communication and Collaboration Trouble keeping up with evolving communications lingo in the workplace? Our glossary makes it easy to understand every related internal comms term and acronym. I was in a meeting the other day when the term GSC came up.   I hadn’t a clue what it meant (sadly it did not stand for Gourmet Sandwich Club). I soon learned that it stood for Google Search Console—something I should know, but these days it feels like there is always a new word or acronym. And if you aren’t in the know, it can be hard to keep up!   Then it occurred to me that in the world of internal communication and intranets, some of you are likely feeling a similar level of overwhelmedness.   So, I decided to consolidate a bunch of our FUL (frequently used lingo) relating to intranets and internal communications. Some of these may be obvious, but in the spirit of “there are no stupid questions” I decided to include every one I could think of.   AI content AI Content is defined as any content created by artificial intelligence, including but not limited to text, images, videos, and audio.   All-hands meeting An all-hands meeting is defined as a regular, company-wide gathering where all employees, leaders, and stakeholders meet to discuss the most important company-wide matters. The name ‘all-hands meeting’ comes from the phrase ‘all hands on deck’ – a signal that requires all ship crew members to go on deck. The goal of this meeting is to share business updates, drive alignment around company mission and strategy, celebrate milestones, recognize achievements, and allow employees to ask questions. These meetings were... --- > Looking for intranet examples? A well-designed intranet can have a positive impact. We’re excited to share these intranet examples with you. - Published: 2025-01-06 - Modified: 2025-01-23 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/award-winning-intranets-11-intranet-examples-for-impact-innovation-and-design/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: awards, intranet launch Looking for intranet examples? Our latest guide features our recent intranet award winners. Looking for intranet examples? We often get asked how organizations can improve their intranet—whether it’s to make it more visually appealing, drive engagement, boost productivity, or enhance company culture. The truth is, a well-designed intranet has the potential to do all these things and more. But finding the right approach or getting inspired can sometimes feel like a daunting task. While we have plenty of ideas on how to optimize an intranet, our customers are the ones who continually push the boundaries. They’ve transformed their intranets into vital hubs for communication, collaboration, and creativity, tailoring them to meet the unique needs of their organization. From branding and design to functionality and innovation, our customers show just how versatile and impactful a well-crafted intranet can be. The best intranet examples One of the ways we uncover just how inventive our customers are is through ThoughtFarmer’s Best Intranet Awards competition. Every year, we’re blown away by the incredible submissions we receive! These entries highlight the best of the best in categories such as design, impact, and innovation. We were so inspired by their solutions that we’ve compiled some of the best award-winning ThoughtFarmer intranets into a brand-new downloadable guide. This guide not only showcases their brilliance but also serves as a resource for anyone looking to kick-start or enhance their own intranet journey. These intranet examples will hopefully provide you with enough inspiration and practical insights to hit the ground running on your own intranet project. Whether you're redesigning an existing platform... --- > With a new year upon us, it’s time to take that momentum and set some resolutions for your intranet. Intranet resolutions... - Published: 2024-12-31 - Modified: 2024-12-31 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/10-new-years-resolutions-for-your-intranet/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: knowledge sharing, intranet software, hybrid workplace With a new year upon us, it’s time to take that momentum and set some resolutions for your intranet. Here is a list of ten options to keep you inspired. Like many of you, we are pretty excited over the start of a new year! The past few years have brought a lot of changes and unpredictability to workplaces everywhere. From political turmoil to rapid advances in technology like AI, it's been a lot to handle. With the new year here, it's a great time to set some goals for your intranet. While your goals should fit your organization's needs, here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. Conduct a content audit A content audit may feel like an arduous task, but it’s essential to the success of your intranet. If you are unfamiliar with a content audit, it’s a process that involves cataloging all the pages and files on your intranet, and then determining the usefulness of each one. Content audits are the first (and arguably the most important) step in developing a solid information architecture (IA) and are critical to prevent content sprawl. Our article on content audits breaks it down in detail. 2. Update employee profile pages Employee profiles on your intranet may feel secondary to critical content and news, but what happens when you need to locate a subject matter expert? If your workplace is hybrid or remote, you cannot rely on simply walking around the office enquiring who knows what. A robust employee directory on your intranet will contain detailed information and expertise on your employees, and is one of the easiest intranet resolutions to achieve. If you are having challenges motivating employees... --- > Explore the hybrid workplace: balancing productivity, reduced stress, and flexibility for the future of work. - Published: 2024-12-18 - Modified: 2025-01-06 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/hybrid-workplace/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet, collaboration, employee engagement, digital workplace, internal communications, hybrid workplace A hybrid approach aims to provide an optimal balance of productive work with reduced stress and less commuting. But is it working? Or, is it time to get back to the office? After a few years of working either remotely or in a hybrid setting we have enough data collected to truly gauge the success of these workplace models. In fact, the share of workers in-office full time is actually shrinking, and hybrid work is growing. The question now is, should we continue to operate in a hybrid environment, or is it time for us all to get back into the office?   In this article we explore the definition of a hybrid workplace, including what it is, how it’s evolved, the benefits, and more. What is a Hybrid workplace? And what does a hybrid work model look like? A hybrid workplace is defined as a business model combining remote work with office work. It may look different among organizations, but it typically includes the onsite presence of a core group, while others are free to come and go as they please, within reason.   It may be the same employees mandated to be onsite, or it could include a staggering of different people present on different days or times. Or, there may simply be specific days where employees are requested to attend in-person meetings.   The hybrid workplace generally allows employees the opportunity to fit work around their lives, rather than structuring work around fixed hours logged into an office. For many employees (and employers) it’s an optimal balance of productive work with reduced stress and less commuting. What do employees want?   A study by Boston Consulting Group revealed that... --- > From launching exciting new products to celebrating heartwarming customer success stories, this year has been an adventure. - Published: 2024-12-16 - Modified: 2024-12-17 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/thoughtfarmers-2024-rewind-innovation-laughter-and-success/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: ThoughtFarmer From launching exciting new products to celebrating heartwarming customer success stories, this year has been an adventure. A year in review can feel like a Hollywood movie. Some are horror flicks with things going wrong at every turn. Others are mysteries, full of unexpected twists and turns. And then there are sci-fi thrillers where the events feel completely out of this world. Luckily, ours is more like a rom-com, packed with unexpected plot twists, heartwarming moments, and plenty of laugh-out-loud surprises. From launching exciting new products to celebrating heartwarming customer success stories, this year has been an adventure. So, grab some popcorn and join us as we rewind through the highlights and hilarity that made this year truly unforgettable. Features, features, and more features You’d think with 240+ features that we might slow down for a bit. Nope. Not this year. This year, we rolled out several exciting new features designed to enhance your ThoughtFarmer experience and boost productivity. Each feature was crafted with our users in mind, ensuring that your intranet is more collaborative, intuitive, and powerful than ever before. Here’s a rundown of what’s new: Collaborative Drafts: Work together seamlessly with team members on draft content, enhancing collaboration and efficiency. Learn more Multiple Homepages: Customize multiple homepages to cater to different departments, teams, or user groups. Learn more Enhanced Editor: Enjoy a more powerful and user-friendly editing experience with our revamped editor. Learn more ThoughtFarmer AI: Leverage AI to automate tasks, generate insights, and improve overall intranet functionality. Learn more Content Blocks: Organize and display content in flexible, customizable blocks to better manage information. Learn... --- > Workplace silos can block communication & collaboration. An intranet centralizes info, encourages teamwork, & creates unified culture . - Published: 2024-12-11 - Modified: 2024-12-23 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/do-you-have-a-workplace-silo-problem-5-ways-an-intranet-can-help/ - Categories: Intranet Management, Culture and Engagement - Tags: knowledge sharing, knowledge management Breaking down these silos is critical for improving collaboration, fostering a unified company culture, and enhancing productivity A while back I worked for a company that never had meetings. Sounds amazing, right? Well, not exactly. At first glance, a meeting-less organization might sound pretty cool—no lengthy discussions, no dominating speakers, and no hassle of coordinating schedules. But there are downsides. A lot of them.   In my specific example, I hadn’t a clue what my colleagues were working on, what other departments did, or what our company vision was. In other words, we were all working in silos. We all know that collaboration is essential to innovation. Yet many companies still struggle with the problem of silos. Silos happen when departments or teams work independently from one another, creating walls that block effective communication and limit the flow of important information. These barriers can lead to duplicated efforts, poor decision-making, and a lack of understanding across different parts of the business. And in my case, it also led to a lot of unhappy employees.   So, how can we address this common issue? Well, in the example above, meetings definitely would have helped, but there is an even more powerful solution: a company intranet. But before we get into how an intranet can help, let's first understand what silos are and why they can be problematic. What is a workplace silo? A workplace silo is defined as a workplace condition where teams or individuals work independently and apart from one another.   This leads to fragmented workflows, a lack of shared knowledge, and inefficiencies across the company.... --- > If you have ever searched the term “internal communications”, you are likely already aware of the dozens of definitions that exist. - Published: 2024-12-04 - Modified: 2024-12-11 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-internal-communications-we-analyzed-40-definitions-to-find-out/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: internal communications Why do so many interpretations exist? What can we learn from all these definitions? And why did we feel the need to create our own definition? If you have ever searched the term “internal communications”, you are likely already aware of the dozens of definitions that exist.   But that didn’t stop us from crafting our own definition:  What is internal communication? Internal communications is defined as the process of aligning employees to company strategy by systematically informing, influencing, motivating, and engaging people at all levels of the company through the one-way and two-way channels—digital and physical—that are most relevant to each employee.   If this definition feels long or complex, it isn’t without reason; but we will get to that later. First let's look at why so many interpretations exist, what can we learn from all these definitions, and why we felt the need to create our own definition in the first place.   A lengthy research project on the meaning of internal communication As the largest group of professionals we interact with, it only made sense that we invest in understanding internal communications professionals, but also that we understood the term internal communications.   We began by analyzing 40 different definitions of internal communications.   We pulled them apart, tagging words and concepts, and then grouping tags into themes, and observing frequencies. The more we examined the role that internal communications professionals play in their organizations, the greater variety of answers we discovered.   We also learned the difference between internal communication (singular) and internal communications (plural). Internal communication is the overarching view of how a business communicates with, and to, their employees, while... --- > The Digital Employee Experience focuses on how staff work, tools they use, & the culture they exist within. - Published: 2024-12-04 - Modified: 2025-05-01 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-the-digital-employee-experience/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: digital workplace, digital employee experience, dex DEX encompasses how employees work, what tools and technology they use, and the culture they exist within. It’s almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t understand the significance of customer experience (CX) and its impact on the success of their organization. But how many leaders are considering the actual employee experience? And more importantly, how many are considering the impact their technology infrastructure has on the employee experience? Digital Employee Experience, otherwise known as DEX, aims to convey the impact of the digital workplace on its employees. The digital employee experience encompasses how employees work, what tools and technology they use, and the culture they exist within. Digital employee experience definition While the digital employee experience itself isn’t new, the terminology and growing focus is. The digital workplace experience is defined as the sum of digital interactions between employees and their organization. If you are still trying to understand what this actually means, imagine a scenario where there are a wide assortment of technologies in the workplace. There might be a documentation storage repository, some shared network folders, a form building technology, or maybe even an activity stream of sorts. All of these applications aim to serve a purpose by assisting employees in some way. However, if these applications or documents are not easy to access or use (or aren't available on mobile) then the employee experience won’t be very great. You could have amazing technology that is secure and designed to solve a specific pain point, but, if it doesn’t enable employees to easily and effectively do their job, what is the point of having it?... --- > Knowledge management tools like an intranet can help employees create, learn, share, and leverage intelligence together. - Published: 2024-12-03 - Modified: 2025-05-13 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/knowledge-management-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity Knowledge management is critical because it establishes an environment where employees can create, learn, share, and leverage intelligence together for the benefit of the organization. We've all heard the cliché “knowledge is power,” but what use is knowledge in the workplace if it is trapped inside your employees’ heads? There is no shortage of information on the subject of knowledge management (KM), but the topic is hot with good reason. KM has a direct impact on costs, in the form of—among other things—training, operational errors, and even a potential loss of customers. Consider how many times your organization has lost valuable expertise and knowledge when an employee left? Or, perhaps you had a brilliant idea that could help your colleagues, but you kept silent about it? In the U. S. alone, about 10,000 baby boomers retire every day. How we collect and manage their knowledge is critical. Also, more employees are remote (or in a hybrid workplace) than ever before, creating a dispersed, globalized workforce—a workforce dependent on shared information. Is your workplace equipped to manage the exponential flow of corporate data? What is knowledge management? A definition of knowledge management Knowledge management is defined as the process of creating, sharing, and managing the knowledge within an organization. It is based on the theory that an organization’s most valuable resource is the knowledge of its people. At some level, we are all knowledge managers. We manage knowledge acquired through training, or through experience. We manage knowledge that is learned, and knowledge that is innate. There is rarely a time when we’re not actively managing our knowledge in some way, shape, or form. Knowledge management in... --- > These 10 content ideas provide timely, engaging content that resonates with your team, keeps them informed, and even boosts morale. - Published: 2024-12-02 - Modified: 2024-12-02 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/10-intranet-content-ideas-when-you-arent-feeling-creative/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet engagement, intrant content Keeping content fresh and engaging is necessary for healthy intranet engagement and adoption. Here's what to post when you run out of ideas. If you're in charge of intranet content, we know it can be exhausting; especially if you don’t have a team of content creators to help you out. Ok, sure, you can try using a few AI tools to help, but it AI rarely provides that human touch intranet content deserves. And, as you know, keeping content fresh and engaging is necessary for healthy intranet engagement and adoption.   To help you ensure a steady content stream, here are 10 different reasons to post to your intranet, and related content ideas.   When employees are feeling the winter blues A travel site in Vancouver, Canada recently listed a spreadsheet of every direct flight from Vancouver to a city with a beach, sorted by the number of hours to fly there. How cool is that? Even if you can’t find the same within your local city, there are probably many sites devoted to travel. Consider even adding in an automated feed from a travel site, so that hot travel deals get populated automatically.   When its cold and flu season Even though you can’t avoid every virus, there are definitely ways to minimize the impact. Consider adding links to your intranet about the nearest location for a flu shot, recipes for chicken soup, or a list of binge worthy TV series for when you don’t have the energy to move.   When business isn't going so well When times are tough, it can be hard to feel optimistic in the workplace. But,... --- > A law firm intranet is a great way to manage knowledge because it enables quick access to large quantities of information. - Published: 2024-11-30 - Modified: 2024-12-11 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/why-law-firms-are-rapidly-adopting-intranets/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: intranet, intranet software, digital workplace, legal intranet Few industries rely on the quick discovery of information as fast as legal firms—which is why many law firms are seeking out intranet software to assist them in managing their knowledge. When we think about industries that are quick to adopt technology, we usually don’t consider the legal industry. After all, law firms tend to be laggards. A recent study revealed that 80% of lawyers don’t record time on a mobile device, and nearly one-third of firms are using a version of Word that’s seven or more years old. Yikes. As expected, the luddite approach comes at a cost. Firms quick to embrace and adopt technology report increased profitably compared to those who don’t, leading to significant performance gaps. But there is one technology that legal firms aren’t reluctant to adopt: intranet software. Few industries rely on the quick discovery of information as fast as legal firms—which is partly why many law firms are seeking out intranet software to assist them in managing their knowledge. Every organization strives to be productive, but when your productivity is billable, it’s a whole different level. Modern intranets are a great way to manage knowledge because they enable quick access to large quantities of information. As an innovation hub, intranets serve as a collaborative platform that makes information easily discoverable. But the benefits of intranets go beyond knowledge management, Law firms adopting intranet technology are reaping a multitude of other benefits. In the 2019 Law Firms in Transition survey, 78% of the firms that created a more collaborative culture say that improved collaboration has resulted in improved firm performance. Donna Coburn, Knowledge Management Content Administrator for Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP recently talked to... --- > Whether or not you choose to remember the evening, sharing pictures from your holiday work party on your intranet is a great way to engage employees. - Published: 2024-11-29 - Modified: 2024-12-02 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/7-ways-to-add-holiday-spirit-to-your-intranet/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement Just as you would decorate your home and get it ready for holiday festivities, it’s also the perfect time to add some holiday cheer to your intranet. Here are seven ways to make that happen: The end of the year can be a chaotic time in the workplace. But, it’s also a great opportunity to boost employee engagement, foster social responsibility, and create new memories. And while it’s also common to see slight dips in productivity, that doesn’t mean your intranet should suffer. Just as you would decorate your home and get it ready for holiday festivities, it’s also the perfect time to add some holiday cheer to your intranet. Here are seven ways to make that happen: Let it snow Snow is always a possibility during winter, unless of course you live somewhere warm and sunny. But even then, you can always make it snow on your intranet. As one of our most popular customizations, our Falling Fun card easily allows ThoughtFarmer users to pick and choose any image—snowflakes, autumn leaves, emojis, money etc. —and configure it so that the images fall on a page(s) of your intranet. Create auditory notifications From the exponential volume of holiday songs, to the chiming of bells, there is no shortage of sounds associated with the winter holidays. One of our customers, MedData, leveraged the ThoughtFarmer professional services team to create seasonal auditory notifications on their intranet. “We wanted a fun way for employees to be alerted when they received a new notification, so we worked with ThoughtFarmer to set-up notification sounds,” said Sean Biehle, Head of Creative services at MedData. A holiday-themed “Ho, Ho, ho” was created for the winter holidays, while a gobbling turkey was used... --- > The only way to make an intranet project into a long term success is to transition the project into an ongoing intranet program. - Published: 2024-11-28 - Modified: 2024-12-03 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-transition-your-intranet-project-to-an-intranet-program/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: intranet, intranet project, best intranet software Many intranet projects are taken on as short-term efforts with clear end dates. But the only way to make an intranet project into a long term success is to transition the project into an ongoing intranet program. An intranet can be an outstanding resource for employees, but if you don't do the important ongoing maintenance, your intranet could become a wasteland. It doesn't matter what software you use or how smart the consultants who help you launch a new intranet. It's the ongoing maintenance that makes or breaks it. Most intranet projects are short-term efforts with clear end dates. The only way to make an intranet project into a long term success is to transition the project into an ongoing intranet program. A cautionary tale about an intranet project Many years ago we embarked on an intranet project for a government client. After two previous failed attempts to build a SharePoint intranet, they came to us and we successfully deployed ThoughtFarmer. Once the intranet was up, the project needed to transition to a program. In typical government fashion, they had approved the capital expenditure for the development, but not the (much, much smaller) annual expenditure for operations. In a spree of government cutbacks, the budget got cut, and the intranet was shut down immediately after the pilot. Naturally, the stakeholders involved were upset. As illustrated it is almost always easier for intranet champions to get a project approved rather than an ongoing program, so here are the best practices for building a lasting intranet program. Even if you can commit to just one of these best practices, you will increase the likelihood of intranet success. 14 best practices to transition your intranet project to an intranet program... --- > It was important for us to ensure complete form functionality was available on our new mobile app. Now, your intranet forms can be... - Published: 2024-11-04 - Modified: 2024-11-08 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/why-its-time-to-start-managing-intranet-forms-from-your-phone/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: intranet forms Still relying on outdated paper forms? Vacation requests, business card orders, or technology upgrade requests can now be automated from within your intranet on your mobile device. I don’t know about you, but I am done with paper forms. They are useless, wasteful, cumbersome, and completely unnecessary. When we launched FormFlow, our intranet form builder, it was an instant success. Our customers jumped at the chance to build and manage forms directly within their ThoughtFarmer intranet. But even though this was a huge accomplishment, we realized that there were still many employees unable to access these intranet forms—like deskless employees or frontline workers. This is why it was important for us to ensure complete form functionality was available on our new mobile intranet app. Any ThoughtFarmer user can create, edit, manage, or submit any form from their mobile device. Things like vacation requests, business card orders, employee surveys, address changes, benefits enrollments, or technology upgrade requests can now be automated from within your mobile device. Within seconds, users can submit urgent information request forms or order equipment and parts on the fly. Another common use case is sending out and completing a survey immediately following an event or training session. Meanwhile, managers benefit from knowing they can approve form-based requests anywhere, any time, unblocking critical workflows and serving their team's needs. In other words, being away from your desk is no longer an acceptable excuse for being a blocker in these types of requests. How are our customers using intranet forms? The New West Police Department The New West Police Department likes that mobile forms can be completed by users outside their building. During the pandemic, mobile... --- > Suffering from email overload? If any of these scenarios sound a little familiar, it might be time to try an intranet. - Published: 2024-10-31 - Modified: 2024-10-31 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/9-ways-your-new-intranet-will-ease-your-email-pain/ - Categories: Intranet Management, Communication and Collaboration - Tags: internal communications, asynchronous communication Email isn’t going away any time soon, nor should it, but if you are still using it as your primary source of internal communication, it’s time to rethink things. In recent years, email platforms like Gmail have enhanced security features, such as alerting users when sending emails to recipients outside their network. Wait—aren’t all emails sent to recipients outside a network? Who actually uses email as their primary tool for internal communication? Surprisingly, a LOT of people. Originally designed for asynchronous communication, email remains heavily used for internal document collaboration, image and file repositories, and even discussions. In fact, one recent survey shows that a significant majority of internal communicators (93%) still prefer email for reaching employees. However, this heavy reliance on email has led to a growing issue of email overload, where important messages get lost in the clutter of an overstuffed inbox. But just because it’s a common way of communicating doesn’t mean it is the best way to communicate. If you want to improve your internal communication (and avoid email overload), you need to move internal discussions and communication out of email and onto your intranet. Below are ten ways your intranet can help you combat email overload and improve internal communication. 