Intranet decisions can either propel your company forward or slow it down, depending on the approach you choose. If you’re considering whether to build a custom solution or buy a packaged intranet solution, consider the implications each of them carry for your organization. The stakes are high — time, money and overreliance on IT resources are on the line — and the last thing you want is an intranet that’s more of a hindrance than a help.
Recent Simpplr research explored intranet development challenges and what makes for a successful employee intranet experience. Data revealed that the top issue senior intranet professionals face is overreliance on IT resources. This drain on resources stems primarily from custom-built intranets that the IT department has to manually configure, maintain and update.
Should you build or buy an employee intranet? It depends on your company’s particular needs. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of custom-built vs. cloud-based intranet solutions.
Challenges of custom-built intranet solutions
Building an intranet from scratch may seem like the best option if your company has complex needs or security concerns. At first glance, a custom solution promises a system tailored to your unique workflows, but many companies underestimate the long-term challenges that come with this approach.
IT resources are stretched thin
One of the biggest intranet development challenges companies face when building an intranet is the overreliance on IT resources. Developing a platform from scratch requires significant involvement from your IT team — not only during the initial build but also for ongoing maintenance and updates.
When IT bears the brunt of responsibility, they can quickly become overwhelmed, leading to delays in intranet deployment, updates and support.
As your company scales, these delays can snowball, causing frustrations for both your employees and IT staff. That’s a huge obstacle, especially when your goal is to strengthen collaboration and maximize productivity.
Reducing IT involvement in intranet management should be a top priority for any company seeking to improve employee intranet experience.
Technology quickly becomes outdated
Keeping a custom-built intranet up-to-date is no small task. Your platform could quickly become outdated, especially if new business needs emerge or if external factors such as cybersecurity threats arise.
This maintenance burden doesn’t just cost you time — it can cost you money. Building a custom solution is expensive from the get-go, and the ongoing costs of managing and updating it can add up. Plus, a poorly maintained intranet could result in low employee engagement, defeating the whole purpose of having one in the first place.
By contrast, cloud-based intranet solutions are more agile and offer frequent, automated updates, reducing overreliance on IT resources.
Custom-built intranets are hard to scale
While custom-built intranets offer a high degree of customization, they often struggle to grow alongside your business. As your needs change, you may find that what started as a tailored solution is now cumbersome, inefficient and difficult to expand.
Without the ability to evolve quickly, your custom intranet risks becoming a relic — leaving employees frustrated and less likely to use the platform as intended.
Limitations of configurable platform technology
Configurable platform technology is a hybrid between custom and packaged intranet solutions. Customizing a platform like SharePoint or Google Sites may seem like a middle ground because this method allows for some customization while leveraging existing technology. However, companies often underestimate the time and effort required to set up and maintain it over time.
Even with configurable platform technology, IT teams are still on the hook for development and upkeep, meaning you’re still plagued with the same problem — the need to reduce IT involvement in intranet management. This ongoing involvement not only consumes resources but also contributes to technical debt, as customizations and workarounds accumulate over time, creating long-term maintenance challenges.
Learn more: Exploring the best SharePoint alternatives
Benefits of packaged intranet solutions
Now, consider custom vs. packaged intranet solutions. The latter come out of the box with essential features that meet the majority of use cases. Cloud-based intranet solutions can be deployed in a matter of weeks rather than months. They don’t require the constant IT oversight that custom-built or hybrid solutions demand, freeing up your resources.
After all, the purpose of the intranet is to improve internal communication and collaboration, not create more work for your IT department.
Streamlined intranet deployment
A key advantage of choosing an out-of-the-box intranet solution is the speed at which it can be deployed.
Streamlined intranet deployment allows your company to get up and running in a matter of weeks, not months.
Out-of-the-box solutions significantly reduce the involvement of your IT team in managing the platform. Day-to-day tasks like updating content or configuring new features can be handled by nontechnical staff, freeing up IT resources for more strategic initiatives.
Packaged solutions like Simpplr are designed to not only streamline intranet deployment but also integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, reducing the need for heavy customization or prolonged IT involvement. That means less time spent waiting and more time reaping the benefits of improved collaboration and efficiency.
Simplicity and scalability
Packaged intranet solutions come with an intuitive design to ensure ease of use, allowing employees to engage without the need for extensive training. Employees can find information, collaborate with colleagues, and stay connected. It’s the simplest way to improve employee intranet experience and encourage engagement with the system. With Simpplr, user experience is built into the core, offering a seamless, consumer-grade interface that requires minimal effort to navigate, ensuring high adoption rates and maximizing the value of your intranet from day one.
While you’re growing your business, a cloud-based intranet solution provides a flexible, scalable platform with architecture built to adapt to your evolving needs. The Simpplr intranet, for example, is designed to accommodate rapidly expanding workforces with additional servers and guaranteed bandwidth.
Lower cost of ownership
The benefits of packaged intranet solutions go beyond ease of use. These platforms lower the total cost of ownership inherent in expensive customization, maintenance and technical support.
In addition, cloud-based intranet solutions typically offer regular automatic updates that keep your platform current — without any extra cost or effort on your part. This kind of ongoing innovation ensures your intranet remains a valuable tool as your business grows.
Learn more: Simpplr named a Leader in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Intranet Packaged Solutions
Custom-built vs. cloud-based intranet solutions
In choosing an intranet solution, the balance comes down to control versus efficiency. While custom-built platforms offer more control, they also demand constant oversight, higher costs and increased IT involvement, often struggling to scale with your business.
Cloud-based, out-of-the-box intranets, on the other hand, provide a more straightforward, scalable solution that integrates seamlessly and minimizes IT burden. Packaged intranet solutions deliver faster, are easier to manage, and offer continuous improvements, keeping your team focused on what matters most — running your business efficiently.
By choosing a streamlined, cloud-based solution, you can minimize IT headaches, improve collaboration, and future-proof your business — all without breaking the bank. If you’re interested in seeing how Simpplr can help connect, engage and align your workforce, you can request a customized demo or view our demo on-demand.
