"Any road will get you there when you don't know where you're going" (The Cheshire Cat from 'Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carol)

Why eBusiness vision matters

Unless everyone is pulling in the same direction, an Intranet portal project is probably doomed from the very start. This can happen in one of two ways:
 

Not everyone 'gets it'

The business case and project will not succeed unless there is a simple and compelling vision of what a corporate portal means to your organisation

Everyone's "it" is different

The case may stall if everyone is not "on the same page".  The vision must be a common one, shared by all.

Portal Vision Definition - an Analogy

A useful device for painting the vision is the use of an analogy, which serves to simplify the portal objectives and permit participants to develop a common language for describing the key concepts.

One analogy often used is that of building a house – where there are strong foundations laid, on which a multi-layered structure is erected.

My personal favourite is that of building a road, which connects people to the places they need to go:

The Road Analogy works on many levels and is a theme that I will return to in the Business Case and Governance sections.

Intranet Scenario Development

Once the simple concepts are understood by the relevant Stakeholders and decision makers, it is important to bring the vision to life through scenario development.

This involves painting the picture of how things will be different in the future and tailoring this to your audience.

As explained in my Sponsorship section, you have many natural supporters in your organisation, but you will also find natural points of opposition and/or scepticism. It is important to explain to both groups how the portal could enrich their working lives: