Utilization Blind Spots: The Hidden ROI Killers for Legacy Intranets

Legacy intranets are failing. They launch with fanfare, then fade into digital ghost towns. The reason? Utilization blind spots. If employees don’t use the system consistently, it silently kills ROI.

That’s why forward-looking organizations are moving beyond the “intranet” label altogether. The modern solution is a Digital Workplace Hub — a central destination where employees actually want to spend time because it’s relevant, intelligent, and actionable.

The cost of disengagement is massive — and it starts with underuse

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report estimates disengaged employees cost the global economy $8.9 trillion annually, nearly 9% of global GDP.

According to MIT CISR, organizations in the top quartile of employee experience had net profit margins 8.4 percentage points higher than their peers, and more than double the revenue from new products/services. 

Legacy intranets aren’t solving this problem — they’re part of it.

The Blind Spot: Measuring Utilization

Many organizations treat intranet launches as the finish line. But DWG (Digital Workplace Group) reminds us that success is in the usage data. Without tracking traffic and engagement from active users, search success, time spent, and content interaction, leaders have no idea whether their investment is paying off.

It’s the classic blind spot: if you aren’t measuring how employees use the intranet, you can’t see the drop-offs, stale content, or gaps in communication. That silence is the true ROI killer.

Legacy platforms don’t adapt — modern Digital Workplace Hubs do

Most legacy intranets were built for static publishing. They assume that broadcasting information is enough. But today, employees expect relevance, personalization, and smart automation.

Enter Akumina’s modern Digital Workplace Hub. Here’s how Akumina combats utilization blind spots:

• Our world-class CMS keeps content fresh, personalized, and relevant.

• Our built-in utilization and engagement analytics make invisible blind spots visible, showing what’s working and what isn’t.

• Our new AI Studio drives content creation, AI-powered search, and there's much more coming.

And this is just the start. AI Studio is the foundation of a much larger innovation roadmap — bringing even smarter automation, personalization, and employee productivity tools into the hub. With these capabilities, usage isn’t passive — it's energized.

The Internal Communications (IC) + IT Alliance

Here’s the secret: fixing utilization isn’t just a tech project. It’s a joint mission of Internal Communications (IC) and IT:

• IC teams need platforms that let them deliver relevant content, push messages via multiple channels, and course-correct based on real analytics.

• IT teams need platforms that integrate with the ecosystem (Microsoft 365, HR systems, identity), scale securely, and let usage data flow back to content owners without fuss.

If Internal Communications owns the message but the platform is stale or buried, communications go unread. If IT owns the platform but IC doesn’t use the tools, utilization lags. The highest ROI comes when both sides coordinate to keep the intranet alive and growing.

Success requires Internal Communications and IT working together. IC teams need tools to deliver engaging, targeted content; IT teams need an integrated, secure platform. With Akumina’s Digital Workplace Hub, both sides get what they need — and employees get the daily destination they deserve.

Ready to remove the blind spots?

Don’t let your intranet become a silent budget drain. Instead, turn it into a productivity engine. Akumina’s combined CMS, utilization analytics, and AI Studio give you the levers to:

• Drive consistent, meaningful traffic

• Surface content that resonates

• Identify and remedy adoption gaps in real time

If you’re ready to see what a fully utilized intranet can look like, request a demo of Akumina today. Let’s turn your intranet from a liability into a strategic asset.