case studies | SharePoint Engine

Region: North America

Industry: Exposition Services

Customer Profile

The George Fern Company is a leading national service contractor serving more than 750 expositions and hundreds of other events held annually throughout the United States and Canada. The George Fern Company provides a full range of services for expositions, show organizers and their participating exhibitors. They also provide services for conventions, meeting planners, corporate events and corporate exhibit managers.

Background

The George Fern Company was running its operations on an old AS 400 system. Most if not all of the business operations communications were accomplished through emails/phone calls. Due to the nature of the communications, both phone and email, there was no accurate way to save and store the details of those communications. Further, there was no way to compile, analyze and report what had transpired. Much information was just plain lost, necessitating recalling and re-emailing. Needless to say there was no storage of the important details. This resulted in highly inefficient operations; the delivery model was unworkable and unprofitable. Working with SharePoint Engine three key processes were identified: graphics design and delivery, carpet delivery and operations.

Business Challenge

Due to no unified flow of information and lack of communication, productivity suffered greatly inhibiting profitability and causing disruptions in the delivery of services. Operations could not perform in an efficient manner nor perform the services required in a timely and accurate fashion, again adversely affecting profitability.

Solution

For some time the George Fern Company was considering the automation of its business processes. Seeing their sister company Champs using and profiting with a system based on SharePoint, they decided to engage SharePoint Engine to design and implement a system based on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

SharePoint Engine worked with the George Fern Company to design and implement an initial pilot project consisting of the three key business processes. Once the pilot was successful they upgraded to SharePoint Server from the legacy AS 400 system.

The first two business processes were automated via Workflow based on Windows Workflow Foundation as part of SharePoint. This allowed a single data entry point and unified the flow of information. Tracking the work orders became possible via simple reporting in SharePoint. A complete and integrated information flow was managed via this process.

For the third business process, operations, the information was synced from the legacy AS 400 application into SharePoint and custom web parts were built for reporting and managing the show and customer Information. This enabled much better show schedule management for the operations team. Also, each show is like a separate project for the company where different teams collaborate and execute their operations. Having collaboration sites for individual shows greatly improved the performance and efficiency for different teams working on the show. Labor costs were driven down significantly.

Solution

For some time the George Fern Company was considering the automation of its business processes. Seeing their sister company Champs using and profiting with a system based on SharePoint, they decided to engage SharePoint Engine to design and implement a system based on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

SharePoint Engine worked with the George Fern Company to design and implement an initial pilot project consisting of the three key business processes. Once the pilot was successful they upgraded to SharePoint Server from the legacy AS 400 system.

The first two business processes were automated via Workflow based on Windows Workflow Foundation as part of SharePoint. This allowed a single data entry point and unified the flow of information. Tracking the work orders became possible via simple reporting in SharePoint. A complete and integrated information flow was managed via this process.

For the third business process, operations, the information was synced from the legacy AS 400 application into SharePoint and custom web parts were built for reporting and managing the show and customer Information. This enabled much better show schedule management for the operations team. Also, each show is like a separate project for the company where different teams collaborate and execute their operations. Having collaboration sites for individual shows greatly improved the performance and efficiency for different teams working on the show. Labor costs were driven down significantly.

Benefits

By redesigning and implementing these three key business processes successfully, the George Fern Company has confidence to move forward with the upgrading of the entire system and automating other processes with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Improved Efficiency and Accuracy

Having a central repository, unified information flow and automation of the business processes enabled a huge improvement in efficiency and accuracy in operations and delivery.

Improved Reporting and Resource Management

Accurate tracking of all work orders across all locations has enabled better management of resources. Managers can make informed decisions now with consolidated, accurate and timely information. Labor performance and cost reduction has been greatly increased.

Accurate and timely information storage and retrieval

Having a central repository for critical data from the business processes has helped in the reuse of that data and management of the operations. The management use of this information now actually drives the operations efficiently.

Region: North America

Industry: Franchising, Legal Services

Customer Profile

We The People is a national franchise of legal document preparation centers, each independently owned and operated, and all dedicated to providing high quality and low cost legal documents to the increasing numbers of people who choose to represent themselves in uncontested legal matters. It has over 64 Franchisees in 15 states and centralized processing centers.

Back Ground

We The People were running its operations without a system to support its business processes in a fully automated manner and became overwhelmed. This resulted in increasingly high and unacceptable turnaround times for processing of workbooks. There was little or no management key performance reporting. The lack of customer data tracking was a huge issue for operations. Future growth was either impossible or close to it. We The People was also suffering from ineffective and inefficient Franchisee communications including marketing material distribution, training and guidance.

Business Challenge

Inefficient legal workbook processing including workflow and communication between Franchisees and the central processing centers restricted the growth and profitability for both.

Solution

We The People decided to implement a comprehensive system based on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. SharePoint Engine worked closely with We The People to gather and refine the requirements. Surveys with the data solicited from the Franchisees were compiled. The resulting requirements were analyzed and a solution found in a combination of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, InfoPath 2007, Windows Workflow Foundation and the integration designed by us.