1. Enhanced search functionality While email search functionality has come a long way in the last ten years, it’s still far from perfect. And even if we can eventually locate a long-lost message, is the time and effort really worth it? The sophisticated search functionality with intranet software helps employees locate everything they need. When employees can easily find what they are looking for, they don’t waste time searching. 2. Centralized conversations Even when... --- > Discover how a mobile intranet app empowers deskless workers, enhances communication, and boosts engagement, making it easy to stay connected - Published: 2024-10-22 - Modified: 2024-12-12 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-improve-the-digital-employee-experience-for-deskless-employees-and-frontline-workers/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: employee engagement, digital workplace, remote work, mobile intranet Did you know that 80% of the overall workforce are deskless workers? This undervalued group is the backbone of our economy, yet we have failed to empower them with the same opportunities as in-office workers. If I were to ask you to close your eyes and envision a typical workplace and describe it to me, chances are you would mention a desk, cubicle, and maybe even a water cooler. Yes, this may resemble a typical office, but it doesn’t resemble a typical workplace. Why? Because only 20% of workplaces in the world have office-based employees. Wait, what? Yes, that’s right, 80% of the overall workforce are deskless workers, like those that work in retail, factories, restaurants, hospitals, construction sites, or warehouses. So if this is such a large and significant component of the global workforce, why have we been ignoring them? A recent study found that over 83% of frontline workers don’t have a corporate email address, and 45% don’t even have access to the company intranet when at work. This contributes to deskless employees and frontline workers feeling left out, and unaligned with corporate strategies. This undervalued group is the backbone of our economy, yet we have failed to empower them with the same opportunities as in-office workers. The solution: a mobile intranet app The good news is that there is much we can do to keep these employees informed, connected, and engaged in their jobs (*hint, it involves a mobile intranet app). Make locating information easy Locating relevant information is a growing concern—and not just for deskless employees! According to a McKinsey report, employees spend 1. 8 hours every day searching and gathering information. On average, that’s 9. 3 hours per week, with... --- > Why using Microsoft 365, Teams, and email instead of an intranet falls short, and how a real intranet boosts internal comms and engagement. - Published: 2024-10-21 - Modified: 2025-06-16 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/do-you-have-an-intranet-or-a-frankennet/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: internal communications, perfect intranet, intranet adoption Is your intranet serving the needs of its users? Is it helping to drive business forward? If your answer is no, it might be time to rethink your current solution. If your intranet feels more like a cobbled-together workaround than a purposeful digital workplace, you're not alone. Many organizations start with Microsoft 365, layer on Teams for collaboration, rely heavily on email, and maybe toss in an outdated SharePoint site for good measure. The intention is noble—connect employees and get work done. But what often emerges is a pseudo intranet: a Frankensteined collection of tools that sort of work together... until they don’t. We call it a Frankennet. These makeshift intranets grow organically—piecemeal and unplanned—leading to scattered information, siloed communication, and a lot of digital duct tape. They’re functional, yes. But they’re far from fulfilling. Or perhaps your organization is haunted by an outdated SharePoint solution, too fearful of the time and resources required to breathe new life into it. The burden then falls on IT, who might not share the same priorities as HR and Communications teams, leaving everyone in a frightful bind. Here are some of the most terrifying consequences of building and maintaining a Frankennet: Outdated information Corporate policies, guidelines, documentation, and other media files should be easily accessible and up to date. If you are juggling multiple communication solutions, ensuring this won’t be easy. For example, think about an important document like your company’s employee handbook. Do your employees know exactly where to find it? And, more importantly, is the most recent version readily available to everyone who needs it? Employees aren’t using it Adoption can be challenging regardless of the software or solution. However, if... --- > Discover what a digital workplace is and its benefits. Learn more about creating an efficient digital work environment. - Published: 2024-10-19 - Modified: 2025-05-14 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-is-a-digital-workplace/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: intranet, gartner, digital workplace A digital workplace is a change in the mindset of an organization. It’s an understanding that the way we work today is different to how we worked when the term workplace was conceived, and that difference is driven by the evolution of (digital) technologies. Run a Google search for what is a digital workplace? and you will uncover over five hundred million results. What you won’t find however is a consistent definition. As the popularity of the term digital workplace has increased, so too have the interpretations. (and so have the abundance of digital workplace tools). Part of the reason it’s been so challenging to nail down a definition is because the line between the physical office and the place where work actually happens is becoming more blurred—especially as many of us operate in a hybrid workplace. Definitions also vary because the digital workplace and/or the digital office means different things to different people. The history of the digital workplace Up until recently the term workplace referred to a physical space where employees went to get work done. Now the term is more conceptual. A workplace is now an always-connected environment that provides instant access to everything employees need to get work done. As far back as 2009, Paul Miller, CEO and founder of Digital Workplace Group (DWG), included the term in his lexicon. It was conceived as an understanding that an exploration into how technology would affect both the workplace and the nature of work would be necessary. A few years later, Miller authored the book: The Digital Workplace: How technology is liberating work. Miller’s angle focused on the evolution of the workplace and how work happens. Miller cited three defining elements of all digital workplaces: Digital presence, governance, and speed and efficiency.... --- > Psychological safety in the workplace is nothing new, but the polarizing and divisiveness is causing emotional outbursts and strong opinions. - Published: 2024-10-15 - Modified: 2024-10-16 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/workplace-communication-maintaining-civility-during-contentious-times/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration, Culture and Engagement - Tags: discussions, internal communications, culture When heated political discussions escalate, it can set the stage for a hostile work environment. How can we foster a culture of mutual respect without silencing employees? And how can we create psychological safety in the workplace? If the tension in your workplace feels a little unbearable right now, you aren’t alone. Dissecting and debating current events in the workplace is nothing new, but the polarizing and divisiveness over the last few years is causing emotional outbursts and strong opinions. Now more than ever before, employees are feeling the need (and in some cases, obligation) to make their voice heard on internal social networks and intranets. Even those of us who typically refrain from voicing opinions have found ourselves in the crossfire. Many of us already dreaded politically fuelled discussions over family gatherings; and now we get to feel uncomfortable about it in the workplace too. Yet unlike an annual family dinner, we can’t just walk away from our colleagues and wait for things to cool off until next year. With words comes visibility, responsibility, and even scrutiny. Often even the best intended communications are becoming misinterpreted and misconstrued. Say the wrong thing, or express or support an unpopular opinion, and the demands for you to be cancelled quickly follow. Adding to the frustration is the nuance we lose when workplace communication occurs via an instant message or a webcam. This is where psychological safety comes in. Psychological safety is defined as the ability to display one's self without the fear of negative consequences. When heated political discussions escalate, it can set the stage for a hostile work environment. So how can we foster a culture of mutual respect without silencing employees? And how can we create... --- > Retaining employees requires effort. Here are some metrics for measuring employee satisfaction and expert tips for improving it. - Published: 2024-09-24 - Modified: 2025-05-13 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-measure-employee-satisfaction-best-metrics-and-expert-tips/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: employee satisfaction Ready to create a workplace where Mondays are something to look forward to? We’re sharing practical metrics and expert tips that help you tune into your employees' needs and build a culture where everyone thrives. Let's dive into tools you can start using today. Summary High employee satisfaction scores are linked to increased productivity, innovation, and talent retention, directly influencing business success. Metrics like employee satisfaction surveys, eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score), absenteeism rate, turnover rate, and the Employee Satisfaction Index (ESI) provide valuable insights into employee satisfaction and organizational health. Strategies like creating connection spaces (such as an intranet) and encouraging employee recognition can enhance satisfaction, leading to a more engaged and productive workforce. In today's workplace, employee satisfaction directly impacts business success. Companies that prioritize their people's happiness don't just retain talent—they create environments where productivity and innovation naturally flourish. In fact, research shows that 82% of employees see happiness and engagement as key drivers of their productivity. Effective measurement is key. By implementing the right tools and metrics, leaders can gather actionable insights that identify strengths and catch potential issues before they become problems. Let's explore how to measure what matters when it comes to keeping your team engaged and satisfied. What is employee satisfaction? Employee satisfaction is defined as the emotional state of the employee, and the degree of satisfaction of the overall job and the feelings and attitudes of the employee towards the job and their employer.   Factors influencing employee satisfaction include workload, work environment (hybrid, remote or onsite), compensation, and feelings towards management. There are a few ways to measure employee satisfaction, however it is typically measured using an employee satisfaction survey.   Employee engagement vs employee satisfaction: what is the difference? On the surface employee engagement... --- > We’ve outlined how to determine if an intranet is easy to use, the benefits, and why we prioritize ease-of-use at ThoughtFarmer. - Published: 2024-09-24 - Modified: 2024-09-24 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-determine-if-an-intranet-is-easy-to-use/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: ease-of-use, accessibility No intranet vendor is going to admit their product is challenging to use. This means it’s up to the buyer to do the work and discern the true usability of a solution. Here are some tips to finding an easy to use intranet. Ease-of-use may seem like an obvious criteria when selecting a new intranet, but identifying an easy-to-use solution isn’t as simple as you might think. No intranet vendor is going to admit their product is challenging to use. This means it’s up to the buyer to do the work and discern the true usability of a solution. Below we’ve outlined how to determine if an intranet is easy to use, the benefits, and why we prioritize ease-of-use at ThoughtFarmer. What do we mean by easy-to-use? Think of the last time you downloaded an app on your phone. Was it easy to immediately navigate and benefit from? What if you ask a friend or colleague? Would they report the same level of usability? An easy-to-use solution is usable by everyone. Not just technical users. The terms ease-of-use and usability are often used interchangeably, but usability is a broader concept that encompasses ease-of-use. The ISO 9241-11 standard defines usability as: The extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals, with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use. In the case of intranet software, if your intranet users cannot achieve their goals efficiently, effectively, and in a satisfactory manner, they won’t use your intranet, and it will become a wasteland. Signs an intranet solution might be easy to use It’s easy to get fooled with marketing. Website photos that depict smiling happy customers can easily trick us into believing a vendor offers an easy-to-use... --- > Looking for the best intranet software? We’ve simplified the process for you by narrowing down the top 10 intranet solutions in 2025. - Published: 2024-09-24 - Modified: 2025-02-18 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/the-10-best-intranet-software-platforms-solutions-for-2024/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet, intranet launch, intranet project Learn which modern intranet software platform would best suit your organization’s needs in 2025. Your workplace is growing. Communication is fragmented and chaotic. Colleagues are no longer aware of who does what.   Suddenly your intranet (or lack of one) isn’t cutting it. It’s time for a new solution.   If you are on the hunt new intranet software, you likely have some deal-breaker requirements, and lots of nice-to-haves. And if you’ve been down this road before, you already know that offerings and costs can vary wildly.   We’ve simplified the process for you by narrowing down the top 10 intranet solutions in 2025. This is a guide for selecting (and deselecting) possible best intranet software providers. We cover the basics on what an intranet is, what features to look out for, and some of the strengths and weaknesses of each solution.   The 10 best intranet software in 2025  ThoughtFarmer SharePoint Jostle MyHub Unily Workvivo Guru Intranet Connections Lumapps Haystack What is intranet software?   If you are familiar with intranets, skip ahead to the best intranet software solutions. But if you are still uncertain of what an intranet is, let’s dissect it. An intranet is a private network where you can find all the things you need for work, like documents and tools. It’s also where everyone talks to each other, shares ideas, and works together, no matter if they are at home, in the office, or somewhere else. Intranet solutions bring together all sorts of helpful features like wikis, blogs, and systems for managing documents and other content. It makes it... --- > The ThoughtFarmer mobile intranet app kicks it up a notch with a mobile-friendly experience that is native to the iOS & Android platforms. - Published: 2024-09-22 - Modified: 2025-05-05 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-business-challenges-our-mobile-app-will-solve/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet software, internal communications, best intranet software, mobile intranet Our mobile app is a great way to stay connected and notified about important news or updates—especially in hybrid workplace settings. It’s also a great way to improve the adoption of your intranet. With many employees working from home or out in the field, work has become something we do, rather than a place to go. In fact, 80% of the global workforce are deskless. This has made it more challenging for employees to stay updated and informed on critical news and information. Employees want and deserve to stay connected and updated in the workplace, while employers require mediums to communicate and push out urgent information. This is where our mobile intranet app really shines. Native to both iOS and Android, the ThoughtFarmer mobile intranet app is a great way to stay connected and notified about important news or updates. It’s also a great way to improve the adoption of your intranet since the in-app experience is the same as the web experience (no watered down functionality or app-for-the-sake-of-an-app here). Here are six business challenges you can solve with the ThoughtFarmer mobile intranet app. Keeping employees up-to-date and informed on urgent situations Through either push notifications employees are instantly notified on important company news, updates and even emergency situations. This is useful for non desk employees or employees that have temporarily stepped away from their work. The benefits are instant updates, a connected workforce, and potentially increased employee safety. Disseminating important news The mobile intranet app makes it easy for HR and comms professionals to send regular news, announcements, and policy changes via an organization or department-wide broadcast. Employees stay connected no matter where they are: at the office, working from home, or... --- > With more employees accessing intranets from their smartphones, it’s important to provide an intranet homepage that is optimized specifically for mobile use. - Published: 2024-09-16 - Modified: 2024-09-16 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-mobile-homepages-optimizing-your-intranet-for-mobile-devices/ - Categories: Intranet Management With more employees accessing intranets from their smartphones, it’s important to provide an intranet homepage that is optimized specifically for mobile use. We’re excited to announce the launch of our new mobile homepages to enhance the user experience on mobile devices.   Mobile homepages allow you to create targeted, mobile-friendly homepages that are easier to navigate and tailored to the needs of on-the-go users. The challenge: mobile overload As more organizations adopt remote work, and more workers are spending time in the field, mobile access to company intranets has become essential.   The problem is, desktop-oriented intranet pages can often feel cluttered and difficult to navigate on smaller screens, leading to a frustrating user experience. This also makes it harder to find important information or resources.   The solution: Mobile homepages To make sure your team has the best intranet experience possible, we’ve developed the mobile homepage.   This allows you to create homepages specifically optimized for mobile devices with a clean, intuitive, and responsive design making it easier for mobile users to access the tools and information they need, no matter where they are. Why mobile homepages Targeted user experienceIt provides a more focused experience for mobile users. By curating content and simplifying navigation, mobile employees can easily access the most important tools and information. Optimized for small screensThe layout and design are optimized for mobile devices. This ensures buttons, links, and menus are easy to read and access, reducing frustration and improving the overall user experience. Improved mobile engagementBy providing a more user-friendly mobile experience, you’ll increase engagement with your mobile workforce. Employees are more likely to use the intranet... --- > With Shared Cards, you can create a piece of content once and use it wherever needed on your intranet which improves intranet management. - Published: 2024-09-05 - Modified: 2024-09-06 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-shared-cards-faster-content-syndication-with-fewer-errors/ - Categories: Intranet Management Shared Cards are ideal for content that needs to be consistent across multiple locations on your intranet. We are excited to announce the launch of Shared Cards, a new way to syndicate common content, expedite content creation, and quickly manage content across your intranet. This update addresses the challenges of setting up and maintaining repeated content across multiple pages, making it easier to manage and ensuring consistent information throughout your site. The Challenge: Inefficient intranet content Managing content across an intranet often involves repetitive tasks, such as setting up blocks of content that need to be reused in multiple locations. Often, using the content on various pages, required creating them from scratch each time or duplicating entire pages. This manual process is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors and inconsistencies. If an update is needed, you must track down and modify every instance of the content, increasing the risk of outdated or conflicting information. Problems faced: Time-consuming setup for blocks of reusable content across multiple pages. Inability to update content in one place and see those changes reflected everywhere. Manual duplication leads to inconsistencies and potential errors across the site. The Solution: Shared Cards To solve these challenges, we’ve introduced Shared Cards so you can create templates and reusable cards that streamline content creation and management. With Shared Cards, you can create a piece of content once and use it wherever needed on your intranet which makes intranet management faster, more efficient, and reduces the time required to maintain content. What are Shared Cards? Shared Cards are reusable content rich text or quick links cards... --- > Secure internal communication ensures that this information remains confidential and is only accessible to authorized people. - Published: 2024-09-03 - Modified: 2024-11-28 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-ways-your-intranet-can-ensure-secure-internal-communication/ - Categories: Intranet Management While early collaboration solutions had benefits, they also created risks. Fortunately these risks paved the way for stronger intranets that are more secure and that help employees do their jobs better. When intranets first arrived in the workplace, a lot of employers were understandably nervous.   “What if employees share private information? ” “What if this opens us up to malware attacks? ” Or, worst of all — “What if it stops employees from doing their job? ”  While early collaboration solutions had benefits, they also created risks that required managing. The good news is that all these risks and concerns have paved the way for stronger intranets that are not only more secure but also help employees do their jobs better. But before we dive into some of the ways intranets have evolved into secure internal communication platforms, let’s first revisit why security should remain a priority when seeking out a new intranet.   Why secure internal communication matters Every organization handles sensitive data, whether it’s employee information, financial records, or strategic plans. Secure internal communication ensures that this information remains confidential and is only accessible to authorized people. Many industries (like healthcare and finance) are also subject to strict regulations regarding data protection and privacy. Secure communication channels help organizations comply with these regulations, avoiding potential legal issues and hefty fines. Finally, data breaches can have catastrophic consequences, including financial losses and damage to reputation. One study revealed that you’re more likely to experience a data breach of at least 10,000 records than you are to catch the flu this winter. With a secure intranet, you can significantly reduce the risk of any breaches. Although you still might catch... --- > ThoughtFarmer is proud to announce that the company has been recognized on the 2025 Best Workplaces™ in Canada List. - Published: 2024-08-29 - Modified: 2025-05-13 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/thoughtfarmer-named-one-of-the-best-workplaces-in-canada/ - Categories: Intranet Management ThoughtFarmer is recognized with this honour based on employee feedback highlighting its workplace culture and dedication to employee growth and development ThoughtFarmer is proud to announce that the company has been recognized on the 2025 Best Workplaces™ in Canada List. This prestigious list is compiled by the Great Place to Work® institute, the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviours. This year’s list captures the experience and sentiment of 330,000 employees across the country. ThoughtFarmer is a leading intranet software provider offering award-winning solutions designed to boost employee engagement, enhance internal communications, and streamline collaboration and processes. The company's core mission is to "Make Work Better," and this accolade is a testament to the successful realization of that mission within its own organization. "I’m thrilled to be recognized with this honour on behalf of my outstanding team, whose dedication and innovation have been instrumental in our company's sustained growth and success," said Darren Gibbons, President and Co-Founder of ThoughtFarmer. "We are deeply committed to fostering a positive workplace culture and ensuring employee satisfaction, and receiving this recognition is incredibly gratifying. " Great Place To Work measures the differences in survey responses across demographic groups and roles within each organization to assess both the quality and consistency of the employee experience. This study offers a rigorous representation of the organization from an employee perspective, and an overall portrait of the workplace culture. “The competition to achieve the designation of Best Workplaces in Canada is fierce, with over 900 companies competing. The only way to be recognized is to invest in an exceptional employee experience, and have this focus permeate every... --- > Here are some intranet best practices we recommend when planning an intranet for a bank, credit union, or financial services company - Published: 2024-08-28 - Modified: 2024-12-03 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/planning-financial-intranet-projects/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: knowledge sharing, credit union intranet, digital workplace, financial intranet Here are some recommendations that can help any bank or credit union with designing a great intranet When you’ve worked with as many banks and credit unions as we have, certain intranet trends slowly begin to emerge. Sure, a lot of intranets are used for similar purposes (communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing etc. ), but how specific industries tap into specific features is always fascinating for us. In this article we share some common themes among bank and credit union intranets, why these organizations depend on intranet software, and some key features and benefits to expect when seeking out an intranet for your bank or credit union. 1. A focus on customer-facing employees Financial organizations have a lot of customer-facing employees. This includes bank tellers, loan officers, branch managers, and even call center operators. Information they depend on includes things like: Account information (fees, interest rates, etc. ) Up-to-date interest rate sheets Trouble-shooting tips for using online banking Account closure guides By helping employees quickly find this information, you can increase customers satisfaction, which can directly impact the bottom line. Providing this information can also drive financial intranet adoption and help you make the case for investing in an intranet. 2. A dedicated section for customer-related information Every intranet has a top navigation, but how each one of our customers organizes this information is often quite personal. However we often see financial organizations include specific information about their bank's products and services. We usually see the top level navigation look something like this: Home People directory About the company Products & services Tech & admin HR &... --- > We often lose sight that good collaboration ultimately depends on people, not technology.Here are ten real-world collaboration tips: - Published: 2024-08-23 - Modified: 2024-10-17 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/good-collaboration-10-tips/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration Intranet software offers a huge improvement over the tools many people use to collaborate, but software itself is only part of the puzzle. Intranet software can improve collaboration, but we often lose sight of the fact that good collaboration ultimately depends on people, not technology. Here are ten real-world collaboration tips that will help you at your work. 1. Constantly clarify roles, especially in meetings “Who’s facilitating the meeting? Who’s noting the next steps? ” Overlapping or unclear roles lead to confusion, duplicate efforts, and oversights in follow-up. This is especially important for video meetings that don’t have the same post-meeting hallway discussion opportunities as in-person meetings. 2. Explicitly state responsibilities Avoid saying “we’ll do X” because then it might never happen. Whenever there is a follow up item, state the single person responsible as well as the due date. 3. Be honest about mistakes Leadership sets the tone for the organization. If they admit mistakes and expect team members to call them out when they violate team norms, then they will set a powerful example for accountability. 