An experienced operating power company wanted a solution to better manage their documents by storing them in an easily accessible central repository.  They implemented Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Server 2007, an electronic document management and intranet solution that simplifies collaboration between employees and keeps business information secure.  Since deployment, staff have enjoyed an increase in productivity and enhanced data security.

Business Needs

Our client is a power industry leader in the emerging markets, operating or acquiring interest in multiple power facilities totalling nearly 4,000 MW of generating capacity.

Operating in more than 20 countries, actively developing energy solutions for the emerging markets of Africa, the Americas and Asia.  They develop economically sustainable businesses that support the continued development of the electric power sector in these regions and actively participate in the communities in which they operate.

With interests across the world, having a centralised repository to collaborate, share and archive documents was essential.  They were already using Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003, but knew there were many benefits to moving to the updated Office SharePoint Server 2007 platform.

There were four key business requirements that needed to be fulfilled as part of the project:

Document integrity: The environment must be conducive to there being only one document and not multiple documents in multiple storage areas.

Document security: The environment must ensure that only persons with the appropriate level of seniority can see a document.

Document sharing: Documents must be simultaneously available for view and editing by functional resource members as well as regional project team members.

User interface: The user interface for working with documents should not frustrate the user as a result of a slow response when addressing SharePoint or through system demands for more and more information.

The interim IT Director, says: “Files were dispersed across different network drives so it was difficult to retrieve documents.  A lot of staff time was wasted searching for the required information, and occasionally important details were lost.”

Solution

Our client turned to triple Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Strawberry Global Technology (Strawberry) after their initial SharePoint partner failed to deliver on their requirements.

Strawberry were asked to pick up the project in mid flow and deliver a document management system (DMS) using Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007.  The requirements had already been signed off by the business and Strawberry were asked to develop the necessary custom components, install the SharePoint server farm and deploy the solution.

Time was also an important factor and Strawberry were asked to deliver the project to the original timescales.  Strawberrys have extensive SharePoint experience and a strength and depth in their professional services department that meant they were able to mobilise quickly, building all the required components and deploying the solution on time and within the agreed budget.

The solution is used as a collaborative environment that stores every file in a centralised location that can be quickly searched by anyone in the company.

The interim IT Director says: “We opted for the Microsoft solution because we were already using SharePoint Portal Server 2003 and people liked it.  Their products are designed to seamlessly integrate with each other, reducing deployment time and costs.”

Strawberry also recommended Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 to backup the new DMS.  Due to the volume and importance of the documents being stored within the solution it was imperative that there was a recovery model that they could depend upon.  DPM 2007 was the obvious choice as it integrates seamlessly with the Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies.

Benefits

With the deployment of Office SharePoint Server 2007, employees can quickly create and retrieve documents, improving their efficiency.  The personalised SharePoint intranet aids collaboration between employees and 3^rd parties, while remote working capabilities increase their productivity.

The solution also features robust disaster recovery precautions so the company can comply with industry standard regulations.  The interim IT Director says: “Moving from SharePoint Portal Server 2003 to Office SharePoint Server 2007, has provided us with an easier and faster document management solution and having Strawberry there when we needed them gave us the peace of mind to move forward.”

Improves efficiency:  Employees can quickly search a centralised document repository.

Increases data security: All files are stored in a single electronic repository, reducing the risk of lost information on failed hard drives or destroyed paper documents.

Simplifies compliancy efforts:  Administrators can control sensitive business records effectively by specifying security settings, storage policies, auditing policies, and expiration actions in accordance with compliance regulations.

Assists remote working:  Users can log on to the company’s intranet through a standard Web browser, gaining access to all their necessary documentation, spreadsheets, reports, and general information.  This improves employee productivity and reduces the need to travel to different offices, lowering travel expenses and increasing staff satisfaction.