Northern Power Systems (NPS) designs, manufactures, and sells wind turbines, offering engineering services for energy applications globally. With its European headquarters in Zurich and offices in the United Kingdom and Italy, NPS is a leader in innovative energy solutions.

Challenge

NPS was operating on an on-premise SharePoint 2010 farm and aimed to upgrade to Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), focusing on enhancing applications and content management, particularly for ISO document management. Their existing system was crucial for managing documents related to the implementation, maintenance, and improvement of an ISO 9000 Quality Management System (QMS).

What We Did

Our approach included several key activities:

  • Process Automation Analysis: Identified and reverse-engineered undocumented SharePoint 2010 automation scripts for simpler integration into Microsoft 365.
  • Portal and Branding Development: Created a new portal structure that encapsulated all content and incorporated NPS’s vision for a modern, app-focused site.
  • Taxonomy and Search Optimization: Collaborated with NPS’s SharePoint administrator to refine their ISO document management system, developing a taxonomy that enhanced both document storage and retrieval. This taxonomy was integrated into their Microsoft 365 term store.
  • Custom Search Solutions: Developed a custom search results page tailored to the new taxonomy, facilitating easier document access for staff.
  • Training and Implementation: Educated content managers on how to utilize the new system effectively, highlighting features like drag-and-drop document tagging via Windows Explorer for automatic classification.

The Result

The transition to Microsoft 365 significantly simplified the management of enterprise content at NPS. Staff can now easily locate and upload documents, which are automatically tagged with relevant classification terms when moved into designated folders. This streamlined process has not only enhanced document accessibility but also aligned with NPS’s goal of modernizing their digital workspace. The project received positive feedback for its impact on productivity and system usability, affirming SimpleSharepoint’s role as a trusted partner in technology solutions.

“SimpleSharepoint came highly recommended via a mutual client as being a trusted, proven, development team to partner with and they certainly didn’t disappoint. They were immensely helpful, professional, and accessible throughout the development process – from working with us on the initial technical requirements through to project completion and delivery.” – Zsolt Tölgyesi, IT Manager