For automation of the workbook processing, e-Workbooks were designed in InfoPath 2007. This is where the capture of data resided which meant the data was controlled and verified early in the process. A workflow solution was implemented and integrated with InfoPath Forms Services. This automated the entire process. Within weeks of implementing this solution, workbook turnaround time was reduced to a few days compared to the initial period of over a week.

A central portal was created for all the marketing materials which channeled all the customers to one efficient site. End user training materials were created by SharePoint Engine and included in one central site. The Franchisees had only to access one place for all their training needs.

Benefits

Management at We The People received rave reviews from the Franchisees for the enhanced and modern system. Costs for the Franchisees were greatly reduced as was the time to train and get the workbooks updated, making them efficient and increasing profits. The internal staff and management in the central processing centers are now looking forward to phase two: automating other key processes that relate to the Franchisee operations, management and reporting.

Improved Efficiency and Accuracy

Having a central repository, unified information flow and automation of the business processes enabled a huge improvement in efficiency and accuracy in operations and delivery.

Improved Tracking and Prioritization

Due to timely, accurate and efficient tracking and reporting, the workbooks are better managed at the central processing center. Priorities can now be set and work scheduled efficiently. The resulting turnaround time is now predictable and customer service has increased dramatically.

Collaboration

The external marketing and training portals afforded the Franchisees an effective avenue for collaboration and communication with their customers.

Region: North America

Industry: Technology Microelectronics, Legal Department

Customer Profile

Tessera Technologies, Inc., invests in, licenses and delivers innovative miniaturization technologies that transform next-generation electronic devices.

Back Ground

Tessera Legal Department was running operations that was inefficient and had lot of room for improvement in terms of operations, document management, knowledge base, scheduling, tracking and reporting. This resulted in high turnaround times for processing of legal documents and unpredicted resource utilization. There was little or no management key performance reporting. The lack of tracking and scheduling was a huge issue for operations. It also posed issue in terms of scalability. Legacy system that partially supported Legal department was incompetent to support all required aspects.

Business Challenge

Legal department suffered inefficient knowledge management, workflows, scheduling and management of legal documents like contracts, patents, license agreements and trademarks.

Solution

Tessera decided to implement a comprehensive system based on Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to support its Legal Department. SharePoint Engine worked closely with Tessera to gather and refine the requirements. Surveys with the data solicited from the users were compiled. The resulting requirements were analyzed and a solution found in a combination of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, InfoPath 2007, Windows Workflow Foundation and the integration designed by us.

For automation of the document processing, e-docs were designed in InfoPath 2007. This is where the capture of data resided which meant the data was controlled and verified early in the process. A workflow solution was implemented and integrated with InfoPath Forms Services. This automated the entire process. Within weeks of implementing this solution, document turnaround time was reduced to a few days compared to the initial period of over a week.

A central portal was created for all the marketing materials which channeled all the users to one efficient site. End user training materials were created by SharePoint Engine and included in one central site. Effective scheduling, tracking and reporting resulted into efficient operation within legal department.

Benefits

Management at Tessera received rave reviews from the Legal Department for the enhanced and modern system. Cost of managing documents was greatly reduced and there was improved efficiency which reflected in faster turnaround times and efficient management of resources. The internal staff and management in the central processing centers are now looking forward to phase two: automating email, scanning and fax process integration within SharePoint.

Improved Efficiency and Accuracy

Having gone through the Business Process Reengineering (BPR) process with SharePoint Engine, the business processes and information flows are efficient, accurate and timely. This greatly impacts staff and management from a cost, efficiency and labor hour’s perspective.

Improved Scheduling, Tracking and Prioritization

Due to timely, accurate and efficient scheduling, tracking and reporting tasks are better management within Legal Department. Priorities can now be set and work scheduled efficiently. The resulting turnaround time is now predictable and knowledge base utilization has increased dramatically.

Collaboration

Different people working on same documents with integrated Office features of Check-in and Check-out and versioning greatly improved collaboration.

Region: North America

Industry: Nonprofit Health Care Organization

Customer Profile

South Jersey Healthcare (SJH) is a charitable nonprofit health care organization. SJH has been serving the citizens of Southern New Jersey for 15 years as the leading healthcare provider, although it traces its roots to 1898 when Bridgeton Hospital opened its doors.

Business Challenge

SJH executives reported several areas of improvements in their Capital and Operational Expense Request process. These were important for setting timelines, fundraising goals and ensuring the hospital is growing at a sustainable rate.

Tracking of in-progress requests was difficult: it was impossible to know whether a request was nearly approved or just started.

Data was being entered on paper forms and then recorded into Excel workbooks at various stops along the way. Periodic reporting was simultaneously tedious and mission critical for forecasting funds and expenditures in a charity-based organization. The keys to success in an environment like this are cooperation, organization and efficiency. However, with nearly 1,000 requests per year, even the most efficient paper-based system could not provide instant access to knowing what was on the horizon versus what was just around the corner.