4. Go into the conflict zone, respectfully In his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni lists “fear of conflict” as dysfunction #2, and offers tips on how teams can deal with conflict effectively. Conflict is important — deftly handling it can expose important problems, help team members improve their performance, improve the employee experience, and bring people closer together. 5. Identify who’s responsible for each decision & how it will be made Is this agenda item a group decision, or is someone trying to gather input for their decision? Does everyone need... --- > Confused about all the different types of collaboration software? Collaboration is a deeply human activity, and no tool on its own can fix it - Published: 2024-08-21 - Modified: 2024-12-17 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-collaboration-really-means/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: collaboration, intranet content, digital workplace The definition of collaboration is “two or more people working together towards shared goals.” Dive deeper into learning what collaboration really means, the benefits of collaboration, successful examples of collaboration, collaboration tools, and more. Collaboration. We hear the word all the time, especially in school, at work, and even in fun projects with friends. But what does it actually mean? In this article, we're going to dive into the true meaning of collaboration, explore why it’s so important, and see how working together can lead to amazing results. We will also cover: 3 parts to collaboration Benefits of collaboration Collaboration challenges Real world examples of collaboration How to build a collaborative environment Best collaboration tools What does collaboration mean? A useful definition for collaboration The word collaboration is so commonly overused and overhyped that it’s starting to lose some of its meaning. We crafted a definition of collaboration to inspire a more holistic, useful, and simpler perspective: Two or more people working together towards shared goals. The succinct and clear definition is necessary when the term has become a buzzword in modern language, especially when digital workplace vendors try to sell new ways of collaborating to confused companies. The important conclusion we arrived at when we’re trying to understand the true nature of collaboration is this: Collaboration is a deeply human activity, and no tool on its own can solve the problem of poor collaboration and non-collaborative behavior.   What does it mean to be collaborative? The 3 parts to collaboration Collaboration includes three parts: team, processes, and purpose. 1. Collaboration involves a team Collaborating occurs in teams. A big group of people using social software together doesn’t mean collaboration. It may be conversation;... --- > A company intranet is a private website used by an organization to help streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, & centralize information. - Published: 2024-08-20 - Modified: 2025-05-13 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-definitive-explanation/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet, social intranet, employee engagement An intranet wears many hats inside an organization. Simply put, an intranet is an internal website that helps employees get stuff done. An intranet is defined as an internal website that helps employees get stuff done. That’s it. That’s what an intranet definition is in simple, everyday language.   The more formal definition of an intranet is a private, secured network that only authorized users within an organization can access, and helps streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and centralize information. As workplaces evolve, intranets continues to grow. In this article, you’ll learn the definitive explanation of what an intranet is along with: The evolution of intranets Why having a company intranet is important Key features in an intranet Benefits of having an intranet Examples of successful company intranets Intranet FAQ What is an intranet? Intranets serve as private networks accessible only to authorized users within an organization. And while intranets have been around for close to 30 years, some organizations are recently discovering them.   With the rise of the digital workplace, many companies are discovering that intranet software isn’t just nice to have, but rather an essential platform for connecting employees. After all, for many of us, work is no longer somewhere we go, but something we do. An intranet wears many hats. It’s a website, communications channel, knowledge management tool, culture tool, and collaboration platform. It helps people work better by combining the best features of wikis, blogs, and document and content management systems. An intranet makes it easy for everyone inside an organization to contribute—whether remote, hybrid, or in-person. The evolution of intranets The start of intranets traces back to... --- > Unlike some software, you don’t reap the benefits of an intranet instantaneously. To get the most of your internal communication software... - Published: 2024-08-20 - Modified: 2024-12-27 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-best-practices-that-improve-internal-communication/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: intranet project, internal communications, communication Intranet software is one of the most powerful tools available for internal communication. But how can we make the most of it so it delivers its full value? Most of us understand that an intranet plays a critical role in improving internal communication. However, many organizations have failed to appreciate the full depth and capability of intranet software. Unlike accounting software, you don’t reap the benefits instantly. To get the most of your internal communication software you need to obtain participation from all employees—especially your leadership. But before we jump into some intranet best practices for internal communication, let’s first make sure we understand what internal communication is, so we know what we are trying to improve. What is Internal Communications? As discussed in our post Internal Communication: Definitive guide with examples, we define internal communication as the process of aligning employees to company strategy by systematically informing, influencing, motivating, and engaging people at all levels of the company through the one-way and two-way channels—digital and physical—that are most relevant to each employee. Barriers to Effective Communication No one intentionally wants poor communication to occur. Sometimes it’s the result of years of decay and employee apathy. Other times it is the result of one of these barriers: Language differences In a digital workplace the way employees interact with each other can vary depending on the demographic and cultural differences. If we are unaware of these differences, communication challenges may arise. Various communication styles and preferences “This call could have been a text. ” With communication evolving and workplaces comprising a variety of generations, it’s no surprise that we all have our own preferred communication style. Unfortunately this can... --- > Small companies need intranets too. But how small is too small? And will you know when it is time for intranet software for a small business? - Published: 2024-08-16 - Modified: 2024-08-22 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/is-your-organization-big-enough-to-need-an-intranet/ - Categories: Intranet Management Small companies need intranets too. But how small is too small? And how will you know when it is time for an intranet? Early intranet adopters really had it rough. While the benefits of intranets may seem obvious to most of us now, imagine trying to pitch an intranet to decision makers 20 years ago. The conversation probably went something like this: Intranet champion: “I think we would benefit from an intranet. ” Decision maker: “A what? An intranet? Uhhh, why? ” Intranet champion: “Because we have a lot of employees who are uninformed on company news, product updates, and even new colleagues. ” Decision maker: “So send them an email” Intranet champion: *Buries face in hands. Thankfully this conversation rarely happens anymore; or at least not to the same extent. However, there are still plenty of smaller organizations that are struggling with common workplace and communication challenges that haven't yet realized that it's time for a intranet software for small business. How will you know when it is time for intranet software for a small business? If you are a smaller business and aren’t quite sure if you are ready for a new intranet, here are some signs that it might be time. Your organization has reached a certain size. What is that size? Is it 100 employees? Is it 25? The truth is that there is no exact size. Smaller businesses with fewer employees may not require an intranet, as they can easily communicate and share information through other means such as email, instant messaging, or other collaboration tools. Also, just because they are small doesn’t mean they are immune to... --- > If you are seeking a new intranet solution you may have heard the term security permissions. Here’s what you need to know: - Published: 2024-08-08 - Modified: 2025-05-05 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/security-permissions-what-they-are-and-why-you-need-them/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity If you are seeking a new intranet solution you may have heard the term security permissions. Here’s some information on what you need to know about security permissions—even if you don’t have a technical background. If you are seeking a new intranet solution you may have heard the term security permissions. Here’s some information on what you need to know about security permissions—even if you don’t have a technical background. What are security permissions? : Security permissions define what content a user can view, edit, or share. When security marks are assigned to content, users can only access content to the level of their required security permissions. For example, an accounting manager may require access to secure financial information, but does your marketing team require this same access? Probably not. Sensitive data should only be accessible to the right people within your organization. Why are security permissions important? In an intranet environment, where the software is accessed within a private network by employees or members of an organization, there may be sensitive data that needs to be protected. For example, a company may have financial data, employee records, or confidential documents that should only be accessed by authorized personnel. Security permissions help to ensure that only those who have been granted the appropriate level of access can view or modify this data. Without proper permissions in place, unauthorized individuals could potentially gain access to sensitive information, resulting in data breaches, theft, or other security risks. In addition, security permissions can help to prevent accidental changes or deletions of important data. By setting permissions that limit the actions that users can perform within the software, the risk of unintentional data loss or corruption can be reduced.... --- > Have you caught olympic fever? Here’s how you can use your intranet to host your own intranet games, enhancing team dynamics along the way. - Published: 2024-08-01 - Modified: 2024-08-01 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/4-ways-to-transform-your-intranet-into-an-olympic-playground/ - Categories: Intranet Management, Culture and Engagement Very few of us have the opportunity to compete at an Olympic level. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of our competitive spirit. With the help of your company's intranet and a dash of creativity, you can transform everyday work into an exciting competition. If you're like me, you probably get super excited when the Olympic Games come around. Maybe it's the anticipation of waiting four long years, or the awe of witnessing what these incredible athletes can achieve. Or perhaps it's the unifying feeling of rooting for our country and athletes that makes it so special. Unfortunately very few of us have the opportunity to compete at an Olympic level. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of our competitive spirit. With the help of your company's intranet and a dash of creativity, you can transform everyday work into an exciting competition. Here’s how you can use your intranet to host your own workplace Summer Olympics, boosting morale and enhancing team dynamics along the way. Start with an opening ceremonyBegin by announcing the workplace Olympics on your intranet, complete with an engaging video or post that outlines the games and the rules. Create a dedicated Olympics-themed homepage that can serve as the event hub, featuring leaderboards, daily highlights, and schedules. *tip: Our Falling Fun feature can spice up your page with falling Olympic medals Determine which competitive games to playDepending on your industry, workplace environment, and company size, there are many different intranet games you can play. However, if you are looking to enhance intranet adoption, try out some of these: Trivia relay: Set up a daily trivia contest covering everything from company history to fun facts about colleagues. Employees answer questions through the intranet, and each correct answer scores points... --- > We brought home 11 G2 badges this summer in various employee intranet categories, and here’s what it means - Published: 2024-07-22 - Modified: 2024-07-22 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/g2-summer-badges-highlight-our-customer-focus/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: G2 We brought home 11 G2 badges this summer in various employee intranet categories, and here’s what it means G2 Summer 2024 badges are out, and we are thrilled to be included once again.   If you are unfamiliar with G2, it is a technology review platform that attracts over 80 million visitors each year and features two million trusted and verified reviews.   The badges awarded by G2 are based on feedback and votes from actual customers and community members, rather than nominations from the companies themselves. It's an excellent method to gauge sentiment not only about our product but also about our competitors' offerings, providing an accurate snapshot of our position.   What G2 badges did ThoughtFarmer win? ThoughtFarmer collected several high performer badges this summer. Our customers recognized not only our growth as a company, but our efforts to improve the quality of our product.   High Performer High Performer Mid-market High Performer Canada High Performer Mid-Market Canada Best Support Mid-Market Best Support Enterprise Easiest to use Mid-Market Easiest To Do Business With Mid-Market Momentum Leader High Performer Enterprise Easiest Setup You can view ThoughtFarmer’s full profile on G2 here. What do these badges really mean?   A High performer award signifies that a product is well-regarded by its users for quality and satisfaction, even if it hasn't reached the market dominance of larger, more established competitors. A Momentum Leader on G2 signifies that the product is not only well-regarded by users but is also growing rapidly and gaining traction in its market. The Best Support badge indicates that a company excels in assisting its customers,... --- > Content is the backbone to any intranet, but keeping it current can be a real drag. That’s why we are excited to announce the release of our new Content Review Tool to help you manage outdated and inaccurate content on your intranet more effectively. - Published: 2024-07-13 - Modified: 2024-11-28 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-the-content-review-tool-keep-your-intranet-content-accurate-and-up-to-date/ - Categories: Intranet Management Content is the backbone to any intranet, but keeping it current can be a real drag. That’s why we are excited to announce the release of our new Content Review Tool to help you manage outdated and inaccurate content on your intranet more effectively. The Content Review Tool is the third key feature in our suite of content management solutions, complementing the Content Audit Report and Sitemap Report, as well as the recently launched Auto-Archive feature. The challenge: Managing outdated and inaccurate content Maintaining up-to-date, accurate, and relevant content on your intranet is essential for ensuring that your team has access to reliable information. Keeping track of what needs to be updated and when can be a daunting task and content often becomes outdated or inaccurate over time, leading to potential confusion and dwindling trust. The solution: Content Review Tool To address these challenges, we’ve introduced the Content Review Tool that helps intranet managers and content owners keep their content current, accurate, and relevant. The Content Review Tool functions as a system of reminders, gently nudging content owners to review their content when necessary and providing them with the tools they need to complete their reviews effectively. What is the Content Review Tool? Consider the Content Review Tool your reliable companion in content management. It is designed to help ensure that everything on your intranet is up-to-date and accurate by setting up regular review cycles, assigning content owners for each review, and tracking deadlines. The tool enables intranet managers to assign content reviews for sections of content or even individual pages to the appropriate department, content owner, or subject matter expert. When a content review is created, it notifies the assigned reviewers of the need to review content before a specified due date, helping... --- > See who won a ThoughtFarmer Best Intranet Award and get inspired by the most innovative, impactful, and beautiful intranets of 2024. - Published: 2024-06-28 - Modified: 2024-09-04 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/2024-best-intranet-award-winners/ - Categories: Intranet Management These awards recognize outstanding achievements in intranet design, innovation, and impact, celebrating the creative and effective use of our intranet software to solve workplace challenges and create positive organizational change. We are thrilled to announce the winners of our prestigious Best Intranet Awards. These awards recognize outstanding achievements in intranet design, innovation, and impact, celebrating the creative and effective use of our intranet software to solve workplace challenges and create positive organizational change. The intranet submissions were judged by an esteemed panel of industry experts including Victoria Blackwell from G2, Becky Sennett and Jackie Berg from Brilliant Ink, and Wil Arndt from OXD. Impact Category: First Place: RICKSecond Place: New York State Department of LaborThird Place: Marigold The Impact category honors organizations that have achieved significant positive changes through their intranet. This includes increases in productivity, employee engagement, and overall organizational efficiency. Innovation Category: First Place: Care HospiceSecond Place: Chaffetz LindseyThird Place: STO Building Group The Innovation category highlights organizations using their intranets in unique and groundbreaking ways. These winners have pushed the boundaries of traditional intranet usage, showcasing innovative features that address specific company needs in creative ways. Design Category: First Place: New York State Department of LaborSecond Place: Cambrian Credit UnionThird Place: Corus Orthodontists The Design category recognizes visually appealing and user-friendly intranets. The winners feature cohesive brand identity, strong art direction, and an engaging user experience. These intranets exemplify how thoughtful design can enhance usability and employee satisfaction. People’s Choice Winner: Care Hospice The People’s Choice Award allows customers to review and select their pick for the best overall intranet. This year, Care Hospice stood out for their focus on education and onboarding, making their intranet a... --- > Content Blocks enables admins to pre-create blocks reusable content to save you time, reduce errors, and improve the content creation. - Published: 2024-06-20 - Modified: 2024-11-28 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-content-blocks-streamline-your-intranet-content-creation/ - Categories: Intranet Management Creating and maintaining content across intranet pages has always been a time-consuming task. The need to recreate the same content in multiple locations can lead to inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and errors. Repurposing or reusing content throughout your intranet shouldn't be a hassle. Yet, if you've ever needed the same rich text, images, or links on multiple pages, you know how frustrating it can be. Manually recreating or duplicating content for each page is not only time-consuming but also opens the door to potential inconsistencies and errors. It can be a tedious and error-prone process. The Solution: Content Blocks To address these challenges, we're introducing Content Blocks that enables admins to pre-create content blocks—snippets or templates of reusable content—that can be quickly inserted into any page. Here's how Content Blocks can help: More Efficient Content Creation: Save time by reusing content and templates on new pages without having to recreate it from scratch each time. Consistent Messaging: Pre-set text means the content and message are consistent every time it's used. Fewer Errors: Using pre-built content blocks reduces the risk of typos and other errors, ensuring your content is always accurate and up-to-date. How Content Blocks Work Admins can create and manage Content Blocks directly from within the editor. Once a block is created, it can be easily added to any page, just like any other content. This streamlined approach not only accelerates the content creation process but also makes maintaining a consistent, error-free intranet much simpler. Whether you're setting up a new page or updating existing content, Content Blocks provide an efficient way to manage your intranet content. Get Started with Content Blocks Today! Ready to transform the way you manage content... --- > Find out how to break your intranet project down into easy, digestible steps. Free sample checklist included! - Published: 2024-06-19 - Modified: 2024-09-25 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/project-planning-101-part-one-checklist/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: intranet project, internal communications Launching an intranet can be a big challenge. Fortunately, we have some advice on how you can simplify your implementation. So you’ve invested in an intranet, now what? This article is the first of a three part series providing tips on how to run a smooth and successful intranet project. Launching an intranet is a big challenge. Unlike other software applications, an intranet is not plug-and-play. It might work out of the box, but you cannot just set it up, and walk away. To be successful, your intranet requires commitment from every single user, and must relate to established business objectives. Fortunately, we have some advice on how you can simplify your implementation project into three easy steps:  Defining intranet goals Turning goals into project deliverables, and Creating a project checklist. Begin with your intranet goals Before you purchased your new intranet software, you and your team probably asked yourselves: why do we need a new intranet? The answer to this question is your overarching business objective. If you need a refresher, you can revisit our post: Building an Intranet Business Case: Identifying & defining the opportunity, where we help you identify the right goals and objectives.   Turn intranet goals into project deliverables If your intranet goals answer the question of why, then your intranet project deliverables will answer the question of how. There are five questions we came up with that are loosely based off of an article called Bringing Science to the Art of Strategy. These questions are designed to determine how you will achieve your project planning objectives. What are the goals or the objectives your... --- > We compiled some of the best award-winning ThoughtFarmer intranets into a white paper. These 6 intranet examples will inspire your project. - Published: 2024-06-10 - Modified: 2025-01-31 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-award-winning-thoughtfarmer-intranets/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement Looking for inspiration for your next intranet project? This guide details some of the best award-winning ThoughtFarmer intranets, and will be sure to spark your creativity. Looking for intranet examples? We are often asked how organizations can improve their intranet—make it more visually appealing, increase engagement, boost productivity, or enhance company culture. While we may have a few ideas, it is our customers who are the real experts. The best intranet examples One of the ways we discover just how clever our customers are is through ThoughtFarmer’s Best Intranet Awards competition. Through the categories of design, impact, and innovation, they demonstrate immense creativity in solving organizational challenges using their intranet. We compiled some of the best award-winning ThoughtFarmer intranets into a visual guide. These intranet examples will provide you with enough inspiration to hit the ground running on your own intranet project. Learn More + Download --- > Learn the causes and effects of poor communication in the workplace and the tips to turn a lack of communication in business into effective communication. - Published: 2024-05-14 - Modified: 2024-11-14 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/poor-communication-in-the-workplace/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: video communications, remote work, crisis communication, communication, hybrid workplace, asynchronous communication, internal communication Poor communication in the workplace can affect productivity, morale, and engagement. Learn how to address the underlying causes of poor communication and create effective internal communication within your business. Communication is like the heartbeat of any organization—it keeps everything running smoothly. But when communication goes awry, it's like a wrench in the gears, disrupting the flow and causing all sorts of issues. From misunderstood emails to confusing meetings, poor communication breeds frustration and inefficiency. By tackling communication problems head-on, you can create a workplace where people feel heard, ideas flow freely, and everyone can do their best work. In this article, we explore the causes and effects of poor communication in business, as well as tips to fix poor communication in the workplace. What is poor communication in the workplace? You're at work, trying to get stuff done, but there's this constant feeling of things not quite clicking—emails get misinterpreted, instructions are unclear, and meetings seem to go nowhere. Sound familiar? These are all signs of poor internal communication, and it's a huge roadblock in the way of productivity and teamwork. Poor communication within a workplace can impact morale, slow decision-making, and affect the company's bottom line. It’s like navigating in dense fog—it obscures clarity, slows progress, and increases the risk of veering off course. Causes of poor communication in the workplace Poor communication takes shape in many forms and can occur at all levels of an organization, from leadership down to individual team member interactions.   