IPF readies newly redesigned websites

Infrastructure Planning and Facilities is heading into spring with an all-new set of IPF websites. Our external, customer-facing website will launch on April 19, with the Hub via the Sharepoint platform launching right alongside it. 

Although our ipf.msu.edu address hasn’t changed, you’ll be able to view a reimagined IPF website design once it launches for IPF staff and customers, all while receiving the same quality facilities services.

The new external website comes after over a year of research and development into our customer needs. Our process included consultation sessions with cross-sections of IPF departments, business leaders, and the campus community to determine just what form the new IPF website should take. 

Meanwhile, our internal website for our staff members will take on a whole new look and format. Once the site launches via Sharepoint in April, users can experience the simpler, sleeker navigation that comes with our brand new file organization system, making the IPF Intranet site easier than ever to use. Most importantly, users will only have to log in once via SharePoint. After that, it’s as easy as selecting the SharePoint icon on your device. 

What’s changed for customers? 

One of the biggest changes to our new external website is the revamped service guide. Customers needing anything from event management to pest control to building services can continue to receive the same cutting-edge service from IPF that they’ve come to know and rely on at MSU. 

We’ve also improved our website’s physical layout, completely redesigning the presentation of content and website menu. This marks our first visual redesign of our website in six years and allows us to bring a simplified and modern feel to our website, promoting mobile device friendliness and responsiveness. Our new design is also more accessible, giving all users the opportunity to access our services online. 

Our website will offer information on construction projects, campus detours, and other critical campus alerts, so that our customers can stay up-to-date relevant IPF activities. 

Check out the all-new website for yourself at ipf.msu.edu once it rolls out on April 19.

What’s changed for IPF Staff? 

For our staff accessing the intranet website “The Hub”, they’ll find a novel take on IPF’s latest news and file organization. 

The Hub will now be hosted on Microsoft Sharepoint, giving it a new feel and look to bring IPF into 2019. The new site will use an intuitive tile-based file system to organize content for each department, reducing visual clutter. 

A key feature of the new and improved Hub is a robust search functionality. Finding the content you are looking for will be as simple as typing keywords into the Hub’s search bar. We hope this will reduce the amount of clicking and scanning necessary to find information on the Hub that is relevant to your purpose. 

We’ve also given new thought to how we manage and organize department-specific documents. Rather than hosting them as scattered webpages on the current Hub site, IPF staff can enjoy a more organized folder system for sorting and maintaining department documents, such as meeting minutes and instructional templates. 

With this collaborative file system, administrators can upload and edit documents for their departments, ensuring the information you need is up-to-date and easily accessible.

Help 

Look for upcoming office hours where you can try out our new website and receive hands-on assistance with the new Hub. 

If you’re in need of a service from IPF, you can visit our service guide for information on requesting service from IPF. 

For more information about IPF, as well as its core values and strategic objectives, you can visit our About page.