Case Study

Elevating Collaboration in Education: Convverge’s SharePoint Transformation

Introduction

Convverge embarked on a transformative journey with a leading educational institution dedicated to community-based post-secondary education across multiple Alberta locations and an online curriculum serving over 15,000 students. The institution needed a modern enterprise collaboration solution to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their teachers and support staff. Convverge stepped in to provide modern workplace solutions, cloud services & migration, and consulting services, aiming to revolutionize their SharePoint environment.

Business Objectives

The educational institution’s leadership team had clear goals in mind. They wanted to develop a modern SharePoint-based intranet to facilitate effective collaboration among teachers and support staff. Enhancing document management capabilities and implementing custom master pages and layouts were key priorities. They also aimed to achieve a significant increase in user traffic to the portal, signaling improved engagement and satisfaction.

Develop a Modern SharePoint Intranet: Facilitate effective enterprise collaboration for teachers and support staff.
Enhance Document Management: Implement custom master pages and layouts.
Increase User Traffic: Achieve a nearly 200% increase in user traffic to the portal.

Challenge

The institution faced multiple challenges that needed addressing to achieve their objectives. They required an efficient collaboration solution that could span across various locations. An audit of the existing SharePoint environment was necessary to identify areas for improvement. Additionally, developing a modern intranet that emphasized user experience and performance was crucial for success.

Provide Efficient Collaboration: Across various institution locations.
Audit Existing Environment: Identify areas for improvement in the SharePoint setup.
Develop Modern Intranet: Focus on user experience and performance.

Solutions

Convverge approached these challenges with a comprehensive strategy. They conducted a thorough audit of the institution’s existing SharePoint environment, assessing usage, age, versions, quality of implementation, data types, and performance. Based on these insights, Convverge developed a modern SharePoint intranet with a strong emphasis on user experience and performance. Custom master pages and layouts were enhanced, incorporating specific web parts to improve document management. Essential data was successfully migrated from the legacy intranet to the new solution, ensuring minimal disruption to daily operations.

Comprehensive Audit: Assessed the existing SharePoint environment in detail.
Modern SharePoint Intranet: Developed with a focus on user experience and performance.
Enhanced Custom Pages: Improved document management with custom master pages and layouts.
Seamless Data Migration: Transitioned essential data without significant disruptions.

Technology Used

To achieve these solutions, Convverge utilized advanced technologies that ensured a robust and reliable system.

Microsoft SharePoint: For the development of the modern intranet.
Microsoft 365: To support the new collaboration environment.
Microsoft Teams: For enhanced collaboration and communication.

Results

The transformation led by Convverge yielded outstanding results. The modern SharePoint-based intranet significantly enhanced enterprise collaboration across various institution locations. The implementation of custom master pages and layouts, along with specific web parts, improved document management capabilities. The successful migration of essential data ensured a smooth transition from the legacy system. Most notably, the project resulted in a nearly 200% increase in user traffic to the portal, indicating high user adoption and satisfaction.

Enhanced Collaboration: Across various institution locations.
Improved Document Management: With custom master pages and layouts.
Seamless Data Migration: Ensured continuity and reliability.
Increased User Traffic: Demonstrating improved user adoption and satisfaction.

Success KPIs

The success of the SharePoint transformation project was measured through several key performance indicators (KPIs) that demonstrated the significant impact and effectiveness of the transformation:

User Engagement Metrics: There was a significant increase in user logins, document access, and collaborative projects initiated via the intranet, indicating enhanced user engagement.
Operational Efficiency Improvements: The project resulted in substantial reductions in the time spent searching for documents and email traffic, alongside improved meeting productivity due to the integrated Teams features.
Security and Compliance Achievements: The organization achieved full compliance with internal document management policies, experienced a marked reduction in data breaches and security incidents, and met all regulatory and compliance standards for educational institutions.
User Satisfaction and Adoption Rates: High user satisfaction and widespread adoption of the new intranet platform were reported, with the majority of staff noting improved productivity due to the new system.

Summary

In conclusion, Convverge successfully delivered a modern SharePoint-based intranet solution that significantly enhanced collaboration and document management for an educational institution. The remarkable increase in user traffic underscores the success of this project. If your organization seeks similar enhancements in collaboration and efficiency, don’t hesitate to contact us for tailored IT solutions that meet your specific needs. Book a consult today to explore how we can help you achieve your business objectives.