“With Office SharePoint Server 2007, we can provide a faster and better service to our clients, while having the peace of mind that our files are protected by comprehensive recovery procedures.”
Simon Bulleyment, Chief Information Officer, haysmacintyre
Chartered accountancy firm haysmacintyre, wanted to store all its outgoing correspondence in an easily accessible central repository. It 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.
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.Document published May 2009
Business Needs
haysmacintyre offers a range of accountancy and tax advisory services to thousands of clients from commercial businesses to private individuals. Its 24 partners and 160 staff pride themselves on providing a strong commitment to customer service and communicating regularly with their clients.
Much of this communication is through electronic correspondence because it is immediate and records can be stored indefinitely. Employees initially used Microsoft Office 2003 Editions software to create these documents, as well as spreadsheets, reports, and publications. But the company did not have a structured environment in which to save the files in an easily accessible way. Partners and staff would store documents on disparate servers, and it was up to each employee to save his or her e-mail messages in the correct location for future reference.
Simon Bulleyment, Chief Information Officer at haysmacintyre, says: “Files were dispersed across different network drives so it was difficult to retrieve e-mail messages and documents. A lot of staff time was wasted searching various computers for the required information, and occasionally important details were lost.”
A disparate IT infrastructure also made it difficult to guarantee comprehensive disaster recovery processes were in place. “As accountants, we have to adhere to stringent compliancy regulations that safeguard the information we produce. It was therefore imperative that we implemented a solution that could consolidate all our electronic documents in a secure and easily searchable repository,” says Bulleyment.
Solution
Bulleyment and his IT team turned to Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Silversands to architect, design, and deploy a robust document management solution. After an evaluation of the market, they set up an intranet based on Office SharePoint Server 2007. The solution—called eDocs—is used as a collaborative environment that stores every file in a centralised location that can be quickly searched by anyone in the company. It also integrates with Microsoft Office Professional 2007, which was also deployed.
Bulleyment says: “We opted for a Microsoft solution because we already make extensive use of the company’s technologies—such as operating systems and applications—in other areas of our organisation. The products are designed to seamlessly integrate with each other, reducing deployment time and costs.”
eDocs works with Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007 messaging and collaboration client so that all e-mail messages can be quickly retrieved using the solution’s Enterprise Search feature, as well as all the relevant documents associated with a particular client. Also, Office SharePoint Server 2007 has been customised so employees can open a document template in Microsoft Office Word 2007 and quickly populate it with client information stored on Microsoft SQL Server® 2005 data management software.
Bulleyment says: “The solution also features remote working capabilities, so we can access the portal at any time and from any location with an Internet connection, decreasing the need to travel to the office.”
Benefits
With the deployment of Office SharePoint Server 2007, employees at haysmacintyre can quickly create and retrieve documents, improving their efficiency. The personalised intranet aids collaboration between partners, while remote working capabilities increase their productivity. The solution also features robust disaster recovery precautions so the company can comply with industry standard regulations. Bulleyment says: “With Office SharePoint Server 2007, we can provide a faster and better service to our clients, while having the peace of mind that our files are protected by comprehensive recovery procedures.”
Improves efficiency. Employees can quickly search a centralised repository containing e-mail messages and documents concerning their clients. Also, users can quickly produce documents using customised templates that automatically populate the files for them.
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.
Reduces licensing complexity. haysmacintyre uses the Microsoft Core Client Access Licence (CAL) Suite as part of its Enterprise Agreement for Volume Licensing. The suite provides a cost-effective way to invest in key Microsoft technologies through a single licence agreement, removing the need to negotiate multiple agreements with different vendors.
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 the office, lowering travel expenses and increasing staff satisfaction.
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.Document published May 2009