From DIY Projects to Digital Workspaces: Enhancing Employee Experience

I love the concept of “Do It Yourself.” Not just because I enjoy designing and building, but because it lets me bring my own vision to life. Off-the-shelf solutions rarely fit exactly what I want, so I’ve learned by doing: watching YouTube videos, asking friends and talking with industry pros. The brand-new deck I built is a great example of true DIY, but sometimes, I know I can’t do it all myself—so I sketch out the idea and bring in experts to help execute it.

A perfect case in point is my new kitchen. My wife and I envisioned an open floor plan, which meant demolishing half the first floor, rerouting plumbing and electrical, relocating the powder room, and adding an island, walk-in pantry, and mudroom. It was fully customized to our needs, which if we went with the standard plans wouldn’t have been the case. Pulling this off in a 100-year-old house wasn’t easy – it disrupted our living space and tested our patience. But I stayed involved, pushing the architect and builder to go beyond the standard approach and bring our vision to life. (That island was non-negotiable!)

Creating something that matches our style, meets the requirements and ultimately serves our desires, drove the decisions that gave us something uniquely ours. Working with a team to collaborate, modify and align on the best result turned this into an investment of which we are proud.

This isn’t much different from the things I do for a living. As a Vice President of Employee Experience at Rightpoint, I help us create digital experiences for employees for some of the most sought-after brands in the world. My highest priority is creating something that is built to spec to meet the unique needs of an organization’s workforce and company – not everyone else’s.

There are many “intranet-in-a-box” SaaS solutions on the market that look impressive on paper and in demos. The promise of launching an intranet in just 3–4 weeks is enticing, especially for small companies with limited budgets and straightforward needs. But being in their box has limitations that you may not be considering. Not to mention, once deployed, you're locked into a costly annual subscription and are at the mercy of their product update roadmap to expand or improve on the experience.

Employee Experience matters. The goal is to have an intranet that employees actually use and value, which in turn drives productivity, collaboration, and a strong company culture. Developing an experience and not merely a tool can improve employee engagement and strengthen retention, so choosing the right solution is key to investing in your people and productivity rather than just implementing something quick and low cost.

That’s not to say building must be a long process or expensive either. Our Spark Workspace is an intranet accelerator, created within the Microsoft ecosystem and can have folks up and running within 12 weeks at a similar cost to a one-year subscription. The difference here is you own it. A fully scalable, AI and Copilot ready, integrated and secure intranet that you do not pay a recurring fee – ever. We can get into more of that later. For now, let’s review some of the pros and cons to each side of the “Buy vs. Build” debate.

Buying an Intranet that may have quicker launch timelines and lower upfront costs has some short-term advantages, but may not grow with you and your long-term needs:

• Faster Deployment & Time to Value

• Lower Upfront Costs

• Proven Basic User Experience

• Vendor Maintenance

• Mobile and Remote Work Support

Building an Intranet tailored to your company’s needs offers several potential advantages:

• No Subscription or Additional Licensing Costs

• Tailored Functionality

• Deep Integrations

• Ultimate Flexibility & Ownership

• Mobile and Remote Work Capabilities

• Scalability for Growth

• Enhanced Security

• Cultural Identity

In short, the concept of Do It Yourself (DIY) allows for unique customization and personal vision, much like the custom kitchen renovation I undertook, which required extensive collaboration and hands-on effort. At Rightpoint, we apply this same principle to creating tailored digital employee experiences. While off-the-shelf intranet solutions may offer quick deployment, they often lack the integration, flexibility, and long-term value needed for sustained success. Our Spark Workspace intranet accelerator provides a scalable, AI-ready, and secure solution that organizations own outright, fostering genuine ownership and ensuring the final product truly enhances employee experience, driving productivity, collaboration, and a strong company culture. Build smarter, not off-the-shelf. Contact us today to explore Spark Workspace and discuss how we can make your intranet truly yours.