Ambiguity in expectations In a Gallup 2024 poll, only 44% of employees know what’s expected of them at work. When roles, responsibilities and expectations are not clearly defined, it leads to confusion,... --- > ThoughtFarmer's AI Create and AI Enhance will revolutionize the way you work by simplifying intranet content ideation, creation, and editing, ensuring consistency across all communications for a more productive workplace. - Published: 2024-05-08 - Modified: 2024-11-28 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-ai-create-and-ai-enhance-transforming-intranet-content-creation/ - Categories: Intranet Management ThoughtFarmer's AI Create and AI Enhance will revolutionize the way you work by simplifying intranet content ideation, creation, and editing, ensuring consistency across all communications for a more productive workplace. We recognize the challenges of keeping internal communications consistent, engaging, and up-to-date. That’s why we are thrilled to introduce our latest innovations: AI Create and AI Enhance to revolutionize how you create and manage content on your intranet. Making content creation easier Creating content from scratch can be a daunting task. It’s time-consuming, and writer’s block often stalls progress. Ensuring a consistent tone and voice across all content can be challenging too, especially when multiple authors are involved. The effort spent brainstorming ideas, crafting first drafts, and revising for tone and voice can detract from other important responsibilities. This time-intensive process can also reduce the frequency of communication, impacting the overall intranet experience and diminishing its value. Enter AI Create and AI Enhance AI Create: Integrates into the ThoughtFarmer editor, ready to spring into action with a simple click on the toolbar. AI Create generates initial ideas and drafts, accelerating the content creation process. It provides a creative boost by brainstorming a variety of ideas and starting points, helping you overcome writer's block and speeding up the ideation process. AI Enhance: With easy-to-follow prompts, users can create content more easily than ever before. Whether you need to refine, simplify, or adjust the tone and length of your content, AI Enhance acts as your personal writing assistant, making content updates smoother and more impactful. Together, AI Create and AI Enhance simplify content creation, ensuring a consistent tone, style, and voice that aligns with your organization's standards. Making existing content even better... --- > Discover the differences between knowledge bases and knowledge sharing platforms and how they drive organizational success. Explore their key features, use cases, and benefits to optimize knowledge management in your business. Choose the right solution with insights from this comprehensive guide. - Published: 2024-05-01 - Modified: 2024-06-27 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/understanding-knowledge-bases-vs-knowledge-sharing-platforms/ - Categories: Intranet Management Discover the differences between knowledge bases and knowledge sharing platforms and how they drive organizational success. Explore their key features, use cases, and benefits to optimize knowledge management in your business. Choose the right solution with insights from this comprehensive guide. Knowledge bases, knowledge sharing platforms, knowledge management... are these all the same thing? Why are there so many different terms? And most importantly, do you really need one? What is a knowledge base? A knowledge base is a centralized repository of information that stores structured data, documents, articles, FAQs, tutorials, and other resources. It acts as a reservoir of knowledge, accessible to employees, customers, or any stakeholders seeking answers to common queries or solutions to specific problems. What is a knowledge sharing platform? Unlike a knowledge base, a knowledge sharing platform is dynamic, emphasizing collaboration among users. It fosters a culture of sharing insights, experiences, and expertise across the organization. These platforms facilitate real-time interaction, enabling employees to contribute their unique perspectives, learn from others, and preserve valuable tacit knowledge. They transform knowledge into a living entity, driving collaboration, innovation, and organizational growth. Key features of a knowledge base Structured content: Knowledge bases organize information into categories and subcategories, making it easy to navigate and locate relevant content. Search functionality: Users can quickly search for specific topics or keywords, retrieving relevant articles or documents. Version control: Ensures that the information is up-to-date, with the ability to track changes and revisions. Self-service support: Empowers users to find solutions independently, reducing the need for direct assistance and improving efficiency. Analytics and insights: Provides metrics on usage patterns, popular search queries, and content effectiveness, enabling organizations to optimize their knowledge resources. Examples of use cases for a knowledge base Employee onboarding: New hires... --- > Intranet accessibility ensures the functionality and content of your intranet is accessible regardless of physical barriers. - Published: 2024-04-28 - Modified: 2024-09-25 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/accessibility-what-it-is-and-why-its-a-priority-at-thoughtfarmer/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: ThoughtFarmer An accessible intranet ensures the functionality and content of your intranet is accessible regardless of physical barriers, and creates an overall positive user experience. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies 4% of the global population as being visually impaired, 4% as having low vision, and 0. 6% as being blind. That’s a large demographic who won’t be able to use your intranet if it isn’t appropriately accessible. But it isn’t just the visually impaired who benefit from accessibility. Good design is good design. And if you want to ensure every employee uses, and benefits from your intranet, it needs to be accessible by every single user. What is accessibility? To make something accessible means to improve its usability so any person can use the product/tool/service comfortably, and without any major complications. It’s about providing the same user experience for all users and ensuring no one is excluded. An accessible intranet ensures the functionality and content of your intranet is accessible regardless of physical barriers, and creates an overall positive user experience. Any employee, regardless of disability (permanent, temporary, situational, or conditional), age, cultural, linguistic background or situation should easily navigate and benefit from the intranet. How do you determine if an intranet page or design is accessible? To determine if an intranet page is accessible, you need to consider all barriers that can hinder the ability to access, navigate, or understand intranet content. Factors to consider include users with low vision, blindness, hearing, cognitive or motor impairments, those with situational disabilities, and low or zero tech-savviness. While the focus of accessibility has been accommodating disability, the definition offered by others is a bit broader:... --- > Gen Z’s unique way of communicating and collaborating is changing the way we interact in the workplace. - Published: 2024-04-16 - Modified: 2025-06-04 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/effectively-communicate-with-gen-z/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: digital workplace, video communications, remote work, communication, hybrid workplace, internal communication Effective communication with Generation Z (Gen Z) is becoming increasingly essential for organizations that want to succeed in attracting and retaining top young talent. “Hey Emily u free for a meeting tmrw” “Ya, im free @ 9 tmr ” “Cool, i’ll send u the invite ” Short, sweet, effective. That’s communication with Gen Z in a nutshell.   Thanks to remote and hybrid work environments, gone are the days of leaning over your cubicle to ask your coworker a question or calling everyone to the board room for a meeting. Internal comms is now often a quick ping on an instant messaging app with short notes and an emoji or GIF sprinkled on top or a Zoom invite for a team meeting.   The latest generation of workers, “Gen Z”, is anticipated to make up a third of the workforce by 2030. These new entrants to the job market bring unique communication preferences, technological skills, and expectations that challenge traditional workplace norms. Staying ahead of the curve and learning how to effectively communicate with Gen Z is crucial for creating a positive work environment. To understand how to connect with Gen Z employees, we cover the following sections: Generation Z: who are they? What does Gen Z value in their career? 5 tips to effectively communicate with Gen Z in the workplace 5 best channels to effectively communicate with Gen Z Generation Z: who are they? Generation Z, or Gen Z, consists of individuals born from 1997-2012, making them the youngest members of today's workforce. Most notably, Gen Z is the first generation to have never experienced a world without the internet, smartphones, or... --- > Discover how AI is revolutionizing intranets. ThoughtFarmer combines design, technology, and ethical practices to enhance human capability and customer experience. - Published: 2024-04-10 - Modified: 2024-08-29 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/ai-innovation-and-thoughtfarmer-the-future-of-work/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: AI, artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just a buzzword or some futuristic sci-fi concept — it has quickly become a reliable tool that is making complex tasks faster and easier, reshaping how we live and work. At ThoughtFarmer, we've taken a thoughtful and strategic approach to our product roadmap ensuring that our AI solutions are designed with our customer's needs in mind. Our vision: Enhancing the customer experience through AI At ThoughtFarmer, we understand that AI is not just a technological advancement, it's a tool to enhance human capability, efficiency, and creativity.   We believe in the promise of AI’s role as co-analyst, supportive assistant, and creative producer, in cooperation with human oversight, not as a replacement for it. As design and technology experts, we have a responsibility to shape a future that’s guided by ethical practices, privacy protection, and continuous learning. We have been following, researching, and experimenting within the AI space for some time, distilling the hype from the true benefits, and we are excited about use cases where it can enable us to better serve our customers and their communities of employees.   ThoughtFarmer is known for having one of the easiest-to-use intranets with best in class customer experience. We are excited about the potential for AI to make this user experience even better—making it easier to create content and find content. These are the two biggest problems that we solve for our clients, and the impact will be huge. How Artificial intelligence can enhance intranets The evolution from machine learning to generative AI Machine Learning (ML) and Generative AI are two pieces of the artificial intelligence puzzle, where ML provides the foundation upon which Generative AI is built.   ML encompasses a broad range of algorithms and techniques that allow systems to learn and make predictions based on data, and this has long been used in everyday technologies... --- > At ThoughtFarmer, we understand the need for a more personalized and efficient intranet experience. - Published: 2024-04-09 - Modified: 2024-09-05 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-multiple-homepages-for-a-more-personalized-intranet-experience/ - Categories: Intranet Management At ThoughtFarmer, we understand the need for a more personalized and efficient intranet experience. At ThoughtFarmer, we understand the need for a more personalized and efficient intranet experience. That's why we're excited to announce the release of our latest feature: Multiple Homepages. This new capability allows administrators to create tailored homepages for different groups, departments, or roles, enhancing user experience and fostering a stronger sense of belonging within the company. The challenge: Customization and flexibility Many organizations face challenges in customizing their homepages for various user groups. Until now, there has been no way for departments to independently brand and manage the homepages their teams see. This often leads to struggles providing a fully customized experience that meets the unique needs of different teams and departments. The solution: Multiple Homepages To address these challenges, we’ve introduced Multiple Homepages which allows administrators to create distinct, tailored homepages for different groups, departments, or locations within the organization. With this flexibility, users can easily switch between homepages tailored to their location, business unit, or role, offering a more personalized and engaging intranet experience. Why Multiple Homepages: More personalized user experience: Tailored homepages reflect each team’s unique needs and preferences, ensuring they get the most relevant information quickly. Stronger connections: By providing more relevant homepages, teams can develop a stronger sense of belonging and alignment with their team and company culture. Flexibility for users: Users can easily switch between their tailored homepage and the company homepage based on their needs, providing a dynamic and flexible experience. Simplified homepage editing: Preview changes before going live, making it easier to... --- > G2 badges are a testament to our product and the level of service we provide. Learn why our customers love us. - Published: 2024-04-04 - Modified: 2024-08-29 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/thoughtfarmer-g2-spring-awards-2024/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet project, G2 G2’s Spring 2024 Reports are out, and ThoughtFarmer has once again been named a High Performer within the Employee Intranet category, bringing our total number of G2 awards to over 120! It's that time of the year again! G2's Spring Awards have just been published and we are both honored and humbled to have been recognized multiple times within the Employee Intranet Category. This marks yet another milestone in our journey of innovation and excellence in the intranet software space. This season, our accolades include: High Performer quadrant in the Grid® Report High Performer - Enterprise and Mid-Market Best Support - Enterprise and Mid-Market Easiest To Use - Enterprise and Mid-Market High Performer - Canada Our growth and customer impact measured by G2 user satisfaction We value the prevalence and importance of G2 in the software space. The unbiased reviews published on the site are a critical resource for almost anyone researching business software. In the G2 Spring Report, ThoughtFarmer stood out for its exceptional user experience and customer support.   Top 5% for Ease of Use: Our platform ranks in the top 5% for ease of use among all employee intranet platforms. Top 5% for Customer Support: Similarly, we're ranked in the top 5% for our unparalleled customer support. “Our recognition in the G2 Spring Awards is of course an honor, but it also underscores our commitment to delivering an intranet solution that not only meets but surpasses customer expectations," said Darren Gibbons, President at ThoughtFarmer. "These awards reflect the hard work of our team and the invaluable feedback from our users, guiding our continuous evolution and innovation. " Real stories, real impact "Highly Recommended! " ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"ThoughtFarmer has revolutionized how... --- > Master the art of effective communication in 2025 and explore how you can create a culture of effective collaboration and engagement within your workplace. - Published: 2024-03-20 - Modified: 2025-02-03 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-improve-internal-communication/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration, Culture and Engagement Master the art of effective communication in 2025 and explore how you can create a culture of effective collaboration and engagement within your workplace. Let's face it: keeping up with the digital chatter in the workplace is tough. Your carefully crafted communications—those messages you pore over, just to make sure they’re noticed, let alone read—often get lost in the sea of communication: Slack, Teams, Google, email, and the dozens of other team communication apps you use at work. In this article, we explore: What is internal communication? Importance of internal communication in 2025 How to improve internal communication in 2025 What is internal communication? Internal communications is defined as the process of aligning employees to company strategy by systematically informing, influencing, motivating, and engaging people at all levels of the company through the one-way and two-way channels—digital and interpersonal—that are most relevant to each employee.   Effective internal communication ensures seamless operations, fosters collaboration, and maintains alignment between employees, as well as facilitates the flow of essential information within organizations. Explore more in-depth the what, why and how of internal communication in our internal communications definition: 40 definitions analyzed article. Importance of internal communication In 2025, it’s all but impossible to understate the importance of internal communications, as it relates to almost every employee-related business function: employee performance, employee welfare, employee retention and satisfaction; the list goes on. Cost of poor internal communication If you ignore your internal communications, it can be hugely detrimental to your business. A recent Communication Statistics 2024 report by Project Co. showed that the cost of poor business communication resulted in wasted time, missed messages, burnout, stress and fatigue,... --- > Knowledge sharing is the exchange of ideas and insights between individuals or groups to enhance learning, collaboration and innovation. - Published: 2024-03-13 - Modified: 2024-11-28 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/knowledge-sharing/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration Knowledge sharing is exchanging ideas and insights between individuals or groups within an organization to enhance learning, collaboration, and innovation. Learn how you can implement the power of knowledge sharing in your workplace. Creating a culture of knowledge sharing isn't just a good idea—it's essential for staying ahead of the curve. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), Fortune 500 companies suffer a loss of at least $31. 5 billion per year by failing to share knowledge. Encouraging knowledge sharing opens the doors to shared insights and expertise, driving creativity, efficiency, and growth. Think of it as the secret sauce that keeps organizations thriving and innovating.   What is knowledge sharing? Knowledge sharing is defined as the process of exchanging ideas, insights, best practices, lessons learned, and expertise between individuals or groups within an organization. It involves tapping into the collective wisdom of individuals within an organization and making it accessible to all.   The objective of knowledge sharing is to ensure that valuable knowledge evolves into a shared resource that drives innovation and problem-solving. Why knowledge sharing matters Inefficient knowledge sharing or even lack of sharing knowledge is often a bottleneck to productivity and people underestimate the impact on the organization’s bottom line. In fact, the average U. S. enterprise-size company could be losing $4. 5 million in productivity due to knowledge loss!   Take the example of Thurber Engineering Ltd. , a consulting firm specializing in geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials. Thurber implemented a knowledge-sharing platform by ThoughtFarmer to address the communication hurdles posed by dispersed offices.   Since the launch of Thurber’s knowledge-sharing platform, over 50% of employees have been actively using it. The intranet software provided the company with a... --- > Discover how corporate wikis can enhance knowledge management and collaboration. Explore key features, best practices, and implementation strategies. - Published: 2024-03-06 - Modified: 2025-04-21 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/corporate-wiki/ - Categories: Intranet Management Corporate wikis have become useful tools in modern business environments, changing the way organizations manage information, foster collaboration, and streamline communication. A corporate wiki has become a useful tool in modern business environments, changing the way organizations manage information, foster collaboration, and streamline communication. Enhance your intranet knowledge management In this ultimate guide to corporate wiki you'll learn: What is a corporate wiki Benefits of using a corporate wiki Corporate wiki best practices Implementing a corporate wiki How corporate wiki improves internal communication processes  Measuring the success of a corporate wiki Understanding corporate wiki A corporate wiki is a dynamic online platform designed to facilitate collaborative editing and sharing of information within an organization. Unlike traditional static intranet pages, a corporate wiki enables users to create, edit, and update content in real-time. Key features of corporate wiki User-friendly interface: user-friendly interfaces for easy content creation and editing without technical expertise. Version control: track edits, allowing users to monitor changes and revert to previous versions. Access control: provide detailed permissions for administrators to manage access to specific pages or sections. Search functionality: robust search capabilities for quick information retrieval. Multimedia support: support diverse media types for engaging content creation. Benefits of using a corporate wiki A corporate wiki offers many benefits that enhance internal operations within organizations. This versatile tool is essential in today's business landscape, empowering productivity, teamwork, and openness. Knowledge management: Knowledge loss can lead to incidents causing millions of dollars in damages. A corporate wiki centralizes organizational knowledge for easy access, updates, and sharing by employees. Collaboration: A study showed that three out of four employees emphasize the importance... --- > Fun and simple ideas to recognize your employees for all that they do. Celebrate Employee Appreciation Day and make your team feel valued. - Published: 2024-02-21 - Modified: 2024-02-21 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/ways-to-celebrate-employee-appreciation/ - Categories: Intranet Management Employee Appreciation Day is a great opportunity for organizations to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work and achievements of their employees. It's not just about a single day of recognition but fostering a culture of appreciation and respect year-round. Here are some ideas on how your organization can celebrate Employee Appreciation Day, ensuring your team feels valued and motivated. We'll also highlight how leveraging your organization's intranet can enhance these celebrations, turning appreciation into an integrated part of your company culture. 1. Personalized thank you notes Nothing beats the personal touch of a handwritten thank you note. Managers can write personalized messages to each team member, expressing genuine appreciation for their unique contributions. Sharing these notes on the Employee Appreciation Day can create a lasting impact. Feature these heartfelt thank you notes on your organization's intranet, allowing employees to share in the joy and recognition of their colleagues. 2. Professional development opportunities Offering workshops, courses, or seminars as a token of appreciation not only rewards employees but also invests in their future. Highlight upcoming opportunities on the intranet, making it easy for employees to sign up and further their career growth. Encourage staff to share back what they've learned in courses in a live presentation or a summary doc, and then these can be saved and shared via the intranet. 3. Team building activities Organize team-building exercises that encourage collaboration and fun. Whether it’s an escape room, a cooking class, or a virtual game day, such activities can significantly boost... --- > We've rolled out Collaborative Drafts to make it easier for teams to create and edit content together, and streamline the editing process. - Published: 2024-02-13 - Modified: 2024-09-11 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-collaborative-drafts-revolutionizing-content-creation-together/ - Categories: Intranet Management We're always looking for ways to make content creation easier and more efficient. That's why we're excited to introduce our latest feature: Collaborative Drafts. Collaborative drafts allows teams to work together on new drafts, streamlining the content creation process and ensuring that every piece of content is polished to perfection before it goes live. The challenge: Building content together Creating great content often requires input from multiple team members. But collaborating on drafts can be a cumbersome process, involving multiple versions, lengthy email threads, and manual merging of changes.   The solution: Collaborative Drafts To address these challenges, we've rolled out Collaborative Drafts to make it easier for teams to create and edit content together, and streamline the editing process. We’ve also upped our editor game with some key enhancements: One-click table of contents: Navigate longer content effortlessly with a dynamic table of contents that displays all the headings on your page. Simply click on a heading to jump directly to that section, making it easier to organize and review your work. Find and replace: Update content faster and more accurately with the new find and replace function. Easily locate specific words or phrases and replace them with the desired text in one simple step, saving time and reducing errors. Slash commands: Speed up your workflow with slash commands. By typing a quick slash (/) in the editor, you can instantly access a list of handy commands to create headings, add lists, and perform other common actions. These enhancements are designed to improve content creation, making it easier than ever for your team to collaborate and produce great content together. With the introduction of... --- > Proactive planning and the right communication platform minimizes damages when an unfortunate circumstance derails your business. - Published: 2024-01-04 - Modified: 2025-01-14 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/5-ways-to-prepare-your-workplace-for-an-emergency/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: internal communications, crisis communication, culture, mobile intranet No one anticipates a crisis, but proactive planning and the right communication platform minimizes damages when an unfortunate circumstance derails your business. Forest fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and severe storms can appear at any time, and employers must be prepared for the possibility the workplace may be impacted. While we all hope we won’t need it, proactive planning and the right communication platform minimizes damages when an unfortunate circumstance derails your business. Here are five ways to prepare your workplace for an emergency: 1. Have a virtual headquarters When emergencies force office closures, employees need a centralized way to access news, information, and documentation. Every document that's available on-site should also be available on-line. During the pandemic, legal firm Lenczner Slaght’s intranet served as a virtual headquarters. One of the first things they did was to create a page dedicated to COVID-19 resources. This included various policies, guides, compliance rules, links, and X feeds to trusted news sources. They also turned their intranet into a one-stop-shop, by providing valuable resources (including toolkits, precedents, and technology and services) to lawyers, law students, and law clerks. “During the past year, when everything has turned virtual, it’s been a saving grace for everyone at the firm,” said Lindsey Bombardier, Director, Marketing & Business Development at Lenczner Slaght. 2. Confirm your employees are reading critical announcements Disseminating important news and information is only one part of the challenge; the other part is ensuring employees have read it. At ThoughtFarmer, we have a useful feature called Required Reading. It allows you to designate essential content on your intranet as a mandatory read. The best part is the... --- > Here’s our list of the top intranet trends in 2024 to inspire you with ideas to create a more engaging employee experience. - Published: 2023-12-19 - Modified: 2024-06-27 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/top-10-intranet-trends-for-2024/ - Categories: Intranet Management Here’s our list of the top intranet trends in 2024 to inspire you with ideas to create a more engaging employee experience. It's that time of year again where we peek into the crystal ball and predict next year's intranet trends. Whether you are new to intranets or have used them for decades, you've likely noticed that they are no longer just a centralized source for documents and policies; they've transformed into vibrant digital workplaces. Modern intranets are all about making your workday smoother, more intuitive, and yes, even a bit more enjoyable. Here’s our prediction for the top 10 intranet trends for 2024 to inspire you to create a more engaging employee experience. 1. Personalizing the employee experience Future intranets will increasingly tailor their experience to individual employee preferences and roles to create a more engaging and productive work environment. This personalization is expected to significantly increase employee engagement and productivity . 2. Increased integration with 3rd party applications Intranets are moving towards seamless, deeper integrations with the rest of your company’s tools and systems. The aim is to create a unified digital workplace where collaboration tools are accessible within the intranet environment . 3. Mobile apps are essential With 80% of employees in deskless roles, intranets need to prioritize being mobile-friendly. This includes not only having responsive design, but also a full-featured mobile intranet app, with mobile-specific features like photos, videos, and audio notes direct from devices. . 4. Widespread shift to cloud-based platforms Cloud-based intranets are gaining momentum due to their scalability, accessibility, and cost-efficiency. The cloud also allows for more turnkey intranet implementations and personalized experiences by enabling... --- > We’re excited to announce the launch of our Enhanced Editor. - Published: 2023-12-08 - Modified: 2024-09-04 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-the-enhanced-editor-elevating-the-content-creation-experience/ - Categories: Intranet Management We’re excited to announce the launch of our Enhanced Editor. The enhanced editor brings greater flexibility, efficiency, and ease of use, helping you create and format content easier than ever before. While the familiar tools you rely on are still here, we've introduced several new features and improvements to further improve your workflow. What's new in the enhanced editor? Our enhanced editor comes with a suite of new features aimed at making content creation more intuitive and efficient. Here are the key updates: Revamped toolbarThe toolbar has been redesigned with larger, more modern icons, providing a familiar yet enhanced user experience ensuring that all tools are easy to find and use. Faster link managementAdding or editing links is easier. You can use the shortcut to quickly insert or modify links. The traditional link option remains available in the toolbar for those who prefer it. Improved table editingWe’ve replaced the old right-click drop-down menus with more accessible inline menus, making table management simpler. You can now easily add or delete columns, set header rows, and add captions directly from the table, reducing complexity and enhancing efficiency. Simplified image adjustmentsAdjusting images is easier with a new inline menu that provides quicker access to settings such as alignment, size, and cropping. Additionally, you can add captions to images, enhancing your content’s visual appeal and clarity. ChecklistsThe new checklist feature allows you to turn any list—whether bulleted or numbered—into a checklist to track tasks and action items, making it easier to manage content-related to-do’s directly within your documents. Mini calendar updates In addition to... --- > Promoting transparency in the workplace is essential for building trust within your company. Learn how your intranet can play a critical role. - Published: 2023-11-21 - Modified: 2024-12-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-create-a-culture-of-transparency-in-the-workplace/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: Intranets, employee engagement, transparency If you haven’t already discovered, transparency is a crucial factor in building trust between employees, managers, executives, and stakeholders. So what does transparency really mean? And how can we get better at it? There are a lot of misconceptions relating to transparency in the workplace.   