Case Study: User-Based SharePoint Intranet Optimization for Emergent BioSolutions
Skills used
- User Research
- Content Strategy
- Information Architecture
- Technical Audit
- Change Management
- Cross-Functional Training
The challenge
International communications and intranet engagement for a leading life science and pharmaceuticals enterprise were statistically down. Unchecked site creation, personnel changes, and limited technical support created challenges for maintaining a useful and usable SharePoint-built intranet.
- Employees didn’t trust the information.
- Design and functionality differed from department to department.
- Unsupported navigation made content hard to find.
- Inconsistent access meant some employees weren’t getting information.
The solution
I was hired on a short-term contract to build a new SharePoint content strategy. My client's goal was to make the Intranet site more useful and usable for the whole enterprise.
I started with a multifaceted analysis that included user interviews, content audits, and technical reviews.
We had some tough choices to make because of time and resource limitations. We also had to overcome training disconnects. But in the end, we were to work within the confines and overcome the challenges. We reduced page bloat by close to 50 percent (1,400 pages), introduced design and taxonomical consistency based on user needs, created a style guide, and trained the communications team for continued improvement after my contract ended.
Key strategies
In-Depth Analysis: The first step was to accrue the necessary access and information, meet and understand the stakeholders' perspectives, and begin to examine the site's technical makeup.
- User Research: I conducted surveys across five departments, held two focus groups, and conducted interviews with IT to understand user needs, pain points, and information-seeking behaviors. We found that mixed branding confused users. They didn’t trust the content because it looked old, and we found that search results were inaccurate.
- Content Audit: My content review included a manual on-page review, a review of the SharePoint-provided metrics, and a review of the GA4 property. We found hundreds of pages that hadn’t been visited in more than a year. We learned that many of the most useful widgets, links, and CTAs were buried below the fold or on internal pages that required users to click multiple times.
- Technical Review: Analyzed the site's technical infrastructure, including page performance, accessibility, and security. We found more than six different URL conventions and four different page designs, some of which hadn’t been touched in years.
Strategic Planning: With only six months to wrap up the project, we had to make decisions and prioritize what matters most. We decided to use the user feedback as our navigation.
The priority was to improve what was already there. The second priority was creating a plan for continuous improvement after my contract ended. We had no IT resources to work with and a small comms team to execute the changes.
One important conclusion we decided on was the primary audience of each departmental site: It wasn’t necessarily the department. External colleagues visited department pages more than the department members themselves, mainly seeking information.
Execution and Training: Based on the original audit, we created an archival workflow for removing old and unuseful content. I started and trained the FTEs on how to continue the process. We also assigned new departmental page ownership and created a calendar for upkeep and review. While the backlog of improvements was not completed, training did finish, and the communications team was confident in their continued plan.
Considerations for archival included how many people opened a specific page (for instance, was it only the same person multiple times) and total pageviews within a 6-month and 12-month timeframe.
- Content Migration and Organization: Ensure that all users, including those who are not desked, have access to the Intranet. Previously, mobile access within the firewall was not available.
- Content Creation and Management: Who writes, edits, reviews, publishes, governs, and eventually archives content for the comms team. We used the MailChimp style guide as our foundational document and updated to fit the needs of the enterprise.
- Change Management: Who will run each department page moving forward.
The impact
We were able to drastically reduce the page count, get departmental, sub-departmental, and content page designs approved and updated, and create a long-term plan that improves confidence and makes it easier to find and use the SharePoint intranet site.
- Content Migration and Organization: Ensure that all users, including those who are not desked, have access to the Intranet. Previously, mobile access within the firewall was not available.
- Content Creation and Management: Who writes, edits, reviews, publishes, governs, and eventually archives content for the comms team. We used the MailChimp style guide as our foundational document and updated to fit the needs of the enterprise.
- Change Management: Who will run each department page moving forward.
Improved User Experience:
- Reduced time spent searching for information
- Streamlined workflows and processes
- Empowered employees to make informed decisions
Enhanced Brand and Style Consistency:
- Established a unified brand identity across the intranet
- Improved the company's internal image
- Ensure each page is owned by someone
My role
Develop and execute the new content strategy. Train the in-house team to continue strategy after the end of the contract.