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ClearBox was engaged by a prominent UK-based law firm whose outdated intranet was causing significant frustration among employees, limiting effective internal communication, and slowing down wider strategic digital transformation efforts. Using our proprietary Express Strategy Service, we rapidly assessed the organisation’s needs, navigated internal challenges, and provided a clear roadmap and vendor shortlist to revitalise their intranet.
The client faced growing frustrations with their intranet, which had become severely outdated and was no longer fit for purpose. Originally built in-house by IT prior to 2013, the platform was now suffering from a cumbersome CMS, poor user experience, and ineffective search capabilities that were not reflective of a progressive, technologically advanced law firm. Policies and documentation had to be uploaded, making content management rigid, inefficient, and limiting effective internal communications.
The client recognised that their intranet was significantly behind other digital workplace tools they already had in place.
Motivated by their ongoing digital transformation efforts and the clear need for a more agile and user-friendly solution, the internal communications team realised that independent external expertise was necessary for stakeholder buy-in. They attended a webinar jointly hosted by ClearBox and a leading intranet vendor, prompting them to seek strategic support from ClearBox to navigate internal complexities, define clear requirements, and ultimately revitalise their intranet strategy.
Past attempts to replace the intranet had faltered, leaving the project team wary and momentum slow. Decision-making often stalled, with discussions circling rather than progressing. There was also the challenge of bringing multiple stakeholders – each with different priorities – into alignment around what the new intranet needed to achieve. Establishing clear, agreed-upon criteria for success became critical so that the team could focus on a defined set of outcomes and move forward with confidence.
ClearBox used its Express Strategy Service to help the client quickly define its intranet needs and identify the right solutions. This structured process uncovers priorities, evaluates options, and delivers a clear shortlist, avoiding delays that often hinder projects.
The work began with a virtual strategy workshop to review the current digital workplace, agree objectives, and pinpoint where the intranet could add most value. A second session refined ideas into tangible benefits, and a third applied the “must/could/would” framework to prioritise requirements.
The client also provided an intranet walkthrough, giving ClearBox direct insight into existing limitations. All collaboration was handled via Microsoft Teams to keep the process efficient and low-impact.
ClearBox then reviewed a longlist of platforms, narrowing this to four shortlisted vendors. Each was assessed against the agreed criteria, giving the client a clear, evidence-based starting point for final selection.
ClearBox gave the client confidence to advance their intranet project, delivering a detailed report that captured workshop outputs and an assessment of four shortlisted platforms against the firm’s key requirements, offering an objective view of each option’s fit.
The structured, evidence-led process helped the client avoid the pitfalls that had stalled past efforts. Alongside identifying the most suitable solutions, the report provided robust documentation to support a business case, showing alignment with organisational goals and complementing strategy with tools like Microsoft 365, iManage, and Knowledge Unlocked.
An important added benefit was empowering the internal project team to engage stakeholders more effectively, improving alignment and reducing barriers. As the client explained:
At the time of writing, the client is in the RFP stage, using ClearBox’s recommendations to guide vendor discussions. The process has positioned them to deliver a more effective, communications-first intranet and given them a repeatable framework for future digital workplace decisions.
Using our Express Strategy Service, we helped the client move from uncertainty to a clear, evidence-backed intranet plan in weeks.
The process provided the client with a prioritised requirements list, objective vendor shortlist, and strong support for a business case. It also gave the client a repeatable framework for future digital workplace projects.
The takeaway – defining success early, involving the right people, and scoring options against agreed criteria saves time, reduces risk, and builds confidence to deliver lasting change.