Misconceptions about what transparency is, whether organizations are doing enough, and even if transparency is necessary.   If you haven’t already discovered, transparency is a crucial factor in building trust between employees, managers, executives, and stakeholders.   So what does transparency really mean? And how can we get better at it?   What is transparency? Transparency is defined as a philosophy that promotes open and honest communication in the workplace among employees at all levels of an organization.   Transparency is an important aspect of any workplace as it helps to build trust and credibility among employees and creates a positive work culture. When a workplace is transparent, it means that information, decisions, and actions are open and honest, and everyone is aware of what is happening within the organization.   In a transparent workplace, leaders typically commit to: Sharing successes and failures Providing consistent feedback to reports Including employees in the decision-making process Explaining reasons behind big decisions Updating employees on key business metrics But transparency isn’t just about leaders. It’s also about employees. And in a transparent workplace, employees aim to:  Admitting to mistakes Proposing new ideas Being accountable to project deadlines and roadblocks Asking for help when needed Benefits to transparency Here are some reasons why transparency is important in the workplace: Builds trust and credibility When a workplace is transparent, employees trust their colleagues and leaders more. This is because transparency shows that... --- > ThoughtFarmer will help to improve your workplace communication and culture, with enhanced profile pages, and our hobbies and interests card. - Published: 2023-10-11 - Modified: 2024-09-24 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/build-deeper-connections-for-more-engaged-employees/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration, Culture and Engagement - Tags: employee engagement, culture, communication Create a workplace that's not just about work, but about the people behind the work. Are you ready to supercharge how your team connects and engages with each other? Are you ready to supercharge how your team connects and engages with each other? Our latest release will help take your workplace communication and culture to the next level. Introducing ThoughtFarmer’s upgraded Profile Pages and our all-new Hobbies and Interests card! Deeper connections for more engaged employees In a world where remote work and virtual meetings are the norm, building meaningful connections within your team has become more important (and more difficult) than ever. We understand the importance of belonging and camaraderie. . That's why we've revamped our Profile Pages and introduced the Hobbies and Interests card. Enhanced Profile Pages Our Profile Pages have always been a central hub for connecting with colleagues and discovering more about your team members. With this latest release, we've made it even easier for you to connect and engage with your coworkers. Streamlined Design We've eliminated tabs and put all the interesting details about your teammates front and center. No more clicking through tabs to find what you're looking for. Flexibility You have the freedom to customize your Profile Pages to showcase information exactly how and where you want it. Organize and categorize your profile fields into cards which you can move around to highlight what matters most to you. Easy Transition Don't worry about losing your existing layouts. Current Profile Pages are automatically updated to the new look, but the column setups remain the same. Need more time to get used to it? Not to worry, if you prefer the old tab style,... --- > Good intranet software makes easy for people to share news and collaborate. Here are some of the best ideas for a successful intranet. - Published: 2023-09-21 - Modified: 2025-04-08 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/top-25-intranet-ideas-for-the-best-company-intranet/ - Categories: Intranet Management The best company intranets leverage all of the features and tools in creative ways to ensure there's always fresh content, creating a thriving digital workplace. You had a great launch day, and your team is educated on the value their new intranet brings to your whole company. To keep the momentum going, you’re going to want a long term post-launch strategy for your company intranet to keep employees coming back for more. Using company intranet software makes it easy to build and maintain an interactive network where people can share news and collaborate through a centralized knowledge hub. Here are some of the best ideas to turn your intranet into a thriving dynamic digital workplace. Idea #1: Encourage shout-outs Employee recognition plays a huge role in employee satisfaction; especially when it’s sincere and spontaneous. Consider including a shout-outs section that lets any employee contribute new posts (and comment on others), and make it visible in the global navigation. This empowers team members on both the giving and receiving side of the acknowledgements. Idea #2: Make remote accessibility a priority In today’s hybrid work environment, it's essential that your intranet is available for remote workers. This includes full mobile accessibility for deskless employees and frontline workers, so they can freely access the information, resources, and contacts they require to be successful on the job. Idea #3: Motivate employees to upload photos and expand their intranet profiles If you allow your employees to edit their profiles, as well as choose their own profile photos, they’ll feel more invested in your intranet network. You’ll see people’s personality start to come through too. You can even bring in an... --- > To ensure the success of your intranet you need a dedicated and creative launch campaign. Here's 25 ideas to propel your intranet. - Published: 2023-07-26 - Modified: 2024-12-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/25-creative-intranet-launch-ideas/ - Categories: Intranet Management Generating excitement is the key to a successful intranet launch. Here are 25 actionable ideas you can use for your own intranet launch strategy. A new intranet can significantly improve your workplace, but getting your team to adopt and engage with it won’t happen on its own. You need a focused, dedicated, and creative intranet launch campaign, if you want your new intranet launch to be successful. Here are 25 actionable intranet launch ideas and the best intranet examples that you can use to propel your own intranet (or extranet). Idea #1: Involve key employees in product evaluation Include employees in early discussions, so they can learn some of the ways your new intranet can help improve their daily workflow. Check out our white paper on intranet use cases for examples on how employees can benefit from the intranet across various roles. Idea #2: Encourage employees to offer feedback Employee feedback is essential to designing a useful, intuitive intranet. Get employees to participate in card sorting and task testing activities. Show employees that you value their input, while simultaneously improving your intranet navigation. Idea #3: Let employees help name your intranet To paraphrase Shakespeare, what’s in an intranet name? Not much, if it’s named by only one person. Running an event where employees can suggest and vote on names for the intranet, makes the process exciting and engaging for everyone. Check out our step-by-step guide on crowdsourcing an intranet name for more information. Idea #4: Send home QR code teasers Consider creating a QR that leads to a simple landing page with all of your vital intranet information. They can include: A copy of... --- > An intranet pet gallery is a fun and engaging way to connect with colleagues and create a sense of community within the workplace. - Published: 2023-07-19 - Modified: 2025-06-10 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/why-every-intranet-needs-a-pet-gallery-adorable-photos-included/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: employee engagement, photo gallery A pet gallery on your intranet is a fun and engaging way to connect with colleagues and create a sense of community within the workplace. Picture this: You're having a stressful day at work, deadlines are looming, emails are piling up, and your brain feels like it's about to explode. Suddenly, a cute puppy or a fluffy kitten pops up on your computer screen, wagging its tail or purring contentedly. You can't help but smile and feel a wave of relaxation wash over you. That's the power of pets. A recent study showed that the average person spends 45 minutes a day looking at pictures of cute animals and that each of those people has 20,000 cute animal photos on their computer. According to a study of more than 1,000 participants by the U. K. office 365 app company Wrike, people who use cute animal photos at work report higher productivity than those who don’t. The last few years have been full of unpredictability, which is why it's important for organizations to create a positive work environment and make their employees feel valued. A pet gallery is a collection of photos and stories about employees' pets. It can be a fun and engaging way to connect with colleagues and create a sense of community within the workplace. Here’s why it’s a good idea for organizations to have a pet gallery on their intranet. Boost employee morale Pets are known to bring joy and happiness to our lives, and the workplace is no exception. A pet gallery on the intranet can bring a smile to employees' faces and create a positive atmosphere. It's a great way... --- > Watch our video featuring ‘humor in the workplace’ expert Michael Kerr who will chat how to maintain a more positive outlook. - Published: 2023-07-19 - Modified: 2025-01-23 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/webinar-leading-and-laughing-in-turbulent-times/ - Categories: Intranet Management During uncertain times, many of us can feel frustrated, anxious, and disconnected; but when times are tough, a little humor can go a long way in improving our mood and keeping us connected and engaged. The pandemic had many of us feeling frustrated, anxious, and disconnected. And now, with the current economic times, we find ourselves again in a period of uncertainty. Since we spend so much time with our co-workers (albeit digitally), these feelings are having a huge impact on our professional relationships. The good news is that much of how we feel is in our control. And when times are tough, a little humor can go a long way in improving our mood and keeping us connected and engaged. The better news is that we’re here to help! Watch our recorded webinar featuring ‘humor in the workplace’ expert (and legit funny guy) Michael Kerr who will chat about: Why laughter during uncertain times truly is one of the best medicines How to maintain a more positive, resilient outlook in the face of uncertainty What does it mean to “step up as a leader” during challenging times? How to connect and communicate more effectively in the virtual world How not to be a “jerk at work”: Insights and lessons from Michael’s hot-off-the-presses book, The Jerk Free Workplace: How You Can Take the Lead to Create a Happier, More Inspiring Workplace This presentation is guaranteed to make you laugh.   https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=gO551YwXxU4&t=539s --- > In this blog post, we will explore the importance of a scalable intranet and how organizations can ensure their intranet will grow with them. - Published: 2023-07-13 - Modified: 2024-08-22 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-scalability-choosing-the-best-intranet-software-for-your-business/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: intranet, collaboration, best intranet software Without scalability, your intranet may become slow and unreliable, causing frustration and reduced productivity for your employees. You’ve finally found the intranet of your dreams. The features are ideal, the support is outstanding, and the usability is excellent. There is just one problem. Your organization is poised for some serious growth. So the next question is, is your intranet scalable? Scalability is a crucial factor to consider when choosing a new intranet. As your business grows and evolves, your intranet should be able to scale up to meet your changing needs. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of scalability for intranet software and how organizations can ensure their intranet will grow with them. What is Scalability? Scalability is defined as the ability of a system or software solution to handle increased workload and traffic without sacrificing performance or stability. In the context of intranet software, scalability means that the software can accommodate the growing needs of your organization, whether that's an increase in users, data, or functionality. Why is Scalability Important for Intranet Software? Without scalability, your intranet may become slow and unreliable, causing frustration and reduced productivity for your employees. In extreme cases, your intranet may even become unusable, which can lead to significant business disruptions. How to ensure you have a scalable intranet Plan for growth If you haven’t yet chosen an intranet solution, now is the time to think ahead. Your intranet should be able to accommodate growth in the number of users, data, and functionality. By planning for growth upfront, you can avoid the need—and headache— to switch to a... --- > If you're struggling to get employees to engage on your intranet consider implementing intranet polls to encourage participation. - Published: 2023-07-13 - Modified: 2024-09-26 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/want-immediate-intranet-engagement-try-an-intranet-poll/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: intranet, employee engagement, poll, intranet engagement If you're struggling to get employees to engage with your intranet platform, consider implementing intranet polls as a way to encourage participation and feedback. One of the great things about using our own product at ThoughtFarmer is that we get to witness in real-time what works best for increasing intranet adoption and engagement. Case in point: Polls. I am always amazed by how much interaction and engagement our polls get, whether they are to gather feedback on events or office topics, or fun polls such as these questions recently posted on our intranet: If you were handed the following summer drink menu, which would be your first drink of choice? Which of these would bring you the most joy to have on or near your desk? Which skill or talent would you be interested in learning from a friendly coworker? The answer options had a creative spin that made the questions extra engaging and fun to think about. These definitely get people onto our intranet! People always want to know how others responded which they can view right after submitting their answer. Here’s everything you need to know about intranet polls, and how you can use them to your advantage. Why intranet polls? Intranet adoption and engagement are crucial for any organization. However, it's not always easy to get employees to use the intranet regularly. That's where intranet polls come in. Intranet polls are a quick and easy way to collect feedback and opinions from employees. They can be used to gather information on a variety of topics such as new product ideas, employee satisfaction, or company events. How intranet polls increase engagement By... --- > Intranet content creation is no longer just IT's responsibility. Modern intranet software makes it easy for everyone to play a role. - Published: 2023-07-06 - Modified: 2024-09-20 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-encourage-intranet-content-creation/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: intranet software, intranet content, employee engagement, content creation, intranet engagement Intranet content creation is not just an IT or internal communications responsibility. Modern intranet software makes it easy for everyone to play a role in intranet content creation. Here's how to make it happen. There is a well known proverb that goes something like this: Create another department’s intranet content, and you help them for a day. Teach them how to create their own intranet content and you empower them for a lifetime. Ok, so maybe that’s not exactly it, but you get the point. You can take on all the intranet content creation you want, but it isn’t sustainable; especially if your organization is growing. Benefits of empowering intranet content creators Similar to user-generated (UGC), employee-generated content (EGC) has many advantages including: Improved intranet adoption. The more employees are involved in intranet content creation the more likely they will return to your intranet. Content won't get stale. Abundance content creation means your intranet is less likely to become stale from infrequent and outdated content. Provides teams and departments with their own voice. Each team and department is unique in an organization. Use this opportunity to showcase their strengths, and how it contributes to other departmental initiatives. Less reliance on email. The more employees rely on their intranet for sharing information, the less likely they will be to email this information. Reduced IT bottlenecks. When employees know how to post their own content, they won’t rely on other departments like IT. Increased knowledge sharing. The more teams and departments are empowered with content creation, the higher the overall knowledge share. More inclusive environment. Allowing multiple teams and departments to post content helps to create a more inclusive culture. Scalability. Sharing content creation with other... --- > Here are 30 intranet content ideas that will help you grab employees’ attention and keep them coming back to your intranet for more. - Published: 2023-06-15 - Modified: 2025-01-23 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/30-intranet-content-ideas-and-one-cute-puppy/ - Categories: Intranet Management Content is the key to employee engagement with your intranet. We've got 30 creative intranet ideas that will get your team excited and coming back for more. Intranet content writers have the responsibility of creating compelling content that grabs readers’ attention. So, it’s understandable that marketers might resort to desperate measures to increase their engagement—like promising puppy pictures. These tactics may work in the short term, but they won’t encourage your audience to come back again and again. That’s why you need to think outside-the-box and find exciting ways to keep team members involved and engaged. Here are 30 innovative intranet content ideas, which will help you grab your employees’ attention and keep them coming back to your intranet for more.   1. Surveys Whenever someone mentions survey fatigue, we're always quick to remind them that we absolutely love surveys. What’s better than knowing your workplace values your input? Also, every survey provides fresh new research to post to your intranet. Want to start building your first survey? Check out how to create an intranet evaluation survey.   2. Policies and procedures  All the operational changes that have occurred the last few years, leading in and out of the pandemic, have forced us to rely on our intranet more than ever before. All the resources we need to stay productive are available on our intranet. This included critical policies for things like remote work, hiring and training procedures, and brand guidelines. 3. Corporate updates  Corporate information doesn’t have to be dry. A little bit of love can turn ‘boring’ info updates into engaging points of interest for your team. For example, a new location announcement could include... --- > Learn about intranet use cases and how engineering firms are increasing productivity, streamlining communication, and fostering innovation. - Published: 2023-06-02 - Modified: 2024-11-28 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/engineering-firms-use-cases-intranet-software/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: new intranet, engineering firms What are the common intranet use cases for engineering firms? An intranet can really help improve productivity and communications, becoming a big success factor for engineering firms. Have you ever wondered how engineering firms manage to stay on top of their game? Or how they manage to unite employees and knowledge from multiple offices? Well, here's a little secret: it's their intranet.   Whether you're part of a massive multinational corporation or a nimble startup breaking new ground, intranet software has become the go-to tool for engineering firms. How are use cases for engineering firms different from other organizations?   Intranets primarily solve challenges around communication, collaboration and knowledge.   And while engineering firms seem to benefit from all three of these, the knowledge management angle is definitely the strongest.   We noticed this first hand with ThoughtFarmer customers Thurber Engineering and RICK Engineering. One of their primary reasons for acquiring a new intranet was for the purpose of sharing knowledge and information outside of individual branches.   What are some of the workplace frustrations experienced by engineering firms?   Communication and CollaborationSeveral of the pains mentioned relate to difficulties in internal communications and collaboration effectively within and across teams and offices. This includes a lack of transparency and knowledge sharing, disconnected teams, and information getting lost. Document / Policy ManagementAnother trend is the need for a centralized repository for information, documents, and policies, and a lack of findability of information needed for daily tasks. Some are still relying on static websites, shared drives, and email for information sharing, which is inherently inefficient and can lead to lost productivity. Knowledge ManagementRelated to the above, engineering firms need... --- > Suffering from poor intranet adoption? It's about how you design, promote, and maintain it that makes all the difference. - Published: 2023-06-02 - Modified: 2024-12-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/10-reasons-and-solutions-for-poor-intranet-adoption/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: intranet adoption Suffering from poor intranet adoption? It's not just about having an intranet, but how you design, promote, and maintain it that makes all the difference. There are a lot of intranet vendors that oversell how easy intranet adoption is. Not that I blame them, but low intranet adoption isn’t so much the problem, but rather a symptom of something deeper. When your employees are not adopting, they are conveying something about the technology. They are trying to tell you that the old way of doing things is still better. So even the shiniest of features isn’t going to suddenly fix the adoption problem on its own. Just like no two intranets are alike, no two intranet users are alike. Every intranet user has different needs and skill levels. In this blog we’ve outlined some of the most common reasons for poor intranet adoption, and how to improve it. Not all of these may apply to you, but they will hopefully consider you to think deeper about the challenge of poor intranet adoption. Signs of poor intranet adoption Lack of awareness Many employees are unaware of the existence or benefits of the intranet. Without proper education and training, employees are unlikely to understand how the intranet can improve their work processes and increase their productivity. Solution: Promote the intranet to employees by highlighting its benefits and explaining how it can improve their work processes. Provide training and education to employees to help them understand how to use the intranet effectively. Poor user experience A poorly designed and difficult to navigate intranet can be frustrating for employees, leading to a lack of motivation to use it. If... --- > By using an intranet, companies can better navigate through the challenges posed by a financial crisis and emerge stronger on the other side. - Published: 2023-05-17 - Modified: 2023-09-18 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-ways-to-support-employees-during-a-financial-crisis/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: intranet By using an intranet, companies can better navigate through the challenges posed by a financial crisis and emerge stronger on the other side. A pandemic, inflation, and threat of a recession have taken the stability and momentum out of a lot of workplaces. Businesses, in turn, have become cautious about where they spend their budgets and what tools and platforms they choose to adopt, or retire. This often means culture tools—including intranet software—is sometimes the first cut. But is that the right move? And will businesses come to regret that when employees churn? In a financial crisis, churn is pretty much inevitable. Employee churn refers to the rate at which employees leave your organization, which can be caused by a variety of factors such as dissatisfaction with work, lack of growth opportunities, or even simply being offered a better opportunity elsewhere. Now, you might be thinking, "So what if a few employees leave? It's not a big deal. " But the truth is high rates of employee churn can have a major impact on your organization's bottom line. It increases recruitment and training costs, damages company culture, and reduces productivity. To prevent employees from churning, it is crucial to: Communicate your company goals and strategy to get through the financial hard times Celebrate your employees and keep culture alive Collaborate on projects that will keep your company afloat The role of an intranet in a crisis During a crisis, there are a lot of challenges that require immediate action. One of the most crucial factors that can help a company navigate through these uncertain times is effective communication. An intranet can play a... --- > Intranet software can benefit many different employee roles. Which one of these use cases could most further your organization? - Published: 2023-05-03 - Modified: 2024-04-04 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-use-cases-real-life-scenarios-for-every-employee/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet Intranet software is a versatile tool that can benefit many different employee roles within an organization. Which one of these use cases could most further your organization? Intranets are more essential than ever for companies to keep employees well connected to their workplace. So what do different roles within a workplace need to know about how an intranet supports their specific work? In this blog post, we'll explore some of the different employee roles that benefit from intranet software. Human resources HR professionals are responsible for a wide range of tasks, from recruiting and onboarding to employee benefits and performance management. Intranet software helps them streamline these processes by providing a centralized platform for tracking vacation time, managing benefits, and communicating with employees. To learn more about how to build an onboarding hub on your intranet check out this blog: 7 tips for building an onboarding hub on your intranet. Front-line workers Front-line workers, such as customer service representatives, bus drivers, and warehouse workers, often work in remote locations or on-the-go. Intranet software helps them stay connected with the rest of the organization by providing access to company news, policies, and procedures. To see how RFTA kept their bus drivers informed on company news and events, read this case study: How ThoughtFarmer’s mobile app empowered RFTA’s frontline workers. IT professionals IT professionals are responsible for maintaining the organization's technology infrastructure and ensuring that all systems are running smoothly. Intranet software can help them manage software updates, troubleshoot problems, manage IT requests, and communicate with other departments about technology-related issues. Through features liked Required Reading, IT professionals can also be certain that important security policies are read by... --- > AI is rapidly becoming the new shortcut to creating content. So how can you use it to help create intranet content? - Published: 2023-04-26 - Modified: 2024-12-27 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/using-ai-to-create-intranet-content/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: AI, chatgpt AI is rapidly becoming the new shortcut for just about everything these days. So how can you use it to help create intranet content? A while back we discussed the emergence of AI tools like ChatGPT. We looked at some of the pros and cons of using it to create content, and