Upgrading intranet functionality to support daily internal communication use and future digital goals.
Using Microsoft SharePoint, they can now maintain a cloud-based interconnected team environment.
We partnered with the Department of Water & Environmental Regulation in their pursuit of digitising and modernising their internal communications and intranet functionality for staff.
The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation supports Western Australia’s community, economy and environment by managing and regulating the state’s environment and water resources. The department is responsible for environment and water regulation, serving as a ‘one stop shop’ for industry and developers, with the aim of streamlining and simplifying regulation.
When the Department of Water & Environmental Regulation first engaged our team of intranet developers, they were using an outdated version of Microsoft SharePoint which needed critical upgrades. Their current SharePoint intranet setup featured very limited functionality for administrators to share and manage internal content. Upon hearing more from the team about their key intranet issues and future digital goals, it became clear that their intranet was overdue for a review. Their day-to-day intranet requirements were well beyond its original capacity and scope.
“As teams become more and more decentralised, organisations have woken up to the fact that having a central communications hub has become essential. Unfortunately many are already way behind and that is why SharePoint is a great option as it allows for quick implementation and deployment using standard features, plus the option to create custom widgets as needed.”
Natasha Allen, Director of Dapth
Using Microsoft SharePoint features to unlock new ways of communicating.
Our Microsoft SharePoint intranet developers were tasked with reviewing the current SharePoint information architecture, workflows and functionality required, implementing a refreshed version of the intranet.
Requirements would include:
- Refined SharePoint information architecture for intuitive navigation
- Easy to manage independently of IT team or developers
- Staff directory search
- Document search
- Notices and announcements
Working with many other similar clients, our team clearly understood the role an intranet plays within a local government organisation. It was important to meet current needs, but also provide the Department of Water & Environmental Regulation with a long-term solution, that would help to meet growth objectives and future staff requirements.
As an integral central cloud-based internal tool, we provided architectural governance and insights to enhance regular staff use and boost overall functionality. As experienced Microsoft SharePoint developers, we were able to back up our recommendations with validation examples from work with other local clients.
Upgrading Microsoft SharePoint to unlock staff efficiencies.
The layout was key, our team spent time investigating and understanding what the ideal intranet system architecture would look like to achieve maximum staff uptake and usability. The aim was to ensure that the refined solution would be a worthwhile investment, complimenting DWER’s digital communication goals.
- Document Management – A central cloud-based area allowing access to, and management of documents, such as internal policies and procedures.
- Innovative Search - Staff can quickly search for content, documents and people in an intuitive manner.
- Electronic Forms - Forms with automated workflows to streamline internal process. This included internal IT helpdesk support, travel bookings and publication approvals.
- People Search – Linked to Office 365 profiles, staff could find the right team member either by name, position or other appropriate attributes.
- Document Preview - The intranet allowed for a quick document preview function to help quickly identify the document a staff member may be looking for.
- User Permissions – Intranet administrators can assign user permissions to documents and content within the intranet as they see fit, allowing a level of control over which staff members can view certain documents.
- Notices & Announcements – The intranet featured a handy notices/announcements function that allowed administrators to create and publish announcements on relevant intranet pages.
- SharePoint Widgets – Administrators can drop widgets such as Document lists, News lists, Weather and Corporate calendars on various pages within the intranet helping to customize and highlight information to staff.
- HP TRIM Integration – Our team integrated the intranet with the HP TRIM records management system for rapid access to the most up to date information, and to reduce double handling.
- Mobile Responsiveness - The intranet is fully mobile responsive, adjusting the presentation of content to fit the device and/or browser type used across desktop, tablet and mobile screens.
We can help you implement your SharePoint intranet.
The intranet proactively allows the organisation to support staff regardless of their location and leverages all the powerful functionality gained from using Microsoft SharePoint. We tailored the architecture and implementation to match their local government criteria and how they planned to utilise the intranet moving forward.
The Department of Water & Environmental Regulation can now feel confident that they now have a solid framework for a flexible but sustainable navigation hierarchy, helping staff use the platform on a daily basis.
Most importantly, they can now independently manage their central cloud-based intranet, taking full control and ownership of their internal communications tool.
If you need support with your internal communications system, databases, portals or intranet, our experienced team are ready to help.
What are the benefits of teaming up with Dapth?
Enough about us.
Is it time for a coffee?
