Short on Time Summary

Selecting a suitable intranet product for your organisation can be challenging. In this article, we explore the core functionality of a SharePoint out-of-the-box intranet and provide detailed insight into some of the advanced features Involv offers for when you require more customisation options.

By providing easy access to information and allowing employees to complete tasks within one centralised application, you can keep your team focused on meeting your business objectives faster. Intranets are multipurpose tools that can be personalised to your organisation’s specifications to deliver an engaging employee experience and increase productivity.

Intranets are widely recognised as an effective way to improve employee morale and engagement, but it can be difficult to understand which product is most suitable for your organisation. 

SharePoint out-of-the-box and Involv are both built in the Microsoft 365 SharePoint environment but have different levels of functionality. In this article, we will explore the advantages and limitations of each product to help you make an informed decision.

If you are unfamiliar with Microsoft SharePoint interfaces or prefer building your intranet in a separate environment, Omnia is a great alternative. It is a highly customisable product with a range of comprehensive pre-built templates that can be configured to fit your organisation’s needs. Learn more here. 

SharePoint OOTB

SharePoint out-of-the-box is equipped with the essential features you need to create an impactful one-stop intranet. Create an inspiring digital workspace for collaboration, document management, communication and more. It is a scalable solution that can grow and change with your business.

OOTB facilitates two-way communication and enables you to publish multimedia content such as blog posts and videos. You can create multiple sites for individual departments and populate them with key policies, client data and other essential information. Additionally, enhance efficiency by integrating other popular Microsoft applications like Power Automate and Power Apps to automate workflows.

SharePoint OOTB has some limitations when it comes to its design and branding capabilities. However, it is still possible to create a visually engaging intranet that your employees will want to use.

In our webinar, our UX designer explores some techniques to customise the look and feel of your OOTB intranet, for example by introducing colour-blocking to separate sections. Watch our webinar for a detailed comparison of OOTB and Involv design features.

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Involv 

Involv is a ready-to-go intranet that builds on top of SharePoint in the Microsoft 365 environment, making it quick and easy to develop and deploy.

It seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, Power Platform and more, ensuring your employees have access to everything they need for a productive day. Third-party applications for functions like project management and HR can also be integrated into your intranet for easy access.

Involv is an ideal product for organisations that want to create a highly personalised, user-focused intranet experience. Select which elements you want to include from its extensive collection of tools and widgets, then use the simple drag-and-drop interface to organise your intranet. Additionally, you can match your intranet to your company branding with options to change the font, colour and much more that are not included with OOTB.

Although SharePoint OOTB and Involv both come with core tools like people profiles, quick links, recent documents, notifications and page templates, Involv provides additional advanced features. The platform aims to deliver a unique and targeted experience for every user.

Involv is committed to providing a remote-first experience that enables deskless workers to access information anywhere from their preferred device. The mobile app is highly responsive, featuring page layouts that adapt to the screen size. 

Another exciting feature of Involv is the internal job board. Highlight internal promotion opportunities or give your employees the chance to recommend the role to someone in their network. Using the intranet this way will help your workers feel more involved with the organisation, including the recruitment process. 

Harvard Business Review discovered that high social connectivity in work teams is directly related to higher engagement at work. High-performing individuals are 25% more likely to regularly chat with their colleagues. This protects employee well-being and leads to more effective teamwork.

Creating a community where employees feel appreciated can be simple when the right tools are in place. Involv provides opportunities for interaction with social media features such as @mentions, likes and comments.

Encourage people to use the intranet to explore shared interests on personal topics such as pets, hobbies and travelling. 

Involv offers a wide range of unique features including:

  • Targeted emergency notifications – Easily communicate with your employees in urgent situations such as an office closure. 
  • Embedded social media – Display your Twitter feed to keep employees in the loop with external updates.
  • Publishing Calendar - Plan and manage your content creation to ensure you stay on track.
  • Advanced analytics – Track KPI metrics such as page visits, top-performing posts and top authors.
  • Event registration – Allow employees to sign up for company events without leaving the intranet.

Find a full comparison of OOTB and Involv features  here.

SharePoint OOTB is an effective solution with the core functionality needed to boost productivity, collaboration and knowledge sharing. If you require more advanced capabilities, Involv builds on this with enhanced customisation options and additional features to help your people work better. 

Before finalising the features you want to include, carefully consider the business challenges you are addressing. Selecting the most appropriate intranet solution will depend on the project’s purpose, goals and requirements.

At ThinkShare we are experienced in delivering numerous intranet projects to a diverse range of clients across different industries.  Get in touch with our experts for an options appraisal to discuss your needs in more detail. You can also keep up to date with our latest insights on LinkedIn and YouTube or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.