how to get the most of it. If you have no idea what ChatGPT is, or you need a refresher, click here. Now we want to take that one step further and show you a few different examples of how AI can assist you in creating content for your intranet. Create AI intranet content Whether you are feeling uncreative, are in a rush, or just need a helping hand on creating content, here are a few times when it's worth testing out AI generated content: Employee announcements Employee announcements are a great way to introduce new team members to the rest of the company. They can help to build a sense of community and foster a culture of collaboration. However, writing these announcements can be time-consuming, especially for large companies with many employees. ChatGPT can help to automate this process by generating employee announcements based on basic information such as name, job title, and department. Sales figures Announcing sales figures is an important part of keeping employees informed about the performance of the company. However, presenting this information in an engaging and informative way can be a challenge. ChatGPT can help to create a clear and concise announcement that highlights the key numbers and trends. Simply inform ChatGPT of the numbers you want to announce. This could include total sales revenue, sales... --- > Administrator Roles allows you to assign different permissions to IT administrators, HR managers, content editors, and more. - Published: 2023-04-25 - Modified: 2024-09-05 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/introducing-administrator-roles-enhanced-security-and-control/ - Categories: Intranet Management When it comes to your data, security is paramount. That’s why we are excited to announce the launch of our new flexible Administrator Roles Administrator Roles give you greater control over your intranet's security and management. This allows you to assign fine-grained permissions to individuals or groups, enabling them to perform specific administrative actions based on their role and responsibilities. The challenge: Managing access and permissions When managing an intranet, one of the key challenges is ensuring that the right people have access to the right tools and information, while maintaining a high level of security. Without systems in place to manage permissions, there's a risk of over-privileging users or restricting access to necessary tools and information. This can lead to inefficiencies, potential security risks, and administrative bottlenecks. The solution: Flexible Administrator Roles To address these challenges, we’ve introduced flexible Administrator Roles that gives you the ability to fine-tune permissions on your intranet. With flexible Administrator Roles, you can easily assign different permissions to IT administrators, HR managers, content editors, and more, depending on your organization's access and security needs. What are Administrator Roles? Administrator Roles allow you to create and assign customized administrative roles to individuals or groups within your organization. This feature provides a more granular approach to managing who can access specific administrative functions, ensuring that each user only has the permissions necessary to perform their role effectively. Why Administrator Roles Enhanced security: By assigning specific permissions to individuals or groups, you can minimize the risk of unauthorized access and maintain a high level of security within your intranet. Greater control: Administrator Roles provide a flexible and customizable approach to intranet... --- > Looking for a guide to help you choose the best intranet? Look no further than the updated Intranet Buyers' Guide. - Published: 2023-04-17 - Modified: 2023-09-18 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/intranet-buyers-guide/ - Categories: Intranet Management This guide will save you time, money, and frustration by providing you with everything you need to make an informed purchasing decision Looking for a comprehensive guide to help you choose the best intranet solution for your organization? Look no further than the Intranet Buyers' Guide. This must-have eBook has just been updated with the latest tips on selecting a new intranet. Packed with expert insights and practical steps, this guide will help you navigate the complex world of intranet technology and choose the solution that is right for your business. Whether you're a small startup or a large enterprise, the Intranet Buyers' Guide is an indispensable resource that will help you make the most informed decision about your next intranet investment. Don't miss out on this updated edition—get your copy today! --- > No one actually enjoys the process of intranet software selection. But there is no mistaking that it does involve effort. - Published: 2023-04-05 - Modified: 2025-04-25 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/youve-decided-you-need-an-intranet-so-what-next/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet, intranet search, best intranet software If you’ve embarked on an intranet journey, you have some work to do. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complex. No one actually enjoys the process of seeking out new software. Ok, maybe a few of you do. But there is no mistaking that it does involve effort. After all, you can’t just ask ChatGPT and expect to find the right solution. This is especially true when it comes to intranet software. This is because there is no one size fits all. Your success depends on finding the best solution for your organization, and your workplace challenges. In this blog post, we're going to make things simple and guide you through some of the steps to take once you've decided an intranet is right for your organization. Start with some research on software comparison sites Sites like G2 and Capterra are a gold mine for software advice. They allow you to compare multiple vendors simultaneously, gain insight into software strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately save you time in not having to go to each vendor's website. If you have specific concerns—like security concerns—try searching out reviews for specific words related to security. You can also sort by various criteria, including most recent reviews, or highest rated reviews. Request a demo A demo will typically involve a 30-60 minute presentation from an intranet vendor. This will allow you to learn about the vendor, ensure the product meets your needs, and ask any questions. It also will ensure you can see the product in real time, rather than just watching a video. Some vendors may request a quick discovery call. This is... --- > No one intends for their intranet content to get out of control, but it can easily happen. Here's how to address content sprawl. - Published: 2023-03-29 - Modified: 2024-09-24 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/content-sprawl/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity No one intends for their intranet content to get out of control, but it can easily happen. Here are some steps you can take today to address content sprawl. The first few months after an intranet launch are a glorious phase. People are happy, employees are engaged, the content is fresh and relevant, and everyone can find what they are looking for. But then something happens. Not overnight, but over a period of time, you start to notice things aren’t quite the same. Those top search results now require more digging. Finding that PDF you need for that proposal takes multiple clicks, and digging down into the site IA (intranet architecture) has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. Your intranet satisfaction survey numbers start to drop too, as people complain that they “can’t find what they need” or “search doesn’t work. " The path to that sub-page has since changed. You begin to wonder what the point of your intranet is if you cannot find what you need. Welcome to content sprawl, content clutter, or more commonly known as “can’t find stuff on your intranet. ” While no one strives for content sprawl, it is extremely common—particularly if your intranet is over two years old. At ThoughtFarmer, even we were victims to content sprawl, which is exactly what forced us down a complete intranet redesign a while back. Regardless, if content sprawl is not handled correctly it can (and will) derail your entire intranet project. Why does content sprawl happen? Think of the last time you moved into a new house. Those first few months after you unpacked were likely very organized. Everything had a place, and... --- > Learn how Corus deployed an intranet that resulted in high adoption, reinforced core values, and a centralized location for trusted news. - Published: 2023-03-20 - Modified: 2023-10-03 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/case-study-corus-orthodontists-launches-intranet-to-manage-rapid-growth/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: case study, intranet Our newest case study features a growing orthodontist partnership network. Knowing they were primed for rapid growth, they sought out a solution that would work not only now, but in the future too as they expanded. With over 1100 employees, Corus is one of the largest and fastest-growing orthodontist partnership networks in North America. In late 2020, they were on the verge of rapid growth. They were adding new doctors, practices, and members, and as we all know what works for 500 employees doesn’t work for 1000—especially when it comes to communication and culture. Important communication was often lost, or unread. It was also becoming increasingly difficult for employees to locate critical information, or to trust the information they found. But there was an even more pressing concern for Corus: Their workplace culture. With no centralized platform to unite their workforce, employees were disconnected from each other, and had no sense of who Corus was, what Corus stood for, and where to get the latest news. Learn how Corus deployed an intranet that resulted in high employee adoption, reinforced core values, and a centralized location for trusted news and information. View the case study here --- > AI tools like ChatGPT have exploded in popularity, leaving many content creators wondering: Will AI tools replace the need for human content? - Published: 2023-02-10 - Modified: 2024-12-27 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/can-ai-help-with-internal-communication/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: AI There is no doubt that generative AI is a game changer—especially for those creating content. But will it live up to its hype? And are you ready to embrace it? It's hard to go anywhere these days without hearing about AI tools like ChatGPT. To be honest, I had been hiding my head in the sand, and was extremely reluctant to take a peek at any AI tools. After all, I am a content writer, and I didn't want a robot replacing me. But, I also knew I couldn’t avoid this topic forever, and if I wanted to keep up with the cool kids, I needed to figure this out. So, I turned to some trusted marketing friends where I learned that they were already using a few AI tools, including ChatGPT—and to their advantage. We had a long conversation where I was reassured that AI could be very helpful for creating content. These tools can save time and money, help me create more content, and help me create better content with less effort. So I decided to try ChatGPT. Here is what I learned, and how I think it could apply to all communicators and content writers. And no, I did not write this article using any AI tool:) What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a chatbot launched by OpenAI in November 2022. It is built on top of OpenAI's GPT-3 family of large language models and has a remarkable ability to interact in conversational dialogue. ChatGPT can carry out natural language generation (NLG) tasks with human-like accuracy. The underlying technology relies on a massive amount of text data from the Internet to decode the complex... --- > One type of project that we have a lot of experience with is building law firm intranets. Here's how so structure your law firm intranet. - Published: 2023-01-30 - Modified: 2024-12-13 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-structure-a-law-firm-intranet/ - Categories: Intranet Management - Tags: intranet content, law firm intranet At ThoughtFarmer, we are fortunate to work with a lot of great clients across a range of industries. One type of project that we have a lot of experience with is building law firm intranets. At ThoughtFarmer, we are fortunate to work with a lot of great clients across a range of industries. One type of project that we have a lot of experience with is building law firm intranets.   On these projects, we work with our law firm customers to understand the goals for the intranet, and the types of information they have and want to store on their intranet. We use techniques like card sorting and task testing to figure out the best way to structure the information architecture and come up with the appropriate top level navigation for the site. During this process, we have noticed certain patterns, with common elements across law firm intranets. While every organization is different, we’ve seen the following elements frequently appear in the top level navigation across law firm intranets.   Top level navigation of law firm intranets Other insights Flexibility with top-level navigation is important As indicated in the table above, law firms typically have a strong understanding of how they want their navigation to appear and what it should include. The flexibility of our platform is a key reason we attract many customers from this industry.   Knowledge sharing matters Few industries rely on the quick discovery of information as much as legal firms—which is partly why many law firms are seeking out intranet software to assist them in managing internal knowledge. Modern intranets are a great way to manage knowledge because they enable quick access to large quantities of information. As an... --- > How an intranet can help employees find information, collaborate with others, and locate subject matter experts. - Published: 2022-11-29 - Modified: 2025-05-13 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/can-i-speak-to-a-manager-how-an-internal-knowledge-base-can-reduce-customer-service-friction/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: knowledge sharing, customer service Learn how you can harness the power of knowledge management to improve customer service and ultimately drive more revenue. Summary Poor customer service, often caused by unprepared or under informed agents, results in significant revenue losses and customer dissatisfaction. Implementing an intranet knowledge base helps improve service by giving employees quick, accurate, multilingual, and mobile-accessible access to essential information. Effective knowledge management empowers staff, enhances the customer experience, and contributes to overall business success. While 80% of B2C leaders believe they deliver excellent customer experiences, less than half of consumers agree. Ouch. That’s a huge gap.   And it’s estimated that in the US alone, over $62 billion in revenue is lost every single year because of bad customer service. Customer service is a broad term used to define how a company supports its customers before, during, and after a purchase. It can include an employee at a call center, a receptionist, a concierge at a hotel, or a bank teller.   When done correctly, customer service has as much impact as an excellent sales funnel or strong marketing efforts. Conversely, poor customer service can impact sales, increase turnover, and harm your brand and reputation.   From the perspective of a customer service agent, it isn’t always pleasant on their end either.   It makes sense: if a customer is satisfied, they won’t need to complain or ask for help. As a result, customer service agents often handle upset customers, further complicated by the demand for instant solutions. So why is customer service so bad? One survey found that 36% or respondents thought the most frustrating aspect of a... --- > Together, with the team from Optimal Workshop, we share the secrets to achieving a superior intranet Information Architecture. - Published: 2022-11-28 - Modified: 2023-09-21 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/webinar-how-to-organize-intranet-content/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: intranet, productivity, information architecture, planning For your intranet to succeed, content must be well organized, well structured, and intuitively labeled. In other words, your intranet needs good Information Architecture (IA). For your intranet to succeed, content must be well organized, well structured, and intuitively labeled. In other words, your intranet needs good Information Architecture (IA). IA is the organization of content that allows users to understand where they are, and where the information they want is located on their intranet. From ease of use and simplified navigation to faster adoption, your intranet is dependent on a strong IA. Together with the team from Optimal Workshop, we share the secrets to achieving a superior IA for your intranet. You will learn: Content audit: Catalog all the pages and files and determine the usefulness of each piece. Card sorting: Sort your intranet content into logical groupings. Tree testing/Task testing: Evaluate the findability of your content. Building your sitemap: Create your information architecture. Validating, verifying, and maintaining: Test and validate all your hard work. --- > What is neurodiversity and how to best support your employees with conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia - Published: 2022-11-15 - Modified: 2024-09-24 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace-what-it-is-and-how-to-nurture-it/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: diversity, inclusion Employees with conditions like autism and dyslexia often have extraordinary skills to offer workplaces. Here’s how to best support neurodivergent employees. The workplace is an enormously diverse environment. We all come with our own unique life experiences, personal preferences, and personality. It all shapes how we work, how fast we work, and how we complete tasks. But when we think about diversity in the workplace, we often overlook one huge component: neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is defined as diversity in the human brain, such as autism, ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive-Disorder) and dyslexia. It relates to differences in the way we think, process, learn, and even behave. Approximately 1 in 5 people are neurodivergent, meaning their brain functions differently in one or more ways than is considered standard or typical. Even traumatic brain injuries like a concussion can impact personality long after an initial injury, as the way we process and understand information can change. While some of us may correlate neurodivergent conditions with communication challenges, or emotional outbursts, these are at the extreme end of how neurodiversity might manifest, and feeds into negative stereotypes. Most neurodivergent conditions actually present in much more subtle ways. For example, accomplishing tasks may simply take much more effort than it would for someone who was neurotypical (not displaying or characterized by autistic or other neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behavior). While this may suggest neurodiversity negatively impacts employees, research shows that neurodivergent people can actually be 30% more productive than their neurotypical colleagues. Neurodivergent individuals often offer out-of-the-box thinking, and creative solutions to complex problems. This, however, is contingent on allowing neurodiverse individuals to work to their strengths.... --- > Our RFP template makes it easy for you to compare vendors and find the right intranet platform for your company. - Published: 2022-11-01 - Modified: 2024-08-08 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/how-to-create-an-intranet-rfp-free-template-included/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: best intranet software, RFP Our RFP template makes it easy for you to compare vendors and find the right intranet platform for your company. It also helps you identify and prioritize the exact features and functions you need. Have you been tasked with creating an RFP for a new intranet? Are you lost at what features and functionality you need in a new intranet? Are you struggling (and Googling! ) any assistance that will make this process easier? Wouldn’t it be amazing if someone did all the work for you and just made a template? Surprise! We did. What is an RFP? An RFP, or request for proposal, is a document a potential buyer creates to explain their product or service needs to vendors. It might also include a brief summary of the problem the buyer wants to solve. Vendors respond to the RFP and buyers can then decide whether they’re aligned on what needs to be delivered, when, and for how much. How can our template help? Our template makes it easy to reach out to intranet vendors quickly without having to start from scratch each time. That means project managers and other people involved spend less time on these tasks because all the requirements for each project are in one place. You only need to edit the document for project-specific issues. Our RFP template makes it easy for you to compare vendors and find the right intranet platform for your company. It also helps you identify and prioritize the exact features and functions you need. --- > Starting a new job can be overwhelming for both the employer and the employee. Here's some tips on how to improve the onboarding experience: - Published: 2022-10-27 - Modified: 2025-02-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/7-tips-for-building-an-onboarding-hub-on-your-intranet/ - Categories: Processes and Productivity - Tags: intranet, collaboration, onboarding Starting a new job can be overwhelming for both the employer and the employee. Here's some tips on how to improve the employee onboarding experience with an intranet. We hosted a webinar on fast tracking employee onboarding where we talked about the importance of employee onboarding, the challenges of onboarding remote and hybrid employees, and why an intranet is an excellent platform for creating an onboarding hub.   https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=B5OlOk3TbQo We also walked through a live example of what an onboarding hub could look like on an intranet. Below are seven tips for building an onboarding hub on your intranet.   Make important links easily accessible Important employee information should never be more than a click away. As you can see in this example below, we included valuable information in an area called “Useful Links”. Alternatively, users can always bookmark any pages they might need to access in the future.   Add a calendar The first few days and weeks on the job can be chaotic and overwhelming—and full of meetings. This is why it makes sense to add a calendar to the onboarding page. The calendar shows upcoming events, meetings, and holidays. When you click through to an event, there are even further customization options available. For example, if an event is a team lunch, participants can add in their dietary preferences.   Create visibility with organizational hierarchy Most employees have a good understanding of their role and their manager's role. But who are their other colleagues? Who are their teammates? And who do these people report into? Having organizational clarity helps new employees understand where they fit in in the organization, and how their... --- > What intranet content strategies work? And what are other organizations doing to achieve and sustain intranet adoption? - Published: 2022-10-20 - Modified: 2025-03-25 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/what-intranet-content-strategies-work-we-analyzed-16000-intranet-posts-and-this-is-what-we-learned/ - Categories: Communication and Collaboration - Tags: intranet What intranet content do employees actually view? What posts are people interacting with? And what are other organizations doing to achieve and sustain intranet adoption? Not everyone loves crunching numbers, but fortunately our President, Darren Gibbons, does. Not only did he analyze thousands of lines of data from our customer’s intranets, he actually enjoyed it. Darren sifted through 16,000 news and blog posts among 80 high performing intranets and looked at which types of communication were the most frequently posted on the intranet, and which types of content are the most frequently viewed. Here is what we learned, as well as some takeaway insights for you to apply to your intranet strategy. But first, some background information Generally speaking, there is a correlation between frequency of posts, and frequency of viewing. This makes sense since we know employees like to see what’s new. Categories with lots of content will also naturally have higher view counts. However, this pattern doesn’t follow for all types of content. For example, we learned that “Fun” news (e. g. employee events, celebrations, etc. ) was the 6th most frequently posted type of content, yet it was the 4th most popular in terms of views. For customers that share Sales Wins, the total number of these posts wasn’t even enough to land them in the top 10 of news types; however, they were the 5th most popular for people to view. As you can see, there are a lot of variables to intranet data. Our takeaway here is that quality is potentially more important than quantity, sharing “wins” is important, and not to discount less corporate information when creating your content... --- > With Halloween quickly approaching, here are some excellent ways to celebrate and share in all the festivities of the season. - Published: 2022-10-14 - Modified: 2023-12-12 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/blog/6-ways-to-use-your-intranet-to-celebrate-halloween-in-the-workplace/ - Categories: Culture and Engagement - Tags: ThoughtFarmer, culture, hybrid workplace There are few holidays that invoke as much excitement in the workplace as Halloween. Whether you are back in the office or working remotely, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate this spooky holiday. Halloween is one holiday that you can easily incorporate into nearly any workplace. When employees participate in Halloween festivities, they can develop camaraderie among their colleagues, and take an enjoyable break from regular work tasks. It's a great opportunity to increase morale, motivation, and creativity while having a little fun. Below are some ideas of how to incorporate Halloween into workplace: Take advantage of intranet customizations One of our most popular intranet customizations is our Falling Fun card. Our Falling Fun card easily allows ThoughtFarmer users to pick and choose any image—snowflakes, autumn leaves, emojis, money etc. —and configure it so that the images fall on a page(s) of your intranet. In the spirit of Halloween we recommend adding falling spiders, cobwebs, witches, ghosts. You can learn more about our Falling Fun card in this article. In addition to falling images, there are many other ways to incorporate Halloween into your intranet. As per the example below, you could add a Halloween theme to you intranet. Share some spooky links Navigating an online ghost tour provides a fun way to connect with your remote teammates during the spookiest season. This link features a list of 14 different online tours of some of the most famous haunted sites. Included in this list are the Salem Witch House, the Winchester Mystery House, and the Chernobyl site. Add in some auditory notifications Auditory notifications are a great way to add some flare to your intranet. MedData did this a few years ago with... --- --- ## Success Stories > How ThoughtFarmer helped Coast Central Credit Union improve internal communication, employee engagement, and information accessibility. - Published: 2024-10-31 - Modified: 2024-11-01 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/coast-central-credit-union/ How ThoughtFarmer helped Coast Central Credit Union improve internal communication, employee engagement, and information accessibility. Credit unions operate multiple locations, making a collaborative environment essential. However, Coast Central struggled with an outdated intranet that no longer met modern communication and documentation needs. Learn how ThoughtFarmer helped them overcome these challenges. Background Coast Central Credit Union is a $2 billion California-based financial cooperative with approximately 300 employees working in 11 different Member Services Branches as well as departments throughout multiple cities. For a long time, they relied on an outdated intranet to distribute news across their teams. As they expanded, the limitations of their intranet, named Coastnet, became very obvious. Because it was solely used for news, Coast Central wasn’t receiving the usual benefits of intranets—like improved culture, document storage, and organization charts. As a result, internal communication suffered, inefficiencies multiplied, and the workforce became disengaged.   In 2021, after the Marketing Department had researched several vendors and made recommendations to Senior Management, Kandis Basinger, then the organization’s Training Manager, spearheaded the initiative to adopt a new intranet to improve their workplace. It was essential to the Senior team that its intranet serve as a single source of information—a one-stop shop for important news, policies, and documentation, as well as employee events and activities. Most importantly, what was severely lacking previously was a more dedicated support team, for immediate technical support and assistance. ThoughtFarmer was chosen above other competing solutions due to its quick and knowledgeable response to critical issues, ease of use, customization capabilities, simple navigation, and overall look and feel. Outcome Using ThoughtFarmer has... --- > Understanding the value of a purpose-built intranet solution can be challenging—especially when you have an existing SharePoint solution. - Published: 2024-10-31 - Modified: 2024-10-31 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/genus/ Boosting employee engagement and knowledge sharing with a new intranet. Understanding the value of a purpose-built intranet solution can be challenging—especially when you have an existing SharePoint solution.  