TL;DR
Many growing organisations struggle with the same problem: no central intranet, scattered documents, and limited visibility across projects. When policies live in inboxes, forms are buried in emails, and dashboards don’t exist, teams waste time and leaders are forced to make decisions without data.
In this edition of Dear WebVine, Chloe shares practical advice on how to fix intranet sprawl, improve operational visibility, and make work easier without a massive transformation program.
Dear WebVine, “We’re Flying Blind…”
Dear WebVine,
We don’t have a central place for staff to go.
Everything’s scattered. Policies live in Word docs. Forms are buried in email threads. ISO procedures are hiding in a shared drive like they’re playing a very committed game of hide and seek.
People waste time just trying to work out how to apply for leave or log an IT request.
Half the answers live in someone’s head. The other half are… somewhere.
We’re growing quickly, but we’re still operating like a small business that’s held together with spreadsheets, memory, and crossed fingers.
It’s messy, manual, and honestly a bit embarrassing.
Help?
Chloe’s take
(Also known as: you’re not alone)
First things first. Take a breath.
If your organisation feels like it’s being run out of inboxes, shared drives, and “that one spreadsheet everyone’s afraid to touch,” you’re in very good company.
We hear this exact story all the time from growing teams. Especially ones that have scaled fast. They’ve had to take on more compliance, or add new systems quickly, meaning they can’t stop to redesign how work flows.
The good news? This is fixable.
The better news? It doesn’t require a 12-month transformation program or a budget that needs board-level therapy.
The real issue (and it’s not laziness): No central intranet
From what you’ve described, one thing is missing:
A central intranet
One clear digital home where staff can run their work lives. Not just read news, but do things.
Without that foundation, work gets harder than it needs to be.
People rely on email archaeology, hallway conversations, and “I think it lives somewhere in SharePoint?” That’s confusing and exhausting for everyone.
Why this happens (hint: it’s very normal)
This kind of disorganisation doesn’t happen because teams don’t care. It happens because:
- Email worked… until it didn’t
Early on, Word docs and inboxes are fine. Then suddenly an organisation has grown so much that they’re not. - The accidental intranet
Someone built a SharePoint site once. It had good intentions. It never quite grew up and evolved. - No clear ownership
When everyone owns content, no one really owns it. - Disconnected systems
HR, finance, delivery, and IT all use different tools that don’t talk to each other.
It’s a sign that your organisation has outgrown its original setup.
What I recommend instead – a good intranet set up
Think of your digital workplace like a house.
Right now, it sounds like you’ve got great furniture, but no floor plan. Things exist, but no one knows where to find them.
Here’s what good looks like when your intranet finally works:
- A modern intranet that feels obvious
Staff land in one place that’s clean, intuitive, and tailored to their role. Like a digital front desk that answers questions before they’re emailed. - Information that’s easy to find
Policies, forms, and procedures are clearly structured. No more “where’s the leave form?” messages. - Lightweight automation
Approvals, requests, and workflows that reduce chasing and follow-ups. - Change that feels human
Clear guidance, simple training, and support that meets people where they are.
It’s all about making the tech you already have work for your people.
Where to start (without overwhelming everyone)
Quick wins to improve your intranet and findability (the “this week” category)
- Simplify your homepage, remove old news, long text blocks unused widgets,
- Create a simple “Top Ten” section for staff to find resources they need daily eg find a person, find a policy, find a form
- Run our intranet audit tool
- Remove or hide worst outdated content
- Run a short “can you find this?” session to spot findability issues
Sustainable intranet and reporting fixes (in 30-90 days)
- Design a clear information architecture and intranet structure
- Set up a sensible metadata and term model
- Define content owners and governance, without making it heavy
- Migrate legacy content with intention, not panic
The bottom line: Clear Information Makes Work Easier
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity.
When people know where to go, what to trust, and how to get things done, work feels lighter. Decisions get easier. And growth stops feeling chaotic.
If your organisation feels like it’s outgrown its current setup, that’s not something to be embarrassed about. It’s usually a sign you’re ready for the next chapter.
Got something weighing on your digital workplace?
Send us your own Dear WebVine question.
We’ll read it, unpack it, and offer practical, honest advice. No jargon. No judgement.
About Chloe:
Chloe Dervin is WebVine’s Managing Director and resident intranet whisperer.
With a background in digital strategy and a knack for translating tech into plain English, Chloe helps organisations untangle their messiest SharePoint setups and turn them into something people want to use.
She’s worked with everyone from local councils to fast-growing engineering firms, and she’s seen it all. From “Final_v2_REAL_final.docx” nightmares to intranets that haven’t been touched since 2011.
Her superpower? Making the complex feel doable, and helping teams move from “we’re flying blind” to “we’ve got this.”
When she’s not rewriting the rules of digital workplaces or penning her latest “Dear WebVine,” Chloe is shaping tomorrow’s leaders and making design work for everyone.
FAQs
What’s the first step to fixing our intranet mess?
Start small. Identify your biggest pain points. Is it findability, outdated content, or lack of ownership? A “Start Here” page, a quick content audit, or even a call with our team can help you get clarity fast.
We’ve already got a SharePoint site. Do we really need an intranet?
If your SharePoint site is just a document dump or a news feed no one reads, then yes. There’s a big opportunity to turn it into a true digital workplace. A good intranet helps people get things done, not just read announcements.
How do we make sure people use the intranet?
Engagement starts with relevance. If your intranet reflects how people work, with clear navigation, useful tools, and content that’s easy to find, they’ll use it. We also recommend lightweight training, champions, and regular feedback loops.
What’s the role of governance in all this?
Governance isn’t about locking things down. It’s about clarity and continuity. Who owns what? What’s the process for updates? How do we keep things tidy over time? Good governance makes your intranet sustainable, not bureaucratic.
How long does it take to get this right?
You can see real progress in as little as 7 days with some quick wins. For a more sustainable setup (like a new IA, term store, and dashboards), we typically work with clients over 30–90 days. It’s not about doing everything at once; it’s about doing the right things in the right order.
We’re not sure where to start. Can you help?
Absolutely. Book in a call with our team.