DWG announces its 2014 research programme, will tackle growing complexity of intranet manager role

The Digital Workplace Group (DWG), a recognized global leader in intranet and digital workplace evaluation, strategy, usability and improvement, is delighted to announce its intranet and digital workplace research programme for 2014.

Intranet and digital workplace research for large organizations

DWG’s research programme is an offering for members of its primary service, the Intranet Benchmarking Forum (IBF). IBF members, including intranet teams at organizations such as Adobe, IKEA and EY, regularly use IBF’s research for decision-making, as a source of ideas, and as the basis for rich interactions and knowledge sharing.

In 2014 DWG plans to publish six research papers available exclusively to IBF members. Reports consist of a mixture of thought leadership, analysis, statistics, examples of good practice and detailed case studies.

Each year’s list of research topics aims directly at the needs of IBF members, whose votes winnow down a long list of topics to just those listed below. The resulting list shows a powerful snapshot of the intranet and digital workplace needs of teams at large companies.

The intranet is not enough, but intranets are forever

This year’s research topics all speak to the growing complexity faced by intranet teams. No longer just managing static sites full of top-down corporate communications and lists of policies, intranet teams at large organizations now must deliver on new requirements and promises, including:

1. Online collaboration tools
2. Mobile sites
3. Deeper integration of enterprise applications.

Additionally, companies with more advanced visions are stepping back to look at how to create a cohesive digital working environment, and at the intranet’s central role in that.

Elizabeth Marsh, Director of Research for DWG, said:

“This year we’re revisiting some big topics such as the value of social intranets, enterprise search, and intranet governance. We’ll also be continuing to grow our digital workplace research with new research into digital workplace leadership and change management around digital workplace programmes. As always we’ll be bringing our members practical insights that they can apply in their organizations – backed up by benchmarking/ survey data and case studies from leading organizations – as well as challenging their thinking with new ideas and concepts.”

6 research reports for 2014

The full list of the six reports in IBF’s 2014 member research programme is:

• Value and adoption of social intranets
• Bringing the organization with you: the digital workplace and organizational readiness/ change management
• Tackling the enterprise search challenge: a holistic view of what it takes to make search work
• Getting governance right across intranet/ collaboration/ digital workplace
• From intranet manager to digital workplace leader (setting up the team, roles and responsibilities, leadership etc.)
• Getting to grips with the Communications Channel Matrix.

But it doesn’t end there. We’ll be exploring a wide range of intranet and digital workplace topics through our in-person member meetings, online member-only Knowledge Exchanges, and IBF Live shows.

Nancy Goebel, Managing Director for Strategic Partnerships and Business Development at DWG, said:

“The job of managing the intranet is getting bigger and bigger, but at the same time many timeless principles still apply. Governance, usability, search and cross-functional thinking are becoming even more important as the scope of work increases. The intranet leaders at large companies whom I speak with every day have to be like intellectual Swiss Army Knives and it’s IBF’s job to help with that.”

If you’d like to learn more about IBF’s research programme you can download a free executive summary of a recent report or request a briefing about IBF membership. Happy 2014!