Learn the route an Australian engineering company took, and why they have no regrets. Overview When Genus, a fast-growing Australian engineering firm, needed a better way to connect its team, Group General Manager of IT Andrew MacBeth took on the challenge. The company’s existing intranet was built on SharePoint, but it wasn’t cutting it. It was clunky, hard to use, and barely anyone engaged with it. It also was used solely as a knowledge repository, and lacked tools for engagement and collaboration.   Andrew wasted no time in proposing ThoughtFarmer—an intranet solution he knew and trusted could provide what was needed. Here's how it transformed Genus's communication and culture. The problem with SharePoint When Andrew joined Genus, the company was growing quickly, from humble origins to over 1,000 employees. With that growth came a major challenge—communication. The old intranet, built on SharePoint, wasn’t doing its job. "It was a rather poor SharePoint setup," Andrew says. "It was sold to us with a skin on top that was supposed to give us intranet functionality, but it was really lacking. " At its core, SharePoint was mostly being used to store documents, with very little user engagement. Employees didn’t see the point in using it. Andrew needed to find a solution that wasn’t just a document repository but rather a system that would enhance communication and bring people together. It also had to be... --- > How moving from SharePoint to a ThoughtFarmer intranet breathed new life into a leading credit union’s communications and culture - Published: 2024-08-21 - Modified: 2025-06-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/duca-financial-services-credit-union/ How DUCA moved from SharePoint to ThoughtFarmer, breathing new life into their communication and culture. Here’s how DUCA revamped their internal communications by moving from SharePoint to ThoughtFarmer, boosting efficiency, employee engagement, and building a stronger company culture. DUCA company background DUCA Financial Services Credit Union, a leading financial institution in Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to delivering top-tier financial services to its members. Established in 1954, DUCA has grown from a single branch credit union in Toronto to an organization with 19 branches across Southern Ontario, serving over 93,000 members. With a commitment to excellence in member service and deep-rooted community involvement, DUCA continually strives to enhance its operations and overall member experience. As the complexity of DUCA’s internal communications grew, with employees spread across branches and a hybrid workforce of both in-office and remote workers, maintaining cohesive and efficient communications became increasingly difficult. DUCA’s growth revealed increasing challenges with SharePoint Before ThoughtFarmer, DUCA was using SharePoint for their intranet and internal communications. The SharePoint intranet was plagued by a siloed and complex upload process, making content sharing time-consuming and resource heavy. The communications team was constantly bogged down with requests to make department updates, slowing overall productivity and efficiency. Its cumbersome interface and lack of interactivity, such as commenting, liking, and recognition, also hindered the creation of a connected culture. Guided by their strong focus on company culture, community involvement, and member satisfaction, DUCA sought to improve internal communications and boost employee engagement with a more engaging and user-friendly intranet solution. Their journey to replace SharePoint led DUCA to ThoughtFarmer, an intranet platform known... --- > Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - Published: 2023-12-12 - Modified: 2023-12-12 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/vancouver-international-airport/ Migrating to a cloud-based intranet to better support the needs of teams and the clients they serve. How one of Canada’s largest airport authorities uses their dynamic intranet capabilities to provide seamless communication and collaboration across a uniquely wide range of job duties and responsibilities. Background Vancouver International Airport’s (YVR) mission is to connect British Columbia proudly to the world, and it has long prioritized striving for the highest quality of service and operational excellence in every area. So much so, the airport has been named Best Airport in North America for 12 years in a row. A diverse set of positions spans the organization, and in many ways, YVR functions like its own little city. With positions ranging from firefighters to accountants, culture managers to customer care specialists, maintaining clear communication and intuitive knowledge management has been some of their biggest priorities. Managing a dispersed workforce YVR’s desire to provide the most consistently enjoyable experience for travelers has driven them to continually grow and expand their service offerings. For example, customer care used to be outsourced, but is now managed by an internal team, so they can provide higher-quality service. Over the last ten years, YVR’s staff has grown from 500-600 to 880 in 2023. As they’ve expanded, the range of positions and responsibilities that are governed by their own management team expanded too. Covering so many different types of positions across their organization means that a substantial portion of their employees don’t have a traditional workspace, with a desk or designated phone extension. This has created unique challenges for YVR in maintaining clear communication with... --- > Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - Published: 2023-12-06 - Modified: 2023-12-07 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/pridestaff/ Migrating to a cloud-based intranet to better support the needs of teams and the clients they serve. How a national staffing company transitioned to an upgraded Cloud-based intranet system so they could better support the needs of both their internal teams and the clients they serve. Background Founded in 1978, PrideStaff’s mission statement has always been about helping people find meaningful new jobs and careers and creating world-class experiences for their clients. Since its inception, PrideStaff has helped companies across the nation reach their business goals as well as hundreds of thousands of people find work and received industry-wide recognition, as well as won countless awards. With over 80+ active offices, PrideStaff is recognized as one of the leading staffing agencies in North America. Struggling with outdated intranet services Despite the size of their company, PrideStaff’s IT team is small but mighty. Originally, their intranet set up used Windows Server 2012, but as their organization (and their content) continued to grow, their outdated system started causing parts of their intranet to fail. To get their intranet back to where it needed to be (in function, as well as content relevance, freshness, and quality), PrideStaff’s team knew they needed to sunset Windows Server 2012 and migrate to a newer intranet–one with the technical architecture to support their needs. Due to the sensitive nature of their client information, PrideStaff needed to be extremely mindful of any changes to data storage or content access, which could lead to data privacy breaches. With the personal and financial information that they’re privy to, between their clients and the organizations they partner with,... --- > Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - Published: 2023-08-31 - Modified: 2025-06-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/rick-engineering/ Boosting employee engagement and knowledge sharing with a new intranet. How RICK’s engineering, planning, and design firm elevated their game with a new intranet, boosting employee engagement and knowledge sharing. RICK company background RICK is an innovative, growth-driven planning, design, and engineering firm. Since its founding 70 years ago, RICK has expanded to 11 offices across the United States.   Through innovative, creative designs and sustainable engineering practices, RICK has become the leading engineering consulting firm in the West. RICK needed a new intranet to support its on-the-go workforce Although RICK did have an intranet in place, it wasn’t being used or updated. The vast majority of their team couldn’t access or add content, and with little to no oversight, there was virtually nothing on their intranet that would drive employee engagement. Plus, with so many ‘deskless’ employees working in the field, their previous intranet wasn’t conducive for effective communication or content sharing. It was time to create a brand new intranet. But with a small team trying to reimagine what a new intranet could be—and over 400 employees in the company—it would be a massive undertaking; even just to create enough content to prepare for a relaunch. Jennifer Shenefield, RICK’s Communications Manager, made the decision to move forward with a new intranet and was tasked with leading the project. She knew that their team would need help if they were going to achieve their ambitious goals of completely reinventing their engagement strategy and making a major culture shift within their organization. ThoughtFarmer’s Professional Services helped RICK launch quickly Besides... --- > Thurber Engineering's new intranet helped them centralize knowledge, increase employee engagement, and streamline communication. - Published: 2023-05-31 - Modified: 2024-08-08 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/thurber-engineering-ltd/ Leveraging the collective wisdom of employees is an organizational asset. But how do you do it when employees are scattered across multiple offices? Learn how an engineering consulting firm launched a new intranet and immediately expanded their knowledge base. About Thurber Thurber Engineering Ltd. is a geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, and construction materials engineering and testing firm with over 500 employees in 14 offices across Canada.   The problem In 2022 Thurber faced some common communication problems. They had no way of centralizing knowledge, learning who's who, and sharing successes.   The concept of sharing successes is important to organizations—particularly engineering firms— as it enables employees to learn from each other, fostering a culture of knowledge exchange and continuous improvement. While Thurber had previously relied on a SharePoint intranet, they found it cumbersome to manage and unable to meet their communication and collaboration needs.   “We mostly wanted a place where engineers could share knowledge,” said Alexandria King, marketing and communication lead at Thurber. “Employees were relying on the expertise of only the employees within their office which was limiting because people in that office might not have that information. ”  Finding the perfect tool Sometimes, achieving buy-in for an internal communication tool isn’t easy—especially when management doesn’t value communication. Fortunately for Alexandria, that wasn’t a problem at Thurber.   “My role was created because leadership saw the value of communication,” said Alexandria.   Once settled in her new role, she immediately sought out a new intranet. “We interviewed quite... --- > Learn how we helped Corus scale their growth by improving internal communication and helping them create an exceptional workplace culture. - Published: 2023-02-28 - Modified: 2024-08-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/corus-orthodontists-an-intranet-to-smile-about/ About Corus Corus Orthodontists was founded in 2019 by a group of orthodontists across North America who wanted to give doctors an alternative to the traditional dental service organization (DSO) model.   Their founders created a solution that allowed them to focus on their craft and their patients while freeing themselves of the many HR, accounting, marketing, and IT tasks that come with running an orthodontic practice. So they united to form Corus, an umbrella organization that provides various levels of business support, so orthodontic professionals can focus on what matters most: their patients.   With over 1100 employees, Corus is one of the largest and fastest-growing orthodontist partnership networks in North America. Their network is owned and operated by doctor-partners who share a deeply collaborative spirit. The challenges associated with rapid growth In late 2020, Corus was on the verge of rapid growth. They were adding new doctors, practices, and members, and quickly became a team of over 500.   And as we all know what works for 500 employees doesn’t work for 1000; especially when it comes to communication and culture.   Information was disseminated through point solutions such as Zoom and email, which often meant that important communication was lost, or unread. It was also becoming increasingly difficult for employees to locate critical information, or to trust the information they found.   But there was an even more pressing concern for Corus: Their workplace culture.   With no centralized platform to unite their workforce, employees were disconnected... --- > How JD Bank's intranet created a central source of truth, allowing easy access to all information in one location. - Published: 2022-03-18 - Modified: 2025-02-03 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/jd-bank/ Financial organizations rely heavily on quick access to data and resources to provide the service their customers expect; but without the right communication platform, information can easily become buried and outdated. See how a Louisiana-based bank empowered their employees with a new intranet that served as a single source of information throughout their organization. Overview Founded in 1947, JD Bank is a Louisiana-based bank that offers a variety of personal and commercial lending and deposit products through both physical and digital delivery channels. They operate through 25 locations with approximately 240 employees, and donates both the time and effort of their employees, as well as financial resources to the many philanthropic organizations in our service area Problem JD Bank began seeking a new intranet platform, as company information and content was hosted on a Joomla-based intranet that was quickly becoming outdated. The existing intranet was difficult to support and not user-friendly. This made it complicated for employees to quickly locate and update necessary information. Most of the roles at JD Bank are dependent on quick access to information. This includes departmental information, forms, procedures, links, resources, and current news. “It was becoming obvious that we needed a centralized source for all employees to access consistent information and resources throughout the organization,” said David Wallace, Network Administrator for JD Bank. While searching for a new solution, the team at JD Bank reviewed several options, which included ThoughtFarmer. After due diligence ThoughtFarmer was selected for its rich feature set and transparent pricing... --- > Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - Published: 2022-03-16 - Modified: 2023-09-21 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/rfta/ Frontline workers are the backbone of most organizations; but these employees don’t always get the attention or recognition they deserve. Without desks—and sometimes without email addresses—they are often left out of the loop and uniformed on important company news.   See how ThoughtFarmer provided RFTA with not only a vibrant intranet to engage all employees, but a mobile app that ensured their frontline workers were equipped with the news and resources they needed to be successful in their jobs.   Background RFTA (Roaring Fork Transportation Authority) is a public transit agency in the Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado that spans from Aspen to Rifle, Colorado. There are approximately 350 employees, (which swells to almost 400 during high tourism seasons) scattered across six offices.   A bumpy ride Approximately 65% of employees are field employees (bus drivers, mechanics, etc. ) and do not have access to email. This meant that they often didn’t receive important news, information, or resources they required to efficiently do their jobs. “We couldn't blast out a company memo because we didn't have email addresses,” recalled Jamie Tatsuno, Communications Manager of RFTA. RFTA’s scenario isn’t unusual. A recent study found that over 83% of frontline workers don’t have a corporate email address, and 45% don’t even have access to the company intranet when at work. These factors contribute to deskless employees and frontline workers feeling left out, and unaligned with corporate strategies. Furthermore, RFTA’s workaround—a shared company drive—only made matters worse as the information on that drive was... --- > With the help of ThoughtFarmer’s Professional Services, Ian was able to quickly launch their new intranet without any hurdles. - Published: 2022-02-01 - Modified: 2024-08-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/arkansas-urology/ How Arkansas Urology rapidly launched an intranet that delivered immediate value. Launching an intranet for the first time can be a daunting endeavor. How long till you are up and running? How do you get employees to use it? And, which features should you be using? Learn how a healthcare organization quickly launched an intranet and immediately saw value.   Background Arkansas Urology is the largest urology practice in the state of Arkansas, offering patients cutting-edge urological procedures and surgical techniques, with compassion and a patient-first approach. They treat approximately 110,000 patients a year at 16 facilities across the state. Arkansas Urology is made up of 19 physicians, more than 21 physician extenders, and more than 325 clinical and business staff employees. The challenge Up until 2020, Arkansas Urology didn’t have an intranet. This meant they had no way to easily share news and information, locate important documents and expertise, or unite their dispersed employees.   The executives at Arkansas Urology long recognized the significance of strong communication—in fact they frequently advocated for it. But as Arkansas Urology CTO Ian Moore noted, “If you are going to preach about the importance of internal communication, you need the right tool. ” Ian also recognized that an intranet was no longer a nice to have solution, but rather a must-have tool. “If you don’t have an intranet, you are way behind. ”  The solution Ian began searching for an intranet in 2020. He initially looked at SharePoint, but quickly realized it wasn’t a good fit.   “Sharepoint is not an intranet. While you... --- > Intranet case study on how a marketing technology company used an intranet to unite their employees around the world. - Published: 2021-07-19 - Modified: 2023-11-29 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/marigold/ How a marketing technology company used an intranet to unite their employees around the world. Bringing together multiple organizations can be tricky. Each organization brings a different set of tools and expectations around communications and information sharing. So how can you ensure that everyone is on the same page and united with the same vision? If you ask the team at Marigold (formerly CM Group), it’s a universal intranet with the modern tools and integrated functions that makes working together a breeze.   The challenge Marigold is a family of marketing technology platforms under a single umbrella, offering solutions for every marketer, with over 70,000 customers sending 180 billion emails annually. In 2017, Marigold was formed with the bringing together of Campaign Monitor, Delivra, and Emma, but has since grown to include Liveclicker, Sailthru, Selligent, and Vuture. It was at this point of rapid growth and change that the team at Marigold started investigating a single intranet solution.   With approximately 900 employees across 4 continents, Marigold needed to migrate from multiple communications systems to a single system that allowed for seamless information sharing, real-time collaboration, and a virtual place for employees to come together. Moreover, according to Megan Fletcher, Senior Director of Internal Communications and Organizational Inclusion, her team wanted to provide consistent and predictable communications, easily accessible at the moment of need. The journey to the ideal intranet After building a successful business case and getting the green light from senior leadership, Megan and her team began their research on intranet vendors. To simplify the process, she created a scorecard of desirable criteria... --- > Legal firm Lenczner Slaght launched a new intranet to share and manage important knowledge, serving their needs today and into the future. - Published: 2021-03-15 - Modified: 2024-08-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/lenczner-slaght/ How a legal firm used their intranet to share and manage important knowledge It can be difficult to appreciate the value of an intranet—until you become completely dependent on it. That’s what happened to a law firm when they launched their new intranet at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby spurring company-wide adoption. Canada’s leading litigation practice With almost 200 employees, Lenczner Slaght is widely recognized as Canada’s leading litigation practice. They have successfully represented clients’ interests in some of the most complex, high-profile cases in Canadian legal history. Their lawyers are distinguished by their depth of courtroom experience, appearing regularly at all levels of the federal and provincial courts and before professional and regulatory tribunals, as well as in mediation and arbitration proceedings. They have a robust business team and are supported by dozens of other legal professionals.   A common problem Like many of our customers, Lenczner Slaght came to us with an existing intranet that was first built decades ago. Unfortunately, yet not surprising, over time it failed to deliver on its expectations.   “We outgrew our existing intranet. We pride ourselves on delivering excellence in everything, but our ability to share resources and communicate broadly within the firm was falling behind. We needed an intranet that would work for our needs today and into the future,” said Lindsey Bombardier, Director, Marketing & Business Development at Lenczner Slaght. We needed an intranet that would work for our needs today and into the future” A popular solution Taking the lead in the procurement of a new intranet was the Knowledge... --- > Hachette’s intranet allowed the publishing company to create and share information, and maintain a strong sense of community. - Published: 2021-02-08 - Modified: 2023-12-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/hachette-book-group/ How a publishing company uses their intranet to provide employees with a single source of information. The COVID-19 pandemic created an insatiable demand for news and information for people around the world. It also created a new working dynamic as many employees were forced to work remotely or in a hybrid environment. This sparked a surge in intranet software, as organizations, like Hachette, aimed to provide employees with a single source of information.   About Hachette Hachette Book Group (HBG) is one of the largest trade publishers in the US, and a division of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest book publisher for the general public and educational markets. Based in New York, Hachette employs over 1300 people across eight locations. The challenge Hachette’s intranet journey began approximately five years ago with a custom-built Python application using the Django framework. But like many in-house built intranets, it had its limitations and frustrations. “It was becoming increasingly more challenging to allocate technical resources to its development and maintenance,” said Ryan Pugatch, VP, Strategic Technology, Hachette Book Group. Ryan and his team began searching for a new solution. “We needed a solution that was easier to use and allowed everyone to maintain content rather than relying solely on our internal communications team. ” The solution The team investigated numerous other intranet solutions, but eventually selected ThoughtFarmer due to its ease of use and intuitive interface. Hachette was also excited that ThoughtFarmer has a professional services team that could guide them in reinventing and launching their intranet. A professional services team is a big draw for organizations like Hachette who... --- > Have you ever wondered what makes a workplace exceptional? Or what it takes to win a top employer award? PCI's case study... - Published: 2021-01-11 - Modified: 2023-09-21 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/pci-inside-the-best-place-to-work/ Have you ever wondered what makes a workplace exceptional? Or what it takes to win a top employer award? Have you ever wondered what makes a workplace exceptional? Or what it takes to win a top employer award?   The answer probably won’t surprise you. It’s the workplace culture.   PCI’s story is nothing short of amazing. When we sat down to do a case study with them we were blown away with not only what an exceptional workplace they are, but how extensively they use their ThoughtFarmer intranet to truly amplify and grow their culture. Admittedly, not even we use our intranet that well, so this case study is inspirational on so many levels.   Humble beginnings  PCI (Publishing Concepts Inc) is a publishing company headquartered out of Dallas, Texas. Their publications include alumni and member directories for colleges, universities, high schools and service organizations. PCI’s history goes all the way back to 1921, where it was started by Rockwell Clancy. These days, Rockwell’s grandson, Drew Clancy, is at the helm (we love a good family business! ).   PCI has approximately 460 ‘associates’. One of the core elements of a company's culture is how an organization refers to the people who work there. At PCI, everyone is an associate; not an employee, and not staff. With locations in Dallas, San Antonio, and Virginia Beach, and a large number of associates working remotely in Arkansas, PCI is one of the fastest growing companies in America and is consistently listed as one of the best places to work. In a competitive market, PCI sets itself apart from it’s competition... --- > The majority of employees at CMH are deskless and remote. Many employees are also part-time, or casual workers, this means... - Published: 2020-07-29 - Modified: 2024-08-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/coast-mental-health/ CMH used their intranet to engage and support employees, while achieving an ROI. How does a growing nonprofit organization with 52 sites across greater Vancouver engage and support employees? And how can this nonprofit prove without a doubt that a new intranet would improve efforts to share information and support staff in their roles? About Coast Mental Health Coast Mental Health (CMH) is a Vancouver, BC based non-profit that supports people living with mental health challenges by providing housing, support services, education, and employment.   Coast Mental Health has grown rapidly over the last five years (In 2018 alone, they recruited approximately 200 employees). Of their 779 employees, Only 50 employees work in the head office, while 729 are distributed across 52 different facilities. The majority of CMH’s front-line employees are deskless and remote. Many employees are also part-time, or casual workers, who work various shifts and require access to company information 24/7.   CMH needed a new and successful way of increasing communication and collaboration across locations (they previously relied on email and shared network drives to collaborate and communicate with employees). CMH also required a way to connect all employees—office and remote—to critical organizational policies and procedures. As a nonprofit, CMH was very diligent about any technology they would choose to move their organization forward.   An audit of inefficiencies Before embarking on any technology enhancements for the organization, CMH had to first identify any operational inefficiencies across the organization. They needed to know if employees were spending too much time searching for information or subject matter experts, or if there... --- > As workplaces transitioned to remote work environments, the challenge of connecting and informing dispersed employees has increased. - Published: 2020-07-20 - Modified: 2024-08-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/vha-home-healthcare/ ThoughtFarmer is helping organizations unite their employees and centralize communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. As workplaces continue to transition to remote work environments, the challenge of connecting and informing dispersed employees has increased. So what can we learn from a healthcare organization that leverages their intranet to keep employees united during this critical time?   About VHA VHA Home HealthCare (VHA) is a not-for-profit charitable organization that offers 24/7 health care and support services to people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. With over 3,000 employees, their caring team of professionals includes nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, personal support workers, home support workers, cleaners, social workers, dieticians, and speech language pathologists. They deliver the highest quality client support at home, in the community and in long-term care facilities.   As a healthcare organization, how they communicate during the pandemic is critical to not only their employees, but to the people they care for everyday.   