Why An Integrated Intranet Wins Against Isolated Solutions

In today's digital working world, many companies are faced with a decision: Should they rely on (yet another) standalone solution or invest in a central intranet portal?

In this article, we explore why a flexible portal solution with AI integration offers you more benefits than just the sum of its parts. We also explain why an integrated intranet can even save your company money in the long run compared to isolated, standalone solutions. We'll show you why the intranet definitely wins against isolated solutions!

Many companies have built up a collection of different tools over the years: one solution for email, another for document management, another for project management, and yet another for internal communications.

What initially appears to be a flexible, established approach quickly develops into a costly and inefficient patchwork. This, of course, happens precisely when your isolated solutions reach their natural limits.

The consequences are predictable: Employees waste their time switching between different systems, information gets lost in the proliferation of tools, and your IT department struggles with maintaining and integrating different platforms. These are all resources that need to be managed carefully.

The modern intranet unfolds its strengths especially when it's not an isolated platform alongside other tools, but rather becomes the control center of your company. It's easy to say that, but why is that the case?

The intranet portal connects information, processes, and applications. Instead of maintaining isolated solutions with their own data sets, an intranet system developed specifically for your company provides a common foundation on which all departments can collaborate efficiently.

Between APIs and AI integration

Naturally, your departments use different tools, and this will remain the case. The key lies in integrating content and workflows via API and AI connections. Data is then synchronized in real time, and coordinated interfaces ensure seamless integration with your existing IT systems.

This way, you avoid redundant work steps and create clarity in the flood of information. Many customers aren't even aware of how much information needs to be exchanged daily. Visualizing this helps open their eyes and forms the basis for intelligent networking. Added to this is the integration of AI-supported functions, such as a truly efficient search function, automatic classification (e.g., of categories, tags, filing structures, etc.), and personalized information provision (keywords: personal homepage, dashboards).

Such functions help your employees quickly find the right content and make informed decisions. Even routine tasks can be automated, from AI integration for document filing to lightning-fast analysis of your employees' typical communication patterns. Once trained, these processes consume virtually no resources within your company. This transforms your intranet into not just a digital workplace, but an intelligent network that makes your company more flexible in all areas.

Can all these services be reliably provided from a single source?

Yes, because AM GmbH's diverse services integrate seamlessly. See for yourself our expertise and take a look at our compelling case studies. Since 2007, we've been committed to providing you with a comprehensive, holistic service package, without the hassle of multiple service providers!

That sounds good, doesn't it? The investment in an integrated portal may initially seem more expensive than the gradual acquisition of individual solutions. However, even in the medium term, significant savings will accrue through reduced licensing costs, lower maintenance effort, and significantly lower training costs for your employees. This effect is further amplified by the increased effectiveness of your employees. We would be happy to discuss this with you, without obligation.

Ask yourself:

When was the last time you clicked through multiple tools to search for a specific piece of information whose exact location you no longer knew? A telling Gartner survey from 2023 found that 47% of digital workers still struggle to find the information they need to do their jobs. (Link to source)

Growing flexibility becomes cheaper

While standalone solutions often reach their limits as a company grows, a well-designed intranet built with connectivity and APIs in mind is precisely engineered to scale with these demands. New features simply expand the scope of your portal, rather than requiring potentially costly adaptations to existing modules.

A modular structure is what distinguishes a good intranet portal. After all, who would have expected comprehensive AI integration ten years ago? Modern APIs offer these possibilities, so your company can rely on greater scalability and flexibility. Costs only arise when necessary. You can probably imagine that a new module for an existing, intelligent system costs less than purchasing and setting up another isolated solution.

Current data demonstrates the extent of the problem with isolated, standalone solutions. This is especially evident when they are purchased as System-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions in the cloud:

According to a Gartner survey from December 2022, the average SaaS cost per employee was already over $1,000 at that time. The global consulting firm also estimates that costs are increasing by between 15 and 20 percent annually! It's therefore not surprising that more and more companies are asking themselves: Can't this be done more cheaply and effectively? (Link to source)

The right strategy for your company

Once the decision has been made to replace the individual solutions that have accumulated over the years, there's no rush: A successful intranet portal doesn't happen overnight. It requires a thoughtful analysis of your existing processes, a clear objective, and a step-by-step implementation. It's crucial to consider the needs of all stakeholders from the outset.

We would be happy to advise you and work with you to develop an implementation plan.