Convinced that intranet technology could help to streamline its operations and cut costs, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) asked AMTEC to review the requirement. A number of potential benefits were identified:

• sharing of corporate knowledge.
• improvement in corporate identity through raised visibility of aims, objectives and activities.
• quicker and easier dissemination of information.
• progression towards synergy between intranet, GSI and Internet web-based services.
• reduction in IT Help Desk load by provision of self-help information.
• improved accessibility to, and take-up of, OFT Library services.
• a cost reduction in photocopying and distribution.

The pilot implementation helped to ensure that the full intranet development was in line with user requirements, and those of the organisation as a whole. AMTEC assisted in identifying appropriate technology and sample applications, and in establishing the service and relevant content. The pilot was formally launched to a cross section of OFT staff and later evaluated in a series of workshops. Feedback from users contributed to an action plan, which set out the content systems that would be of value to OFT and the priority for implementation.

More recently, AMTEC assisted in the procurement and implementation of the full intranet. Research into the marketplace was followed by production of a statement of requirements and procurement of a package and implementation service. AMTEC continued to provide project assurance throughout the testing and rollout of the intranet; including production of guidance on the policies, procedures and editorial board essential to ensure successful ongoing management of the project.