A familiar challenge  Like a lot of organizations today, VHA’s workforce is largely remote. But unlike many businesses who have employees working from home, VHA’s employees are often not in front of a computer screen. Because their employees are personal support workers, nurses, and rehab therapists, they were working in people’s homes and in the community. This made it more challenging to consistently share company wide information and updates with employees.   To address their communication challenges, the communications team at VHA began researching potential intranet solutions. They investigated various options and conducted a rigorous environmental scan of the technology landscape that looked into intranet solutions used by other organizations... --- > Here’s how a high-tech crime unit leveraged their intranet as a comprehensive knowledge management platform. - Published: 2019-10-29 - Modified: 2024-10-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/vancouver-police-department/ How the VPD managed their vast database of knowledge. Imagine knowing lives were dependent on the information you could access. Wouldn’t you want to ensure you had the most efficient and resilient knowledge network possible? Here’s how a crime unit leveraged their intranet as a comprehensive knowledge management platform.   In the world of Digital Forensics and Cybercrime, it takes a certain type of skill and knowledge to combat criminals who leverage technology like mobile phones and computers. At the Vancouver Police Department, these officers work in the Digital Forensics Unit and Cybercrime Units (DFU and CU).   The DFU provides digital forensic assistance and computer forensics on devices, while the Cybercrime Unit provides online and internet investigative assistance to members of the Vancouver Police Department. Investigators from the DFU and CU examine any computers and/or mobile devices that may have been used as a tool to commit a criminal offence, or to store information storage related to a crime and report their findings back to the VPD. The amount of information the DFU officers come into contact with in the course of their work is astounding. In 2018 alone: 816 devices were examined 876 devices were submitted for analysis 10-20 hours were spent analyzing each phone  20-40 hours were spent analyzing each computer  They additionally have 2,160 days worth of HD Video, 103 years of music, 1. 7 KM of photos, and 27 terabytes of data.   But this data isn’t just a bunch of numbers; it’s so much more. In the case of the DFU, the data... --- > Find out how healthcare technology company MedData used gamification on their intranet to boost intranet engagement. - Published: 2019-07-09 - Modified: 2023-12-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/meddata/ MedData created a winning gamification strategy to boost employee engagement. Intranet adoption is tricky. No matter how much excitement you generate over an intranet launch, it still requires constant nurturing and attention. After all, you can’t just set up an intranet and forget about it. But what can you do to keep employees coming back day after day? Or better yet, what can you do to ensure employees actually want to visit your intranet. That’s exactly what MedData wondered when they first deployed a ThoughtFarmer intranet in 2016. Thanks to some passion, strategy, and help from the ThoughtFarmer Professional Services team, they were able to attain and sustain high intranet engagement across all employees. Who is MedData? MedData is a healthcare technology company that helps hospitals enhance their patients’ experience. In 2016 they had acquired several companies and subsequently grew from a few hundred employees in four offices, to thousands of employees across the country—many of whom were remote. As a healthcare organization, people are at the centre of what MedData does. It was therefore important for them to acquire an intranet that connected their employees to the resources required to do their jobs. What led them to ThoughtFarmer? They had originally relied on a SharePoint intranet, but it was unsuccessful. Like many SharePoint instances, it required a lot of development and maintenance from IT, who didn’t have time to dedicate to employee communication and engagement. Because of this, there were files and threads within the SharePoint site that had not been updated or responded to in over five years.... --- > How deploying ThoughtFarmer intranet, a SharePoint alternative, drove a tremendous increase in connection among employees. - Published: 2019-02-20 - Modified: 2023-12-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/capital-region-boces/ Since deploying ThoughtFarmer, Capital Region BOCES has seen a tremendous increase in connection among employees. Imagine the perfect intranet. You know, the one where every employee knows who everyone is, what their responsibilities are, and what projects they're working on. An intranet that is so amazing members of your organization praise you just for launching it. Then imagine the overwhelming, daunting feeling that comes over you as you realize just how far away that dream actually is. Capital Region BOCES started out with great aspirations as they began their intranet journey back in 2015. The vision was clear, they knew the end goal. They just didn’t expect the journey would be as long or chaotic as it became. Fortunately, their patience and persistence paid off, and Capital Region BOCES ended up with an intranet that exceeded their wildest expectations. How? Let’s start from the beginning Capital Region BOCES is a non-profit educational agency that helps school districts access high-quality services at an affordable cost. With approximately 1,200 employees, they offer over 300 different services, operate schools of their own that serve students with disabilities, and provide career and technical education. When we think about all the reasons an organization might require an intranet, Capital Region BOCES pretty much checked every box. No document storage With no centralized online document storage, important information was frequently kept on the public-facing website. This was particularly problematic for staff who needed to access essential resources and required quick access to relevant documents to adhere to strict regulatory requirements. Dispersed workforce It’s not easy for employees to feel connected to... --- > Read how Destination Canada created an intranet that empowered employees to share information and celebrate their success. - Published: 2018-08-09 - Modified: 2023-12-20 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/destination-canada/ Find out how ThoughtFarmer helped Destination Canada empower their employees to share information and celebrate their success. Tracking the number of annual visitors to Canada is a big deal to the employees at Destination Canada. The data helps them understand the outcome of their hard work, and where to devote future marketing campaigns. As Canada’s national tourism marketing organization, Destination Canada is responsible for marketing Canada as a premier four-season tourism destination where visitors can enjoy extraordinary experiences. Its 100 plus employees rely on accurate, up-to-the-minute market intelligence to stay competitive within the global tourism industry. When Natasha Langlois, Strategic Advisor for Corporate and Employee Communications, attempted to share the most recent visitation numbers with her colleagues, she didn’t exactly generate the enthusiasm she was expecting. Their intranet—a vital communication platform—was under-used, outdated, and unable to fully connect to their distributed workforce. They quickly realized it was time for a new intranet platform. Finding a solution Destination Canada wanted an intranet solution that connected all employees to important company news and content. The company also desired a platform that provided more autonomy for employees, so they felt empowered to share information and celebrate their own success. Ultimately, they wanted a new intranet to be a destination where employees to go. But how would they accomplish that? Setting intranet goals Like most organizations that deploy an intranet, it was important for Destination Canada to set goals. One of the best ways to ensure intranet success is by setting clear expectations of what your intranet will help you accomplish. Setting intranet goals and aligning them with organizational objectives helps... --- > Learn how Central 1 switched from SharePoint and used their social intranet to foster a new corporate culture of Service Excellence. - Published: 2017-03-03 - Modified: 2023-12-14 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/central-1/ Central 1 used ThoughtFarmer as the primary communication channel to unify their company culture under a mission of Service Excellence. Credit unions are thriving, attracting more members than traditional financial institutions through outstanding service. But to continue their excellent customer service levels they first need to establish exceptional internal communication from the inside. Background Central 1 cooperatively empowers credit unions and other financial institutions who deliver banking choice to Canadians. With assets of $13. 2 billion as at September 30, 2021, Central 1 provides critical services at scale to enable a thriving credit union system. They do this by collaborating with their clients, developing strategies, products, and services to support the financial well-being of their more than five million diverse customers in communities across Canada. In order to better serve their growing customer base and strengthen the credit union system as a whole, Central 1 needed to embrace the philosophy of member-centricity inside their own organization. They set out on a mission to foster a new corporate culture of Service Excellence, and they needed a centralized communication channel to mobilize this transformation. From product-based to member-centric Central 1 creates the products credit unions need to compete against large-scale banks.  In 2013, they embarked on a strategic initiative to transform their culture from a traditional product-based company to a member-centric company. This new vision would better align Central 1 with credit unions’ values and support credit union growth and differentiation in the marketplace. It also required reframing how each Central 1 employee worked each day: changing internal processes and goals to align with the member’s point of view and their needs.... --- > Learn how ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) used their intranet to bring everyone together. - Published: 2015-12-21 - Modified: 2023-12-20 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/acca/ ACCA’s intranet connects employees across the world under one global strategy. Creating a corporate strategic vision is hard work. From understanding emerging trends to gaining buy-in from clashing stakeholders, your corporate strategy is the result hours of research, negotiation, and planning. But for any strategy to be successful, it needs to be clearly communicated to employees—those key players who will deliver on your strategy. When the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the world’s leading body for professional accountants, introduced their Strategy to 2020, they realized that their organization would face quite a communications challenge. With 95 offices and centers around the world, employees used a variety of communications tools. How would they get everyone onboard and working together towards the new strategic vision? Fragmented systems and silos Over the past 15 years, ACCA had more than doubled their membership and student numbers. This rapid growth included opening new offices, onboarding new employees, and expanding across the globe. But their teams were using a patchwork of communications tools: an old, one-way intranet, supplemented by Yammer’s social features and various email lists. With this lack of integration, employees weren’t sure which content was the most up-to-date. Clearly, communicating a new strategic vision to over 1,200 employees would be a major challenge under the old system. Building a business case for a centralized internal communications channel In 2012, ACCA put together a business case for a new intranet. The system needed to support their vision of increasing knowledge sharing, fostering innovation, and ensuring a coordinated global strategy. Executives knew they had one shot... --- > KWL is an engineering firm in British Columbia specializing in water infrastructure solutions. See how they use their ThoughtFarmer intranet. - Published: 2014-08-27 - Modified: 2024-01-04 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/kwl/ KWL is an engineering firm specializing in water infrastructure. They use ThoughtFarmer to collaborate on projects and keep policies up-to-date. Kerr Wood Leidal (KWL) is an engineering consulting firm that specializes in water infrastructure solutions in British Columbia. KWL approached ThoughtFarmer because their old intranet had become dated, wasn't well-used, and had become full of stale information. Prior to ThoughtFarmer, KWL had traditional, static intranet software that was difficult to update. ThoughtFarmer changed KWL's philosophy by creating a user-friendly engineering intranet space where everyone could contribute. The result is a dynamic, ever-changing digital workplace. With ThoughtFarmer, the firm has been able to move to a new model of publishing and consuming information. All KWL employees, from the bottom to the top, can contribute content and comment on project documents. “Everyone finds it easy to use,” says Engineer and Intranet Manager Jonathan Funk. “It has become a resource for project teams where ideas are available for everyone to collaborate on and discuss. It's also much easier for the firm to keep policies and documents up-to-date. ” ThoughtFarmer has significantly improved the delivery of projects we do at Kerr Wood Leidal. ” KWL also found new ways to make their intranet fun, engaging and innovative. For example, like many firms, they periodically refresh the mobile phones of employees. Using ThoughtFarmer to create a page for each phone, they held an open auction for dozens of smart phones that employees could bid on to raise money for charity. According to Jonathan: “In the end, we found a great new way to use our ThoughtFarmer intranet and raised $4230 for the Ronald McDonald House... --- > Global Container Terminals moves over 2 million containers a year. Its employees stay connected and informed with ThoughtFarmer intranet software. - Published: 2014-06-17 - Modified: 2023-09-21 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/gct/ Global Container Terminals moves over 2 million containers a year. Its employees stay connected and informed with ThoughtFarmer. Global Container Terminals is Canada's largest port operator. With locations in Metro Vancouver, the Port of New York and the Port of New Jersey, GCT needed a way to connect employees and share information. Their previous intranet was difficult to use and was rarely accessed by employees. After extensive research and after hearing accolades from other customers, they chose ThoughtFarmer as their solution. Lori Janson, GCT's Communications Director at the time, noted that ThoughtFarmer was easy to use from the start. Plus ThoughtFarmer's Professional Services and Support teams made it a breeze to get up and running. "There was a structure in place that was easy for us to follow," said Janson. "ThoughtFarmer supported us all along the way. " There was a structure in place that was easy for us to follow. ThoughtFarmer supported us all the way. ” — Lori Janson, Communications Director at GCT As part of their launch, and to help encourage staff engagement, they held a naming contest between the locations. The winner received a trip to one of the other locations. "It was great fun! " Janson said. It's more than just a social tool, however. GCT's executives threw their weight behind the intranet from the outset. The CEO started his own blog and regularly posted news, updates and information from his travels around the world. GCT created a custom "countdown clock" in ThoughtFarmer to help build excitement about the launch of their major facility expansion in New Jersey (the countdown began 900 days prior to opening! ).... --- > For Cannondale, an international apparel company with 10 brands, ThoughtFarmer has narrowed the gaps between people and helped create a stronger team. - Published: 2014-06-09 - Modified: 2023-11-08 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/cannondale/ Cannondale Sports Unlimited needed to unite many brands and locations with one social intranet. Cannondale Sports Unlimited (CSU) is a cycling and sports apparel company with a passion for fun and health. Headquartered in Connecticut, CSU has a complex corporate structure with three divisions of 10+ brands that all operate differently. These brands were acquired by the parent company over several years, and they have offices around the globe. CSU was formed to get all of its brands working together better. There was lots of potential for collaboration, but employees had a hard time finding the right people to talk to. Brands had their own separate intranets, so information didn’t spread easily or widely. “We wanted to harmonize the groups together,” said Kevin Chow, Director of Application Development and Support for the performance apparel division. CSU needed a way to help staff form relationships across locations in Canada, the US, Europe, Taiwan, and Japan. It needed a single social intranet. Impressed with ThoughtFarmer To find the right intranet vendor, CSU brought together a few technical and communications staff. They had detailed requirements for a site that would help employees get to know each other and bring attention to the company’s activities around the world. They were also looking for a firm that matched their culture, which is young and fast-paced. Some of the candidates were just too stiff. ThoughtFarmer impressed CSU with a great product and a friendly, approachable team. ThoughtFarmer came in and did wonderfully. They really related to our industry, and they understood what we needed. ” — Lauren Celli, Global Corporate... --- > Explore ThoughtFarmer's case studies on intranet software solutions across diverse industries. Discover how organizations enhance internal communication and efficiency with ThoughtFarmer - Published: 2014-05-14 - Modified: 2023-11-01 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/ozinga/ After a period of rapid growth and expansion, Ozinga realized it needed a centralized hub where employees could easily access critical information. Through 4 generations and over 80 years as a family-owned business, Ozinga has established itself as the US Midwest's premier supplier of concrete and materials. After a period of rapid growth and expansion, the company realized it needed a centralized hub where employees could easily access critical information. A Family-First approach Even though the company is spread out across the Midwest, Ozinga is committed to a company culture built on strong, lasting relationships. They wanted an intranet solution where everyone could easily communicate with each other and see what was going on across the enterprise as a whole. As Tim Ozinga, Director of Marketing & Communications, said, “We started off as a small family business and didn’t want to get too corporate. It was important for us to make sure we weren’t letting anyone go by the wayside. We wanted to make sure we were keeping everyone informed about what’s going on in the company. ” We wanted to reinforce the company culture, build morale, and ensure that everyone was engaged. ” — Tim Ozinga, Director of Marketing & Communications Identifying ThoughtFarmer as the solution The Ozinga team driving the project wanted an intranet that was easy to use and easy to update and adapt. After considering various alternatives, including an in-house solution, they chose ThoughtFarmer. “We realized that we needed something quicker, easier, and more cost effective than the in-house solution,” Tim told us. “Plus, we didn’t want to build something and then have it fade into oblivion. After looking around... --- > The intranet is now at the heart of ACU with 93% of employees logging on to Mosaic at least once a day. 73% percent use the intranet every hour. Learn how! - Published: 2013-10-02 - Modified: 2025-06-05 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/acu/ After merging with 2 other credit unions, ACU needed an intranet that would boost employee satisfaction and improve member service. When Assiniboine Credit Union (ACU) merged with two other credit unions, it quickly built a bare-bones intranet. But employees couldn’t locate files, key documents became out-of-date and the intranet became stagnant. Everyone, including the executive management team, knew ACU needed a new intranet. “The old intranet was a file repository, not a functional website. The search engine wasn’t even able to index documents,” said Lawrence Peters, ACU’s Intranet Manager. In a company survey, only 14% said they could easily find documents they’d never accessed before on the intranet. ACU set out to design a new intranet for their credit union that would boost employee satisfaction and collaboration, and improve member service through better information access and sharing. Assiniboine Credit Union chose ThoughtFarmer as their intranet partner Peters began researching more than 50 intranet platforms and companies. “We needed a collaborative, user-friendly intranet that could handle the 3. 8 million words of documentation stuck in files. It would also need to help us meet our member service goals,” said Peters. “The right mix of functionality and collaboration was key. ” Peters narrowed down vendors based on criteria like implementation speed and small business fit. ThoughtFarmer was a match. “We deal with a lot of IT companies. ThoughtFarmer is by far the best experience I’ve ever had,” said Duane Nicol, Marketing and Communications Manager at ACU. How ThoughtFarmer guided Assiniboine Credit Union in building their new intranet, Mosaic “ThoughtFarmer understood our situation better than any other,” said Duane Nicol, Marketing and Communications... --- > Employees took responsibility at FBB and helped create a social media intranet that defines the organizational culture. View the case study - Published: 2012-03-20 - Modified: 2024-08-09 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/farm-bureau-bank/ From a KPI dashboard to a "Shout-Outs" section, FBB uses ThoughtFarmer to engage employees. Find out how. Social intranets often outperform expectations because they are so effective at fostering employee engagement. Fully engaged employees seize the initiative and run with the intranet, and it suddenly takes on a life of its own. That was the experience at Farm Bureau Bank (FBB), online banking arm of the Farm Bureau, the nationwide non-profit advocacy group for American farmers and ranchers. FBB implemented its ThoughtFarmer intranet, the Insider, in mid-2010 as part of an overhaul of internal communications. Within a few months of launch, the Insider had surpassed expectations, says CIO Richard Hamlin. “It was amazing to see. Management began to realize that this was a major system in the bank,” Hamlin says. Employee engagement The business objectives for it were relatively modest at the outset. Increasing employee engagement was part of the agenda. And the bank did want to build a system that could become a primary means for management to communicate with employees and employees with each other. But no one dared imagine it could pull FBB employees together the way it has. It is the social aspects, the way ThoughtFarmer gives employees the tools to make the intranet their own, that has engaged them most – and increased their engagement with the company. FBB’s old intranet software, which forced a top-down approach because all updates had to be done by IT, was “very dry, as you can imagine,” says Valerie Arocha, the bank’s training director, Insider co-administrator and one of a cadre of departmental contributors who drive... --- > See why USGS uses ThoughtFarmer’s social intranet wiki software as the go-to resource for USGS Nevada Water Sciences. - Published: 2011-03-02 - Modified: 2023-11-01 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/usgs/ See why USGS uses ThoughtFarmer’s social intranet software as the go-to resource for USGS Nevada Water Sciences. “Since Nevada is the most arid state in the U. S. , water here is very important,” says Rose Medina, a physical scientist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Carson City, Nevada. She’s understating the case considerably. Municipal and state governments in the region depend on USGS hydrology reports to make life-and-death decisions about whether and when to treat water and how to secure a long-term, quality supply. Since June 2009, ThoughtFarmer has been helping make this essential work easier for the USGS’s staff of scientists, technicians and support personnel in four offices across the state. The Water Sciences group intranet, simply referred to as "ThoughtFarmer", has become the go-to resource for everything from HR information, to signing out a digital camera or boat, to checking the budget on a project, to getting a virtual introduction to a colleague on the other side of the state. “It has really been even more successful than we thought it would be,” says IT specialist Shannon Watermolen who along with Medina spearheaded the intranet implementation project and manages ThoughtFarmer. Easier to customize The social intranet search team chose ThoughtFarmer over alternatives it considered such as Atlassian’s Confluence, PBwiki’s PBWorks and Jive, “primarily because of how customizable the look of ThoughtFarmer was,” Medina says. That was in stark contrast to the agency’s old intranet, a closed Web site hosted on a local USGS server with pages built from scratch using Dreamweaver. It was mostly static because it was so hard to update... --- > Learn how Continuum used ThoughtFarmer intranet software to drive innovation and connect five global offices, spanning three continents. - Published: 2010-06-14 - Modified: 2023-12-19 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/continuum/ How Continuum used a social intranet to connect five global offices, spanning three continents. Continuum, a global design consultancy, creates “experiences that improve people’s lives and drive business innovation. ” Examples include the Reebok Pump and Proctor & Gamble Swiffer Sweeper. But in addition to project-specific work, Continuum also engages with clients to help them build the culture and internal structures needed to foster innovation within their own organizations. Continuum calls it organizational innovation. ThoughtFarmer, which Continuum deployed in early 2010 to build a vibrant new intranet, dubbed “Orange”, has become a vital tool in the firm’s own culture of innovation. And it’s one that Chief Operating Officer Chris Michaud believes can help foster and spread creativity in any organization. “Many of our clients are working hard to create more innovative organizations,” Michaud says. “In our collaborations, a key area we always discuss is how they support the connection of people, knowledge and ideas. ” “A strong intranet, one that is part professional content and part social media, helps to bring people together. It helps to make the right connections across silos, across continents. This is the beauty of a tool like ThoughtFarmer. ” ThoughtFarmer is social intranet software that integrates traditional intranet functions with social networking features such as wikis, blogs and tagging. It enables organizations to share knowledge, engage with employees and foster collaboration. To understand the role it plays at Continuum and the role Continuum believes ThoughtFarmer can play for others, it’s important to understand the firm’s sometimes counter-intuitive thinking about creativity and innovation. How innovation happens: failure first A key pre-requisite... --- > Penn State completed an award-winning, enterprise intranet launch, in just 7 weeks. Learn how they did it. - Published: 2009-11-25 - Modified: 2024-09-12 - URL: https://www.thoughtfarmer.com/case-studies/penn-state/ How Penn State completed an award-winning, 1800-person launch, just 7 weeks from their purchase order. There seems to be two ways that social software enters an organization: bottom-up, or top-down. Bottom-up might mean employees using Google Docs to share files, Twitter to communicate status and PBWiki to collaborate on documents. It starts small and spreads in an organic, patch-work fashion. If you're managing the introduction of enterprise social software at your organization, bottom-up doesn't work. Bottom-up can't be managed. And bottom-up happens at its own speed, which doesn't work when you have deadlines. If you're managing the introduction of enterprise social software at your organization, bottom-up doesn't work. Bottom-up can't be managed. And bottom-up happens at its own speed, which doesn't work when you have deadlines. ” So you've got to go with top-down. A planned roll-out. An orchestrated launch. And I have never, ever come across an enterprise social software launch as fast, well-orchestrated and effective as the one Penn State Outreach did last week. Purchase order to 1500-user launch in 7 weeks, including Christmas break While I was in the front room finalizing contracts with Penn State Purchasing, Bevin Hernandez, the intranet project manager, was already in the back room working on the launch timeline. Planning the intranet launch They set a hard launch date of January 29th, just 7 weeks away, with a Christmas break in between. This would be a very public launch -- they asked all 1500 staff to keep the day free for something very big and very mysterious. Mysterious postcard asking people to block out the intranet launch... --- --- ## Job Postings --- ## Landing Pages --- ## Resources ---