IBF member organisations have reported the following business benefits achieved through their membership of IBF:
- Greater productivity and effectiveness
- Technology optimisation
- Cost savings and spending avoidance
- Improved risk management
- Lower environmental impact
- Better customer service
1. Greater productivity and effectiveness
a. Self-service
By giving members access to IBF expertise and the knowledge and experience of others, IBF helps them accelerate the adoption of intranet-based self-service tools. These make administrative processes more efficient and effective for individual employees and the organisation as a whole. Members are able to find out about best practice in this area, and to learn about shortcuts and pitfalls.
After guidance from IBF, a large manufacturer automated multiple offline processes via the intranet including travel booking, expense claims processing and procurement of certain goods and services.
Assuming each process had involved three full-time staff when performed outside the intranet, the annual savings were more than £200,000 in these three areas.
b. Improved management information
Intranets can provide managers in an organisation with immediate access to accurate performance data, improving the speed and quality of decision making. IBF enables members to see advanced intranet-based management information systems (or ‘performance dashboard’ intranets) operating successfully so they can adopt good practices.
2. Technology optimisation
Between them, IBF members are using a wide range of large-scale intranet platforms. As a result, IBF has unrivalled insight into intranet technology, which it can bring to bear for members. In addition, members can swap tips and experiences in this area. As a result, they can make the right technology choices, avoid the mistakes others have made, and optimise their chosen platforms.
One of the world’s largest FMCG companies solicited guidance from IBF when faced with a decision about whether to embark on a major technology migration or remain with their incumbent service provider. Based on IBF’s independent report, the member decided to continue making use of its existing platform for 12 months, which in turn led to the incumbent improving its service and quality. This technology optimisation process equated to a saving for that 12 months of £144,000.
3. Cost savings and spending avoidance
a. Cost reduction
IBF intranet benchmarking and our resulting recommendations for improving the effectiveness and value of the intranet helps members uncover ways of using the intranet to achieve organisational cost savings.
For an international retail electronics group, IBF identified a range of cost-saving options proven to work across other large-scale businesses. As a result, the member started using its intranet to deliver information and provide a communication channel for retail staff. This meant they could do without a central team of 10 full-time staff and a manual information system, with savings in the first year of £155,000.
b. Spending avoidance
Through their membership of IBF, members avoid incurring unnecessary costs.
One major global telecommunications company was embarking on a major intranet upgrade to what they believed to be a superior platform. IBF was able to facilitate direct knowledge exchange within confidential boundaries between two other members who had already started such a change. This dialogue was supplemented by IBF advice on the best timing for any change. As a result, the planned wholesale upgrade was replaced by a small-scale pilot that ran for 18 months before full implementation later. This approach saved licence fees for 18 months for 93,000 employees, avoiding costs of £200,000.
4. Improved risk management
Good intranets help the organisation manage its risks. For instance, they reduce duplication and inconsistency in data and information, which reduces the risk of misinformed decision and inaccurate reporting. And they effectively disseminate guidance that enables employees to comply with regulations. IBF helps members identify ways their intranets can be used to mitigate risk.
For one European bank, membership of IBF led directly to its Risk and Compliance function coming to value the intranet as a risk mitigator for the company. Each year, the Risk and Compliance function would review the company’s intranet services and attribute a financial value to the risk reduction of around £500,000 annually.
5. Lower environmental impact
Thanks in part to IBF’s efforts, intranets are increasingly being seen as a means of helping organisations minimise their destructive environmental impacts, particularly their carbon footprint.
IBF prompted one energy utility to introduce online meeting services across its business based on its experience of using these tools during IBF online events. IBF was able to advise on best solutions for based on industry knowledge and member case studies and to support the pilot rollout of the new tools. The reduction in travel that has resulted has generated carbon reductions valued at more than £150,000 in carbon offset avoidance.
6. Better customer service
By facilitating interaction between members, carrying out research and making specific recommendations in benchmarking reports, IBF has helped members exploit the potential of intranets to support customer-facing staff, with consequent benefits to the customer experience.
IBF researched the use of intranets in call centres among member organisations and used this research to guide a global healthcare provider on how to optimise the intranet within its call centres. This produced a better service for customers and removed inefficiencies caused by the previous reliance on printed information and labour-intensive processes.
