Modernization of the IMS SharePoint application in Zeppelin SK

During 2019, we updated the application Information Management Policy to latest version of Microsoft SharePoint 2019 for Zeppelin SK. The original application was built on the Microsoft SharePoint 2010 platform which became technologically obsolete without direct support of Microsoft.

Zeppelin SK, as an exclusive sales representative of the brand Caterpillar in Slovakia, ranks among the sales leaders in the field of construction, agricultural and fracture machines and energy systems in Slovakia. The company primarily focuses on sales, purchase, service, repair and rental of construction and road machines, engines and small construction automation.

Company´s employees use the Internal system for administration of documents (Integrated managerial system – IMS) almost on daily basis, which previously:

• completely substituted paper administration of managing documentation;
• digitalized approval management and mapping of processes;
• implemented elements of the norms ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 9001:2015;
• speeded up the processing cycle;
• improved insight into the managed documentation;
• made course of processing data transparent;
• increased data security.

However, the original solution based on the Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Foundation became technologically obsolete and endangered by the loss of Microsoft support from the perspective of the SharePoint platform development. Thus, management of the company decided to update the original version to a solution based on SharePoint 2019 platform with the requirement to maintain the original functionalities of the system.

Among the main goals of the project belonged:

• development of an effective tool promoting implementation, administration and development of the integrated managerial system;
• utmost utilization of current solution and its processes;
• maintaining the original solution structure;
• migration of all data into the new system;
• the possibility of further development of the solution.

Thanks to the fact that we used a part of the previous solution, we did not need to build the new application from the scratch. However, the large-scale technological update required to revise forms, processes and automation. Among the most work-intensive activities belonged migration of data from SharePoint 2010 to SharePoint 2019 through several different environments. The new solution maintained the original very important setting for the company and at the same time brought openness necessary for further development.

The project was divided into two phases. The goal of the first phase was verification of the proposed data migration process and an impact analysis from the perspective of maintaining the functionality. Within the second phase, inevitable application changes and final data migration took place.

Before deployment into the full operation in production environment, the company conducted solution testing. During the testing, several necessary adjustments and settings were made to ensure that the system is in line with full operation at the customer.

The technological update of the Information Management Policy brought to the company the following:

• maintaining of fully functional application in the new environment;
• the possibility of developing the application with new functionalities;
• product support directly from Microsoft.

Are you planning to improve key processes in your company? Do not hesitate and contact us. We will be pleased to provide you with a free consultation.