Why Publishing Duplicate Information on an Intranet (or anywhere) is Bad Practice
An intranet is a private network that is used within an organization to share information and resources. It’s an important tool for improving communication and collaboration, but it can also become cluttered and confusing if the information is not managed properly.
One common issue with intranets is the publication of duplicate information. This can cause a number of problems and make it tough for employees to find the information they need.
Here are a six reasons why publishing duplicate information on an intranet is a bad practice:
- Costly Legal Issues: Employees using outdated documentation such as policies or contracts.
- Confusion and Inconsistency: When there are multiple copies of the same information on an intranet, it can cause confusion and inconsistency. Employees may not be sure which version of the information is correct or up-to-date, leading to misunderstandings and mistakes.
- Searchability: Duplicate information can make it harder for employees to find the information they need, as search results will contain multiple copies of the same information. This can lead to frustration and cause employees to waste time searching for the information they need.
- Increased Maintenance: Duplicate information means that the same information must be updated and maintained in multiple places, which is time-consuming and increases the risk of errors. It’s much more efficient to manage information in a single, centralized location.
- Waste of Storage Space: Duplicate information takes up valuable storage space, which can be a problem if the intranet is running low on space. By reducing the number of duplicates, organizations can free up space and improve performance.
- Poor User Experience: Duplicate information can have a negative impact on the user experience, making it difficult for employees to find the information they need and causing frustration. This can lead to a decrease in employee engagement and productivity.
How to Prevent & Monitor Duplicate Content
Organizations should take steps to manage their intranet content effectively and avoid publishing duplicate information to ensure employees have access to the information they need, when they need it.
To audit for duplicates, two steps would be creating a script that search for duplicates and then notifying the colleagues who last modified the files to address.
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