Google Intranet: 15 Reasons to Build a Google-based Intranet

What is a Google Intranet?

Before we go any further, it may be helpful to define some terms.

What is an intranet?

An intranet is a private network. It is used by an organization for the following purposes:

• To help employees communicate with each other
• To securely store information (forms, manuals, documents, shared folders, etc.)
• To facilitate collaboration

Modern intranets are cloud-based so that remote employees can access the platform as easily as workers in the main office. It is an employee-oriented network that relies on workers to share questions and comments up and down the company lines of communication. Anyone connected to the intranet can post content they feel is interesting or informative to share with their colleagues as well.

LumApps Intranet Example

What is Google Workspace?

Unless you have been living deep in the jungle completely cut off from civilization, you are familiar with Google. The company originally started as a search engine and has grown into one of the most recognizable brands in the tech world. Google Workspace is one of the company’s most successful products.

Originally named Google Apps, Google Workspace was called G Suite from 2016-2020. At that point, G Suite was rebranded and Google Workspace became available. The latest version has made collaboration between users easier and more efficient. It allows users to generate content and work on documents with guests in chat rooms. This makes working with clients, suppliers, and business partners virtually an easy and convenient process.

Google Workspace includes the following apps:

• Gmail gives users an easy way to attach files to email (and access to unlimited storage on a business plan with more than five users)
• Google Calendar to create public calendars and coordinating schedules with team members
• Google Chat for direct messaging and group chat
• Google Drive for storing files
• Google Docs for word processing functions and file sharing to Google Drive
• Google Forms to create and share surveys
• Google Meet for video conferencing
• Google Keep is a handy note-taking app with tools for making lists, capturing text, voice, and images
• Google Sheets to create and share spreadsheets with other users in Google Drive
• Google Slides for creating, collaborating on, and storing presentations
• Google Sites allows users to create and edit websites without having to learn IT or coding skills

What is a Google Workspace Intranet?

Given that companies understand the value of introducing an intranet for their organizations and that Google offers a suite of user-friendly business applications (listed above), it makes sense to combine both in a Google-based intranet. The best intranet platform is a Google/Microsoft-based one.

This option works for businesses of all sizes, from small-to-medium sized-companies to enterprise-level corporations. A cloud-based Google Workspace intranet is completely scalable. It grows with the company.

To clarify, Google itself does not have an intranet. Portals like LumApps integrate the intranet features into the Google ecosystem/apps to create a Google intranet. LumApps is “the only recommended intranet solution for Google Workspace (formerly G Suite).” When companies combine LumApps with Google Workspace, they are increasing the adoption, value, and usage rates of Google Workspace.

LumApps for Google Workspace

15 Reasons to Create a Google Intranet

Are you considering a Google intranet solution for your business but aren’t sure about taking this step? Consider these reasons for taking the next step forward.

1. Google Workspace is used in many organizations

The fact that Google Workspace has already been implemented by many companies is a very good sign. It also means that the Google intranet solution has been tried and tested. Other companies have gone through the stage where they have been the ones to find out where any “bugs” in the system may exist. These will have been recognized and dealt with already.

2. There is no need to change from tools employees are already familiar with

Another reason for creating an intranet with Workspace is that your employees will be working with at least some apps they are already familiar with. The apps that are new to them are quite user-friendly and don’t take a lot of time to learn. The process of adopting the Google Workspace intranet should flow smoothly with very few hiccups along the way.

LumApps with Google Workspace Apps

3. It improves collaboration between employees

The face of business has changed. It is no longer considered unusual to have some, or even all, of your team working remotely. To achieve success, it’s crucial to keep all team members on the same page in the digital workplace.

Cloud-based apps give you the best opportunity to achieve this goal and Google collaboration software gives your business a solution that is user-friendly and easy to implement. Team members can start using the collaboration tools quickly without having to spend much time on training, which is a bonus when there is a business to run.

4. A Google Suite Intranet can be accessed with a single sign-on

Most people already have some type of Google account, such as Gmail, Google Drive, or Google Ads, etc. The Google interface is something they are already familiar with.

Once the Google intranet has been introduced, team members only need to sign into one platform for access. They use the same log-in for Google Workspace and the company intranet. Google Workspace gives the employee access to the entire Google spectrum, including YouTube.

5. A Google Apps intranet portal is very secure

Integrating with Google means that you can decide to make your intranet private. It will only be available to Google Apps users. The single sign-on procedure means that users can access it however the system itself remains quite secure.

Not all users need to be granted the same status within the system. Some users will be the authors/owners of documents, whereas others will be able to edit them. Other users will only be able to view documents that have been created by others. These groups will keep your company documents from being changed and updated within the system by unauthorized employees.

Single Sign-in on a Google Intranet

6. A Google employee intranet offers increased data storage

A Google intranet can provide unlimited cloud storage on Google Drive. There is a lot of room for a business to grow; however, this is an option that is appropriate for businesses of any size.

A company owner can start their small business with Google online tools and then create an intranet as their business grows. When their needs change and they need an intranet platform, this option gives them the data storage they need without making a major shift in the technology they are already using.

7. A Google intranet makes it convenient to provide notes or information to users

Speaking of increased data storage, including a Google Workspace app in your company intranet gives you the capability to add important background information to team members. For example, if you are using Google Sheets to record contacts for leads, these Google Sheets can then be embedded into your sales team’s intranet page.

