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Using AI to choose intranet software

Graphic. Digital ribbons flow out of cube and cube and cube framework.

Using AI to choose intranet software

The below table of results was recently shared with me, where the following query was used in one of the various AI tools that everyone’s using right now.

“Produce a report for business users summarising the top intranet software. Categorise these under those that are supported by or built on Microsoft SharePoint, and those that operate independently. Use star ratings that assesses the suitability of each product in the following scenarios…”

A table, generated by AI, with 8 product names down the left and then columns for technical and ratings scores.

On the surface, this seems to address the question. However, there are a number of inaccuracies in my opinion, having reviewed this marketplace in depth for a number of years.

The wrong products, obvious products missing

Not all of these are intranet software solutions. ClickUp is an AI tool, Workplace by Facebook (note the old brand name, as some AI services’ knowledge usually stops at 2021) is a “communications platform” (according to their website), Yammer is an enterprise social network (ESN) that’s being retired as a brand, and SAP Jam Collaboration is another ESN.

There are also high-profile products noticeably absent from the list, such as Staffbase, Unily and Interact to name just a few.

Supported by SharePoint / operates independently

Happeo and Simmplr have been incorrectly listed as built for SharePoint, when in fact they are independent. In our analysis, they’re not even particularly focused on integrating with M365. Additionally, Yammer (now Viva Engage) is caught in the tangle of Microsoft applications so while it technically doesn’t need SharePoint, it’s positioning within the Viva suite means it needs Microsoft.

Internal communications and community scoring

I can’t comment on some of the products listed as we haven’t seen them demonstrated, but the AI’s ratings are overly generous considering what we know owing to our robust scenario assessments.

ProductInternal communication
ClearBox scores
Community building
ClearBox scores
SharePoint2.5 – Half the AI’s rating.2.5 – Close to the AI’s rating, but we explain in our report that community capabilities mostly come from applications outside of (but integrated with) SharePoint.  
Happeo3 – Almost half the AI’s rating.3 – Almost half the AI’s rating again.
Workplace by MetaWe’ve not scored Workplace recently, but feedback we’ve seen suggests it can be hit-and-miss for internal communicators.We’ve not scored Workplace, but ‘5’ from the AI makes sense here!
YammerWe’ve not scored Viva Engage individually, but it’s OK for communicationsWe’ve not scored Viva Engage individually, but ‘5’ seems fair here.
Simpplr3.5 – Similar to the AI’s rating.4.5 – More than double the AI’s rating.

The differences between the AI generated scores and our expert evaluations are big enough to mislead, and perhaps make people think that all these products and platforms are ‘the same’.

Please download our free report, read our analysis and decide whether you feel our scores are fair, and more useful.

Cost ratings

It’s a little unclear what the cost scores indicate, but I assume higher numbers mean higher cost. SharePoint and Yammer have been underrepresented, as the cost of licensing is very expensive (despite the different licence types). The indicative cost for Happeo is nearly-ish right; we suggest it’s a mid-price product. Whereas the AI has somewhat under-priced Simpplr according to our findings.

Conclusion

Yes, it is technically possible to get guidance from an AI, but the relevance of the presented products and the accuracy of the associated ratings is questionable at best, wrong and misleading at worst.

As my colleague, Wedge, says, ChatGPT aims to sound accurate, not be accurate.

Report cover: Intranet and employee experience platforms. Reviews of the best products. Man drinking take-out drink while using laptop in a cafe or breakroom.

It’s why we will continue to research the industry to uncover the best intranet and employee experience platforms, and assess them against an equitable and well-researched framework.

You can see the output of hundreds of human-hours of research, free, in the form of our downloadable reports.

Suzie Robinson

I've always worked with intranets, and have practical experience with all aspects of intranet management, including research, implementation, governance, and strategy. My roots are in internal communication and I focus on employee experience and engagement.

1 Comment
  • Elena
    Reply
    Posted at 9:05 am, 9 July, 2023

    Great post! Thanks for experimenting and sharing the results!
    ClearBox report with hundreds of human-hours are just priceless!

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