RHN CPA is a full-service accounting firm with 4 locations across BC. They were looking for a trusted partner to help them seamlessly modernize their intranet to SharePoint Online.
CHALLENGES
Microsoft SharePoint 2007 was entering into its ‘End of Life,’ meaning it would no longer be supported by Microsoft with security patches or functional updates. RHN was using SharePoint 2007 on-premises servers and needed to upgrade to a more recent version of SharePoint in order to maintain security and productivity.
RHN was initially looking for a simple migration to rectify this issue. At the time, Softlanding was promoting the new modern interface of SharePoint Online, and so RHN was invited to a two-hour hands-on Customer Immersion Workshop (CIE) where they were able to see what the new modern interface would look like and understand how this would bring a transformative approach to their organization. The CIE allowed RHN to see the full possibilities of SharePoint Online before committing to it and so they decided to move forward with a more advanced migration.
SOLUTION
Softlanding helped RHN to upgrade their SharePoint 2007 on-premises to SharePoint Online. SharePoint Online is a powerful business collaboration and content management platform providing integration features with other cloud applications to further increase productivity.
RHN wanted to use SharePoint to create ‘one-stop-shop’ sites for staff to find everything they were looking for. To seamlessly consolidate their Calendars, Softlanding created Power Automate Workflows that pulled information out of Outlook and Calendars, and put it into a customized SharePoint list. Power Automate Workflows were also created to populate a SharePoint list for RHN’s staff directory by pulling information from user profiles. These changes using Power Automate gave RHN the capability to consolidate their information and resources and improve overall productivity.
In conjunction with the move to SharePoint Online, RHN was also moving business groups off file shares and into Microsoft Teams. To centralize access to information, the Teams SharePoint sites were connected to the SharePoint intranet through the global navigation. To enhance the user experience, Softlanding created a homepage page template for the Teams sites to replace the default standard. The template process is automated through a Site Design and Power Automate for easy use on future Teams.
Moving to SharePoint Online further allowed RHN to access the intranet from outside the office without having to use a VPN. This was a huge benefit for the organization, one that RHN were excited about, especially now with the increased need to work from home.
RESULTS
Effortless Collaboration
- By upgrading to SharePoint Online RHN was able to centralize their resources and improve communication and teamwork across the organization both in and outside the office using SharePoint Online.
Improved Productivity
- RHN was able to use SharePoint to enable efficient data management and information sharing by giving their employees control over the content they see.
Simplified Information Exchange
- Centralized information consolidation provided RHN with simplified access to resources and data providing seamless efficiency throughout the organization and across SharePoint sites.
"For the first 5 years at RHN, I was told that we were working towards replacing our out-of-date often broken intranet. In my 6th year, I was empowered to make it a priority. We were losing out on great candidates due to the lack of a reliable training interface and employees were frustrated with the limitations our older version offered. When we met with the team at Softlanding we were introduced to a world of pure imagination! They led us through the process and the options open to us. The day of our Customer Immersion Workshop (CIE), I dragged along our IT manager and the Shareholder in charge of this project and I am so glad I did. Understanding the options, the building blocks and the expectations was invaluable to making the decision for us. We can not say enough good things about the Softlanding team who has been responsive and patient with our questions. We can now start our year off with a new and vastly improved intranet that not only serves its purpose but has surpassed expectations of the owners and staff. We have no reservations recommending Softlanding to anyone looking to improve their internal communications and resources."
Colleen Seager, Manager Office Administration, RHN CPA
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