Once the sales team starts working on the leads, they can record notes about their initial contact with the potential customers. Your sales manager and other sales representatives will be able to tell at a glance which prospects have been contacted, whether the contact was receptive, if an appointment was made, or the contact requested a follow-up call at a later time.

8. It improves internal communication

Google intranet apps include all the tools that employees need to keep in touch with each other inside teams and throughout the company to get their work done. Workers can access messaging apps, which are much more efficient than sending emails or trying to connect with someone by phone to find information or get questions answered.

The intranet also includes access to forms employees can complete and forward to other individuals or departments for authorization or further steps. These include requests for supplies, annual vacation requests, sign-ups for training, etc.

Internal Communication with Google Chat or Slack

9. Corporate communication becomes clearer

Communication from the executive suite to employees should flow regularly so that workers are not the last to hear about company news. Google intranet apps make it easy for the CEO and other executives to communicate directly with employees. They can share their thoughts and encourage workers regularly.

Employees can comment on what they have read and heard from executives, too. The company intranet encourages discussion so that everyone understands where the company is heading and is contributing to its wellbeing together.

LeaderShip Corner – LumApps Intranet

10. A Google intranet increases productivity

When Google Workspace is used in combination with the company intranet, users are able to edit documents and collaborate in real-time. Their work is less likely to get bogged down with the time it takes to find needed information and email the link or a document to team members.

Every time a team member changes a source file, the intranet automatically updates the material. No one has to take time to email all the team members working on a project, taking care to change the version of the source file to ensure that it reflects the latest changes.

11. It allows large companies to provide better quality internal support

Large organizations deal with many technical questions and requests for support from employees every day. When their workforce is spread out among different locations and across multiple time zones, it becomes more challenging to coordinate all the requests and respond to them in a timely fashion.

A company intranet allows users to post questions to a company forum or community and send support tickets electronically. Support staff can then respond to requests as they come in, without creating a traffic jam in the company’s phone system.

12. A Google intranet is easy to use and for your employees to maintain

For employees who may feel as though they have plenty to do at work already and that having to learn how to manage a company intranet is “one more thing” to pack onto their plates, this is a user-friendly choice.

Employees who want to edit a document and upload it to the intranet to share it with their colleagues will find that if they know how to use Word, they have the skills necessary to do so. No HTML coding is required.

13. It provides users with a great overall experience

To be truly effective, the company intranet should have a clean, attractive appearance on screen. Users should find it easy to navigate. They don’t want to get hung up spending extra time trying to figure out how to find the information or the person they need to help them complete tasks. All this should be readily apparent when team members log into the platform.

A Google Suite intranet is easy to navigate and makes finding news, employee profiles, and relevant documents a pleasant process for employees.

LumApps Design Experience

14. A Google intranet can be customized to fit your company’s brand

Your company brand is very important and your intranet can carry the same look and feel as your public website. This strategy is important to make employees feel as though they are part of the corporate family when they are uploading content and sharing their thoughts and opinions on the intranet.

Each team member is making a valuable contribution to the company when they are doing their work well, and the company intranet is the perfect place to acknowledge employees who have gone above and beyond for the company and its customers.

15. You can maximize your return on investment (ROI)

There is no need to reinvent the wheel when you decide to introduce an intranet to your business. Choosing Google apps for intranet means you can integrate with Google Workspace and maximize your ROI.

Team members don’t have to be stuck looking for the tools they need to do their job from multiple sources. The intranet allows all users to access the tools they need to complete tasks from one convenient platform.

How to Build the Best Google Workspace Intranet?

If you are going to create a company intranet, you’ll want to ensure that it is a platform that is engaging to your team and has features that will help to grow your business. The good news is that creating an effective one is an easier process than you may realize.

1. Choose a company that understands your needs

The company you decide to partner with when building your intranet should understand your values. An intranet may perform similar functions for each business, but how it does so can vary from company to company. Your business doesn’t operate in a cookie-cutter fashion and you don’t want to work with a company that presents the same solution to each one of its clients.

LumApps listens to each of its clients carefully to determine the right solution for their needs. We understand the importance of choosing the right intranet software from the outset.

2. Choose the Google intranet template and design

Once you select a company to partner with and decide you want to move forward with setting up a company intranet, the next step is to work on the design. You’ll likely want the design you choose to be similar to the look of your public website.

3. Create communities according to your company structure

Communities that will be interacting together on the intranet include work teams. They also include committees that meet for business and social purposes within the company. An intranet is also a place for employees who share similar interests to make them known to their co-workers and offer assistance to others when appropriate.

LumApps Store Community Example

4. Publish content on the intranet

The intranet is meant to be a living platform that constantly has new content added to it. This content can include, but is not limited to, company news, blog posts, industry news, opinion pieces, new product announcements, reviews, and more. It can also be used to announce social get-togethers for employees, employee birthdays, work anniversaries, employee retirements, etc.

5. Offer team training on the intranet to employees

Once the intranet is up and running, it’s time to introduce the new platform to employees. The best way to get everyone working on it is in an organized manner, by department or by workgroup. That way, no one will be overlooked.

You may want to post one or more videos on the intranet to introduce employees to the platform and what it can do. That way, employees can view the videos on their own schedules. If anything is unclear after viewing the videos, they can contact support with questions or concerns (without overwhelming the support system with a large uptick in queries all at once).

LumApps Video Center