Corporate portal development

December 24, 2009

A corporate portal is an intranet that stores information from various sources in a single interface. Employees and departments do not need to visit different pages or access endless applications to find the data they require. Instead, they simply work via a platform that brings together company information and applications in one place. Managers can view metrics, while employees have access to tools and data that help them to solve their tasks.

“We greatly valued the professionalism of EDISON's specialists, their responsible attitude towards the tasks set, and the level of interaction with the client, which was in line with top business standards.”

System Operator of the UPS

Depending on what tasks the portals solve, we can distinguish:

information portals providing access to a wide range of information sources;
application portals that systematise the applications used by the company;
examination portals that make it possible to analyse data, helping to fine-tune access to the organisation's knowledge base.

Who needs a corporate portal and why?

The larger the company, the more approvals, reports and documents it handles – all of this takes up a lot of working time.

A corporate portal helps to structure and automate key business processes, providing employees with access to internal documentation and work applications. Following the implementation of the internal network, productivity increases and risks of error are minimised. The portal is also useful when it comes to strengthening internal relations and implementing corporate ethics.

		Top-level management	Communication with departments and employees, delegating, analytics and financial reporting, employee productivity monitoring.
		Employees	Working together simultaneously on documents, discussions in working groups, instant data-driven morphological analysis, work with applications, informal communication on the forum.
		Security provider	Encryption of important information, logging access and rights changes, work with surveillance cameras.
		HR	Conducting questionnaires among employees, quick training of new staff, convenient document management and archiving, time tracking.
		Communication managers	Informing employees about events, conducting questionnaires, holding marketing events.
		Sales department	CRM – customer relationship management.

Corporate portal design principle

We offer two corporate portal solutions.

Choose ready-made, boxed solutions tailored to companies of different sizes – large, medium and small. Cooperation with the client follows the following protocol:
- We describe the product and tools;
- The client chooses the functions they need;
- We install and configure the portal according to the client's needs and train employees.
Work on the basis of the problems within the business, since boxed solutions cannot always satisfy the needs of companies. The portal is created with the participation of the client:
- We define the problems to be solved;
- We come up with solutions for each task;
- We implement, test and customise the portal.

In addition to the obvious advantages, both options have their quirks. In the first case, the processes have to be adjusted to match the capabilities of the system, while the second requires more time and money.

Intranet implementation steps

Regardless of whether the client chooses a boxed solution or a portal to be created from scratch, implementation involves the same stages.

01	Planning	We set out the main goals and interview the interested parties.
02	Intranet architecture design	Some data and applications may be specific and have limited access, while others may see more demand among users. A well-thought-out structure will allow users to quickly access important data and applications.
03	Portal design	User-friendliness depends on how well designed and intuitive the interface is.
04	Development of portal management software	It can be a new unique product developed from scratch or adapted from third-party applications.
05	Process automation, connection, or development of DBMS ERP, or CRM management systems	An intranet is not only a database, but also a tool for managing internal processes.
06	Testing and subsequent refinement	Includes checks on speed, performance, usability, safety, efficiency and interaction between all elements.
07	Adding content to intranet	This is a time-consuming and complex process, since it requires the participation of both management and company employees.
08	Employee adaptation and training	Whether the staff use the intranet depends not only on its design and functionality, but also on the level of commitment of the staff. We will teach employees how to use the portal, show how effective and convenient it is to work with it, and also suggest some ideas to managers on how to motivate employees and maintain interest in working with the intranet.