Extranets -- Your Take

May 18, 2004 | 9 Comments

Well I’m off to Vegas where I’m quite sure we’ll be talking quite a bit about all sorts of Web communication issues. I do promise to share some of those conversations and experiences here. And don’t worry I should have Web access, so as far as you all are concerned it’ll be like I never left.

That is until this weekend when I turn it up a notch.

In the mean time I wanted to see what you all though about something that is pretty hot right now down at the hospital — extranets.

We’ve been slowly gearing up for a pretty large, high-profile extranet project and I’m just starting to think about how this could be done. I’ve thought about Wikis, but I don’t know much about them and they might be too open for what we need. I’ve also thought about Web project management software.

Basecamp seems like it might work, so we may be talking to 37Signals about that. We use it for Digital Web and it’s been great so far. I can see how, depending on how our goals fall out for the project, something like Basecamp could be leveraged for an extranet.

It’s got many of the features we’d need: To-do lists, file sharing, discussions, blog-type functionality, scheduling, multiple projects and more. Sounds promising at first blush.

What are your experiences with extranets? Do you use them? Have you designed or built one?

I’m really interested in seeing how users think of extranets. What will they want to use them for? What would make an extranet valuable? Things like that.

Let me know what you think. I’ll make sure and share my experiences and findings here as I get up to speed with this project. It should be an interesting one.

Filed under: Web General

Comments

1. Nick Finck said:

I have created quite a few extranets in the past. Mostly the reason for creating such a beast is to develop a site that is not quite public access but not restricted to just employee access. In otherwords, a site for the client or the customer.

I created one for a division of Intel that we used to communicate the status of our projects to not only our customers/clients but to our vendors and salesforce. It was all about data and visualizations of that data.

In fact, we provided so much info that one customer told us they knew more about the status of their project in our fabs than they did about the projects in their own fabs.

Well, of course, this Intel group is now long since deployed and the head execs have started their own company doing the same thing down in California. But I did learn a lot from that experience.

Anyway, to answer your questions. I think the thing that makes them most valuable is by providing acess to information that the general public wouldn’t have (it’s also good to make these customers and vendors sign a non-discolusre) and to provide instant information live, as it happens.

Posted on May 18, 2004 12:28 PM | #

2. Jeremy Flint said:

We have a client extranet at work that clients can use to preview their site as it is being built out, or proof site concepts, view contracts, etc.

Its all static however.

Posted on May 18, 2004 01:05 PM | #

3. Wade Winningham said:

The most difficult thing you’ll likely face is keeping people coming to the site and preventing people from going outside your extranet with email. Basecamp is quite good from my brief exposure because of its notifications which prompts people back to the site.

Posted on May 18, 2004 01:16 PM | #

4. Mark said:

I think, as Nick alluded to, that extranets can be a powerful way of keeping all interested parties (vendors, suppliers, sales, manufacturing…) in communication and organized in a just-in-time inventory setting.

Posted on May 18, 2004 01:46 PM | #

5. Thomas Baekdal said:

Extranet’s was the thing I was hired to do, and one of my primary job functions today (at work - not my freelance stuff). Integration is just about the most important aspect (next to workflow). Most of the things that goes on an extranet would also need to go on an intranet. Not only that, an extranet also often relies on data from the ERP system (enterprise resource planning).

The first extranet I made (4 years ago) was not integrated and it failed miserably because it hard enough to get people to publish on one site, it is nearly impossible to have them publish on two sites. Not only that, but our client and suppliers also needed information generated by other systems, which our employees would have to publish manually.

Today I take different approach (with more success) and that is to have two separate sites, but the extranet pulls the data from the intranet and the ERP system. The employees are never publishing directly on the extranet - they publish on the intranet, regardless if it is for internal or external use (or both).

Integration is a key element.

—

Extranet Examples?

- Good way to automate tedious workflows between you and your clients/suppliers. Things like status reports, transfer of product details. Almost all the things you fax or email today.

Posted on May 18, 2004 04:16 PM | #

6. Kelly said:

Funny that you bring this up now. I’ve spent a little time toying with Basecamp recently, and I am pleasantly surprised. As a freelancer, I am looking for a way to share information with my clients, as well as their clients that is both professional and easy to use. My clients are very often not internet savvy, so the learning curve in these has to be slight.

Besides, I’m always on the lookout for a new tool to help me work better/easier.

Posted on May 18, 2004 07:17 PM | #

7. Bryan said:

We’re really digging Basecamp as well.

Posted on May 18, 2004 08:18 PM | #

8. Jason said:

At the company I work for (an advertising/design/print/web/new media/etc… shop) we use Infowit Creative Manager - Project Management Software. It’s really powerful and handles both internal processes such as assignments, timecards, purchase orders, rfqs, prospecting, expenses, estimates, etc… but also external tasks such as client message board, file sharing, on-line document/comp approvals, new job requests, estimate & schedule approvals. Really everything a print/web firms could possible need.

Posted on May 19, 2004 11:16 AM | #

9. stephen said:

i’ve been using basecamp as well. very simple and easy to use. i wish i could personally edit some of it’s features though. i’ve also been using netoffice, but it seems to have a few bugs that keep me from fully switching over. the good news is that they have announced they are moving back into production with it. check it out at http://netoffice.sourceforge.net/modules/news/ this system is very extensive, yet pretty simple to use. it’s also free! if you’re a php programmer, look into the netoffice project, i’m sure they can use your help.

Posted on April 14, 2005 09:35 AM | #