ExtraCare
SharePoint provided ExtraCare a new central resource for staff and volunteers
Branded experience to engage ExtraCare staff
Overview
Established in 1988, The ExtraCare Charitable Trust supports 4,400 older people across the Midlands and north of England in housing schemes and villages. Their mission is to provide older people with an independent, safe & secure future in a network of inspirational communities.
Following strong demand from staff, ExtraCare put out for tender an opportunity for a new intranet site. The Charity had a lot of documentation and information spread across multiple areas which proved a challenge to keep together and adequately locate when needed. An intranet site would be a valuable, central resource for staff and volunteers to use to obtain company information, collaborate on projects and share knowledge.
The Discovery
Following the formal tender process, a mixture of responses were returned from suppliers with proposals involving a variety of intranet packages including those putting forward solutions using SharePoint. ExtraCare evaluated the pros and cons of both product and supplier. SharePoint as a product was deemed the most fitting solution both now and in the future, and Pythagoras were selected as partner based on expertise and knowledge of how to make the best use of the technology.
Business Needs
Central resource for staff & volunteers to use to obtain company information
Knowledge sharing & project collaboration
Solution and Implementation
Pythagoras have worked with ExtraCare to deliver a SharePoint-based intranet. ExtraCare already used Office 365 for email, so it was logical to integrate SharePoint within it too.
The new SharePoint solution allows for easy search of information and a full staff directory with contact information has made significant improvements to the organisation, bringing them close together.
Office 365 has given the business almost default business continuity and it can be accessed remotely across sites and devices which has aided productivity. Power BI has been well received as a great app within the suite.
Outcome for Client
The new SharePoint solution allows for easy search of information and a full staff directory with contact information has made significant improvements to the organisation, bringing them close together.
Probably the single most requested beforehand and the most praised since of the new solution has been around search functionality. We used to have great issues around document and information tracking, and now everything can be found with ease rather than trawling through the site.
