About a Year or so ago we embarked on the creation of a Company Intranet (for which I am responsible being an IT person). We started with our HR Department and have since rolled out to each other department within our organization. When we did the initial roll out we used an IDS study of HR Intranet as a guideline.

We are at the stage where we would like to get a "non IT" perspective on what our Intranet looks like,  and where it would fit in with an overall communications strategy, and how it could be improved.

I would like to bring in a Consultancy for a short study potentially to report back. (we are talking about days not weeks worth of work).

Has anybody used any external agencies in UK (Northwest or Midlands preferably) to do a similar study and found them particularly helpful? 

Cheers

Simon

Why don't you elicit feedback from the employees / managers using the intranet. After all, they are your 'customers' and will be using the service on a daily basis. Regarding fit with communications strategy, again the managers are probably the best placed to comment on this?

Rather than spend money on a consultancy I'd set up a 'round table' discussion and invite selected employees / managers to disuss the site and ideas for improvement etc. Alternatively you could put together a brief questionnaire for your customers to complete and return. If they could complete this via the intranet it would draw them towards it.

I've tried both of the above - it's amazing the feedback, ideas, suggestions people have. As long as you take action as a result of the discussions / questionnaires you'll get the buy in of the users with the added bonus of raising the profile of the intranet and the IT function.

Good luck.

Fran