Solution

Business Process driven Workflow solution was developed based on SharePoint Workflow Platform. Users were able to collaborate effectively with existing content management capabilities. With leveraging existing Active Directory and SharePoint Security and effective tracking with SQL Server Reporting Services, users can track and search on requests real time.

Benefits

Management at Tessera received rave reviews from the Legal Department for the enhanced and modern system. Cost of managing documents was greatly reduced and there was improved efficiency which reflected in faster turnaround times and efficient management of resources. The internal staff and management in the central processing centers are now looking forward to phase two: automating email, scanning and fax process integration within SharePoint.

Process Streamlining

South Jersey Healthcare is not only enjoying the benefits of recovering the time saved by automating their processes from end to end, but they are also able to make better financial decisions based on a much more accurate system of real-time reporting of financial data. Several other processes are being streamlined using existing framework developed for this process.

Efficient Tracking

With real time reporting, notifications and search, users can now navigate through requests efficiently which was not possible before.

Reduced Risk

With all data in one centralized repository, archiving and real time financial information, executives have now access to accurate system of real time reporting.

HNTB/UDOT - $ 1.8 billion I-15 Core Expansion Project's innovative process management solution with Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010

"By far and away this is the most advanced system in place for commitments and requirements tracking of Design/Build and P3 projects I have ever seen. I have managed large, complex Public Works projects for nearly 20 years.” John Bourne, Sr. Vice President (HNTB/I-15 Core Project Lead)"

Customer Profile:

HNTB consists of more than 3,600 employees and 60 offices nationally that provide a range of services beyond civil engineering, architecture, planning and construction management. With nearly 100 years of experience and profitable growth, HNTB is ranked as one of the top 20 engineering and architectural firms in the U.S. In the early 1900s, HNTB engineers designed the first modern turnpike and later a significant portion of the Interstate Highway System.

In 2009, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) engaged HNTB to assist with the $1.8 -billion I-15 CORE expansion project. I-15 CORE will add two additional northbound and southbound lanes from American Fork to Provo, rebuild or reconfigure interchanges, replace or modify bridges and extend the express lane from Orem to Provo.

Business Challenge:

HNTB required an effective business application to support:

Quality Oversight, Requirements and Commitments Management
Contracting
Verification Management
Acceptance Management
Reporting and Dashboards
Collaboration, Communication and Process Management with Contractor Provo River Contractors
Correspondence
Design and Administrative Submittals/Transmittals
Payments
Change Management
MOT/Control Point Notice
Public Information Assistance Portal
Internal Project Management and Scheduling
Contracts and Document Management

There is a gap in integration between different construction systems software and need to support above business processes. There are construction specific software but none that allows effective collaboration, communication and knowledge sharing among project teams.

Solution:

SharePoint Engine was called in to develop a robust solution that could provide a greater end user adoption with an easy to use interface, workflows to provide notifications and tracking of processes; and lastly business intelligence for the executive team to manage and support execution of one of the largest construction projects in America.

SharePoint Engine's engineering team architected and implemented a solution on top of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 with custom workflows to manage business processes, reporting and dashboards for executive team and portal for collaboration, communication and document management.

Project was started with “Quality Matters!” Verification Management System in which all of the Auditing Process was automated and streamlined.

Based on the data captured, Dashboard and Real Time Reporting was implemented using Performance Point Services 2010 to allow proactive business users create their own charts and graphs on they fly.

Integration was implemented with UDOT's legacy system and processes were streamlined.

Over 25 different robust workflows were created to meet specific needs of interaction with build contractor to support required paper based document submissions.

Quality Management System is now also streamlined with the Initial contracting system of building contract where multiple people collaborate on the bidding process.

Benefits:

Tracking and Real Time Insight: Before implementation of above solution there was no way to track progress and amount of Audits for Quality Management System. Building this solution provided insight into progress on the project, quality issues and time taken to resolve issues. Monthly Quality Oversight Report Generation was now possible with dynamic data pull up. All this information is now available to the Executive team on the fly.

Efficiency: Substantial efficiency was achieved with streamlining of processes and collaboration with workflows. Many of manual processes that use to take days to get information were eliminated.

Improved Communication and Satisfaction: With Public Information Portal built for Communication Team they could now effectively track, plan and execute their activities which brought greater public satisfaction.

Performance Improvement and Collaboration: Field Engineers and Managers have a user friendly system that works in sync with their processes. This has made a great impact on performance improvement and collaboration in the project team.

Next Steps:

SharePoint Engine is now working with HNTB to make this application as a reusable product that can be used at different locations.

Productizing this solution will benefit other companies in Construction Industry to fill existing gaps of collaboration and process management.

For Further Inquiries or Demo Please Contact David Scott: David@SharePointEngine.com

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SharePoint Engine Case Studies