Unlock the Full Power of a Modern Intranet Platform with Powell

Why “Good Enough” Intranets Aren’t Good Enough Anymore

If your intranet is built on SharePoint, you’re in good company—most organizations using Microsoft 365 rely on it as a foundational tool. But as teams evolve and the digital workplace becomes more dynamic, many realize that a standard intranet doesn’t quite deliver the experience employees need.

It’s not that SharePoint is broken. It’s that it wasn’t designed to be a fully personalized, highly engaging intranet on its own. For organizations looking to do more—connect people, streamline communications, support hybrid work—using a modern intranet platform enhancement like Powell can make all the difference.

Powell is not a SharePoint replacement: in fact, it builds on SharePoint’s foundation and transforms it into a connected, customizable, and engaging environment that supports the way people actually work today.

SharePoint Gets You Started—Powell Takes You Further

SharePoint covers the basics. It lets you store content, manage permissions, and build pages. But when you're trying to create a vibrant, people-first experience, you can quickly run into limitations.

Powell has you covered. It extends what SharePoint offers without replacing it, unlocking a full digital workplace experience that’s smarter, more flexible, and built for scale.

For organizations already using Microsoft 365, it’s not about reinventing the wheel—it’s about getting the most value you can from the tools you already use. Gartner reports that more companies are focusing on digital workplace platforms that boost usability, streamline collaboration, and connect existing tools more effectively.

Four Ways Powell Transforms the Intranet Experience

1. Employee Engagement That Feels Personal

A modern intranet should make people want to log in—not just when they have to. With Powell, you can make that happen. Powell Intranet can implement:

• Guided tours and onboarding journeys that walk new hires through must-know tools and policies

• Seasonal and branded themes to align the intranet with your company culture

• Gamification features like points, badges, and leaderboards that reward everyday actions (profile updates, content likes, comments)

• Desk booking, carpool coordination, and office resource planning built right in

These elements turn your intranet into a productivity hub that employees actually enjoy using. The result? Higher adoption rates and stronger alignment across teams.

2. Targeted, Streamlined Communication

With Powell, internal communication becomes more intelligent and more manageable. It gives you:

• Role- and department-based content targeting so the right messages reach the right audiences

• AI-powered writing assistance to help content creators polish and simplify their language

• A drag-and-drop newsletter builder that integrates with existing content and campaign themes

• Multichannel publishing across Teams, email, and the intranet—automatically and consistently

• Analytics dashboards to track opens, engagement, and content performance over time

This makes life easier for comms managers, and ensures employees aren’t bombarded with irrelevant updates. Communication is important: Powell can help take it to the next level.

3. Search That Actually Works

Out-of-the-box SharePoint search can be frustrating. Powell fixes that with:

• Customizable search pages tailored to specific types of content (people, policies, news, documents, etc.)

• Smart filters, keyword synonyms, and relevance ranking to improve results

• An AI-powered chatbot that pulls from approved knowledge bases and Microsoft 365 files

• Visual org charts and searchable directories powered by Microsoft Entra data

When users know they can quickly find what they need without guesswork and search frustrations, they’re more likely to return regularly.

4. One Interface for All Your Tools

A modern intranet platform should unify your tools, not fragment them. Powell is designed with these connections in mind. When you implement Powell, you can connect:

• Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Teams, Power BI, Planner, and Viva

• Line-of-business apps including HR systems, IT ticketing platforms, and time tracking tools

• Multiple tenants or regions if your business operates globally or through mergers

By surfacing all this in one customizable interface, Powell reduces app fatigue and helps people focus on their work—not their navigation.

Real-Life Examples of a Modern Intranet in Action

So what does this look like in practice?

• New hires are welcomed with a personalized portal featuring quick links, training modules, and a checklist of things to complete. Gamification tracks their progress and makes the experience more interactive.

• HR and IT teams can manage their own news channels with built-in templates, ensuring that content is always on-brand and delivered to the right audience—without needing design help.

• Remote and hybrid workers can quickly reserve desks, get alerts about events, or access their most-used apps and dashboards from a mobile-friendly homepage.

• Corporate comms teams use Powell’s newsletter builder to push internal campaigns across Teams and email, with analytics that show who’s engaging and where messaging needs a boost.

These aren’t hypothetical. They’re real use cases that Powell clients implement every day.

Powell’s Built-In Support for Long-Term Success

One of the most overlooked features of Powell is the Customer Success Program. Unlike traditional intranet rollouts that go stale over time, Powell is designed to grow with your business.

With monthly feature updates, a rich library of prebuilt components, and ongoing support from your dedicated CSM, your intranet never stands still. Powell is continuously improved—so your workplace platform keeps evolving.

And since everything is hosted securely in your Microsoft environment, Powell stays compliant with your existing governance and security policies.

What to Look For in a Modern Intranet Platform

If you're evaluating options, here’s a simple checklist of what a truly modern intranet should offer:

• Personalization by user role, department, or location

• Easy page and content creation—no coding required

• Seamless mobile access

• Native Microsoft 365 integration

• Real-time analytics and engagement tracking

• Built-in governance and update support

Powell meets all of these criteria—and makes it easy for IT and comms teams to keep things running smoothly.

Why Synergy Recommends Powell

At Synergy, we help organizations go beyond the basics by building modern intranet platforms that people actually enjoy using. Powell’s flexibility, ease of use, and Microsoft 365 compatibility make it a standout choice—especially for teams looking to evolve without overhauling everything.

We help clients:

• Map intranet goals to real business needs

• Configure Powell for fast, no-code deployment

• Plan for long-term adoption and engagement

• Provide governance and lifecycle support

Whether you’re refreshing your existing SharePoint intranet or starting from scratch, we’ll help you get there—efficiently and confidently.

Your Intranet Should Work as Hard as Your Team Does

Your intranet shouldn’t feel like a compromise. With Powell, you get a full-featured, modern intranet platform that brings people, tools, and content together in one connected experience—built on SharePoint, but made for today’s workplace.

If you’re ready to build an intranet your teams will actually use, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how Synergy and Powell can help your business.