Project Background
Calidus, known for its cutting-edge defence and aerospace technology, required a centralised platform for internal collaboration and information sharing.
Project Scope
The Intranet Portal built on SharePoint Online was designed to incorporate:
- Internal News and Events to keep staff updated on company happenings.
- Announcements for important organisational updates.
- A Photo Gallery showcasing company events and milestones.
- Quick Links to essential resources and tools.
- A secure document management system specifically designed for handling confidential CAD files and other sensitive design documents, ensuring controlled access and protection of intellectual property.
- Seamless connectivity with existing systems to synchronise leave balance and attendance data, maintaining data integrity and consistency.
- Dedicated areas for each department to house their unique content, including Abot us sections, hierarchies, document libraries, and additional resources.
Challenges
- Integrating diverse departmental needs into a single cohesive intranet structure.
- Ensuring seamless integration with legacy systems for leave balance and attendance.
- Creating an intuitive user interface that caters to various employee tech skill levels.
Solutions Implemented
- • Designed a scalable site architecture that organises departmental sites under a unified navigation system.
- Utilised Power Automate to integrate legacy systems with the SharePoint environment smoothly.
- Implemented an intuitive UI with PowerApps to cater to all users regardless of their technical expertise.
SharePoint Configuration
SharePoint Online.
Site Structure
The Intranet Portal features a homepage with links to:
- Internal News and Events
- Announcements
- Photo Gallery
- Departmental sites with detailed sections, including a document management system and more.
Additional Technologies
The portal leverages PowerApps, Power Automate, and Power BI for interactive reports, automation, and analytics. Microsoft Teams was also integrated for real-time collaboration.
Key Features Implemented
- Announcements: Centralized announcements for immediate dissemination of crucial information.
- News and Events: An updated feed of corporate and industry news.
- Department Sites: Customizable sites with unique content and document libraries for each department.
- Photo Gallery: A dynamic gallery to engage employees with visual content.
Benefits and Outcomes
The SharePoint Intranet Portal has significantly improved internal communications, streamlined processes, and fostered a more connected workplace culture at Calidus. Integrating a secure document management system for confidential CAD and design documents has been pivotal, offering robust protection for intellectual property and sensitive information.
This system has facilitated controlled access to critical documents, ensuring only authorised personnel can view and edit them. It has also expedited the retrieval and collaboration of design documents, reducing the risk of data breaches and enhancing compliance with industry regulations.
This comprehensive solution underscores Calidus’s commitment to safeguarding its innovations while promoting team efficiency and connectivity.
Key Outcomes
- Enhanced Employee Engagement and Collaboration: The SharePoint Intranet Portal, complemented by Microsoft Teams, has significantly boosted collaboration, allowing seamless communication and teamwork across departments. MS Teams has played a crucial role in facilitating real-time discussions, document co-authoring, and efficient project management within the intranet environment.
- Efficient Management of Confidential Documents: The document management system has been instrumental in managing sensitive CAD and design documents, ensuring secure access and version control, and dramatically reducing the risks of handling confidential information.
- Reduced Administrative Overhead: By automating document management and retrieval, the system has reduced employees’ time on administrative tasks, allowing them to allocate more time to core business functions.
- Streamlined Document Access and Security: The document management system has streamlined the process of securing, accessing, and managing critical design documents, leading to an environment where information security and ease of access go hand in hand.
- Improved Data-Driven Decision Making: With Power BI integration, the portal provides robust analytics and reporting tools, enabling data-driven decisions based on accurate, real-time data drawn from various departmental sources.
- Seamless Legacy Integration: The integration of legacy systems with the SharePoint platform has ensured that employees have uninterrupted access to essential operational data, such as leave balances and attendance, contributing to a more cohesive digital workplace.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Implementing the SharePoint Intranet Portal for Calidus has brought substantial operational benefits and cost savings. Here’s an overview of the ROI based on the available information:
- Increased Productivity: Automation and streamlined processes have led to an estimated 25% increase in productivity across departments, particularly in document handling and intra-company communications.
- Cost Reduction in Document Management: With the document management system, the costs associated with printing, storing, and securing physical documents have been reduced by approximately 30%, contributing to financial savings and environmental sustainability.
- Time Savings: Integrating Microsoft Teams and automated workflows has reduced time spent in meetings and email correspondence, translating into an estimated 20% reduction in non-productive activities.
- Improved Decision-Making Efficiency: Power BI’s integration has decreased the time required for report generation and analysis by 40%, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.
- Reducing Administrative Overhead: The successful integration with legacy systems has prevented the need for dual data entry, reducing administrative overhead by an estimated 15%.
- Enhanced Security Compliance: The secure handling of CAD and design documents within the new system has likely reduced the potential data breaches and IP theft costs. However, exact figures would require detailed risk assessment and industry benchmarks to quantify accurately.
Note: These ROI percentages are estimative and need a detailed analysis of actual data post-implementation to provide precise figures.
User Adoption
Comprehensive user manuals and walkthroughs were provided, ensuring employees could fully leverage the portal’s capabilities.
Feedback from Calidus was overwhelmingly positive, with official sign-off granted following a series of successful feature demonstrations.
Lessons Learned
The project reinforced the value of user-centred design and the importance of integrating feedback loops into the development process to ensure the platform’s relevance and usability.
Future Recommendations
As Calidus continues to evolve and embrace the future of digital workspaces, several enhancements are on the horizon for the SharePoint Intranet Portal:
- Integration with Core Business Systems: Integrating the Intranet Portal with Calidus’s Manufacturing Information System and Design Information System is a key recommendation. This integration will provide a seamless flow of information across all platforms, further enhancing productivity and collaboration on manufacturing and design processes.
- AI-Driven Analytics: Implementing AI-driven analytics features within the portal is advised to garner more profound insights into operational efficiency and employee engagement. These predictive analytics could proactively suggest content, automate routine tasks, and facilitate decision-making.
- Advanced Personalization: To cater to the diverse needs of Calidus’s workforce, advanced personalisation of the intranet portal is suggested. This would offer a more tailored user experience, allowing employees to quickly access the tools and information most relevant to their roles.
- Preparing for the Future Workforce and Culture: In anticipation of the evolving workforce and workplace culture, Calidus and our team are exploring innovative ways to shape the intranet portal. This involves considering the expectations of future employees, the flexibility of remote work, and the integration of social collaboration tools to foster a dynamic and inclusive work environment.
Conclusion
Project Conclusion: The Calidus SharePoint Intranet Portal project was delivered successfully, meeting the client’s needs and exceeding expectations. Calidus now enjoys a modern, robust intranet system that supports its dynamic operational requirements.
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