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Computerworld asked leading CIOs and senior level IT executives a series
of questions regarding their intranet strategies. Here is what they had
to say: Selling the intranet
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Respondent base: 72 The information dissemination "killer application"
for the intranet is: a) View computer generated 13.9% b) View external
publications 6.9% c) View internal publications 31.9% d) View repackaged
information 47.2%
Respondent base: 74 What is compelling about the intranet? a) It's cheap
14.9% b) It's open 31.1% c) It's ubiquitous 41.9% d) It's sexy 12.2%
Departmental issues
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Respondent base: 72 Product development -- In this area you foresee: 1.
No intranet application opportunities 2.8% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 19.4% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 36.1% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
41.7%
Respondent base: 73 Marketing - In this area you foresee: 1. No intranet
application opportunities 0.0% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 9.6% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 21.9% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
67.1%
Respondent base: 68 Sales - In this area you foresee: 1. No intranet
application opportunities 1.5% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 19.1% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 25% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
54.4%
Respondent base: 71 Customer service - In this area you foresee: 1. No
intranet application opportunities 1.4% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 7.0% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 29.6% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
60.6%
Respondent base: 71 Procurement - In this area you foresee: 1. No
intranet application opportunities 2.8% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 29.6% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 33.8% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
33.8%
Respondent base: 67 Manufacturing - In this area you foresee: 1. No
intranet application opportunities 10.4% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 29.9% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 29.9% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
29.9%
Respondent base: 59 Distribution - In this area you foresee: 1. No
intranet application opportunities 6.8% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 27.1% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 27.1% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
39%
Respondent base: 67 Finance/accounting - In this area you foresee: 1. No
intranet application opportunities 7.5% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 55.2% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 25.4% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
11.9%
Respondent base: 73 Human resources - In this area you foresee: 1. No
intranet application opportunities 2.7% 2. A few intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 12.3% 3. Many intranet application
opportunities on a small scale 32.9% 4. Opportunities on a large scale
52.1%
Establishing your intranet
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Respondent base: 70 Currently, what is the biggest impediment to
assimilation of the intranet into your company? 1. Technology
infrastructure 13.9% 2. Application availability 19.4% 3. User ability
and motivation 16.7% 4. IS ability and motivation 13.9% 5. Management
priorities 36.1%
Respondent base: 65 In two years, what will be the biggest impediment to
assimilation of the intranet into your company? 1. Technology
infrastructure 9.2% 2. Application availability 18.5% 3. User ability
and motivation 30.8% 4. IS ability and motivation 16.9% 5. Management
priorities 24.6%
Respondent base: 73 Implementing the intranet in your organization is:
1. Low risk - high return 49.3% 2. High risk - high return 28.8% 3. Low
risk - low return 17.8% 4. High risk - low return 4.1%
Respondent base: 70 When will a browser be the universal application
front end in your company? 1. By the end of next year 14.3% 2. In two to
five years 50% 3. In five to ten years 18.6% 4. Never 17.1%
Respondent base: 69 What is the relationship between client/server and
intranet? 1. Intranet supplants client/server 15.9% 2. Intranet enhances
client/server 65.2% 3. They are unrelated 5.8% 4. They overlap and
create confusion 13%
Respondent base: 71 How important do you think it will be for the CIO's
career advancement to support the intranet in a big way? 1. It's too
early to tell 8.5% 2. It's not a high priority 15.5% 3. It's one of the
high priorities 67.6% 4. It's at the top of the list 8.5% 5. It's the
only priority 0%
Managing your intranet
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Respondent base: 72 Currently, who is the source of power behind your
push into the intranet? 1. CEO 6.9% 2. Senior executive 12.5% 3. IS
43.1% 4. User management 11.1% 5. Knowledge workers 26.4%
Respondent base: 70 In three years, who will be the source of power
behind your push into the intranet? 1. CEO 5.7% 2. Senior executives
17.1% 3. IS 7.1% 4. User management 28.6% 5. Knowledge workers 41.4%
Respondent base: 73 Intranet - Internet: How should you manage it? 1.
Completely separate entities 27.4% 2. Intranet used as laboratory for
Internet 13.7% 3. As a merged entity 58.9%
Respondent base: 69 How much control do you expect to have over intranet
content? 1. Nothing 10.1% 2. Enforcement of standards 18.8% 3. Setting
standards 47.8% 4. Structural design 21.7% 5. Review and edit 0% 6. Own
1.4%
Respondent base: 69 When it comes to general intranet capability do you
think IS is ahead or behind the user community in your company? 1. IS is
ahead 50.7% 2. IS is behind 20.3% 3. They are both about the same 29%
Ice breakers
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Respondent base: 52 I think the winner of the next presidential election
will be: a) Bill Clinton 67% b) Bob Dole 21% c) Someone else 12%
Respondent base: 52 The song that best encapsulates my view of the
Intranet is: a) "(Everybody's gone) surfin' USA" 8% b) "Too much talk
and not enough action" 10% c) "You can't always get what you want" 10%
d) "There's something happening here" 10% e) "You're the best thing
that's ever happened to me" 10%
Benefits and business case
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Respondent base: 49 What percentage of your company's total information
technology expenditure goes to the intranet? a) <1% 49% b) 1-5% 22% c)
5-10% 22% d) 10-25% 2% e) >25% 4%
Respondent base: 57 Currently, most intranets projects are justified
based on: a) Reducing cost 35% b) Increasing revenue 9% c) "Intangible"
benefits 56%
Respondent base: 53 When will return on investment (ROI) be a major
factor in setting intranet priority? a) It is now 23% b) Next year 30%
c) In two to five years 30% d) Never 17%
Respondent base: 47 Which of the following song titles best summarizes
the user community's view of the information systems department
vis-a-vis the intranet? a) "It's my life and I'll do what I want" 32% b)
"I can't get no satisfaction" 19% c) "In the year 2525" 4% d) "Givin' it
the best that they've got" 32% e) "Happy together" 13%
Community and content
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Respondent base: 44 Which of the following best describes your current
intranet community? a) Fledgling at best 41% b) We have some pockets of
good activity 30% c) We have many pockets of good activity 23% d) We
have a vibrant intranet community across the organization 7%
Respondent base: 40 What percentage of your company accesses your
intranet at least once per month? a) <5% 55% b) 5-10% 13% c) 10-25% 13%
d) 25-50 5% e) >50% 15%
Respondent base: 45 When will you have the skills in your user community
to create and manage the critical mass of content needed to sustain an
active intranet? a) We do now 11% b) By the end of 1997 42% c) By 2000
36% d) Sometime after 2000 11% e) Never 0%
Respondent base: 47 Where is most of your intranet content created? a)
In house 87% b) Using vendors 13%