Tech Ideas & Best Practices

Customer-first priority

One of the highest priorities for North State Grocery is keeping customers happy at both of its chains. When a popular customer service program became a bottleneck for responding to customer requests for new products, the customer service team worked with SkyLite Systems to replace it.

The new solution unlocks customer data from Microsoft SharePoint Online a familiar tool for the staff making it possible for all stakeholder departments to access and update the database from any connected device.

It also helps keep data and alerts moving smoothly, preventing requests from falling through the cracks  all while increasing the value of Office 365 and the company’s Microsoft investment.

“This tool makes managing the customer relationship much easier.
Now we know that nothing is going to fall through the cracks.”
- Lynn Martinusen, Customer Service Manager, North State Grocery

Competitive industry needs

Holiday Market and SAV•MOR Foods, the two formats that comprise the North State Grocery regional grocery retail organization, operate in an extremely margin-sensitive, competitive industry.

With limited square footage and big competitors in the northern California market, it’s critical for these operations to be highly customer focused. That’s why the stores rely heavily on strong customer service to attract and retain loyal customers  in-store, at the point of purchase, via email, and on social media.

One way the stores cater to their customers is by using shelf signage to solicit suggestions for new products.

“You can call us, and we’ll do our best to bring in any item that’s available and feasible for us to carry.
We’ve always received great reviews from customers for working with them to stock products that are important to them.”
- Lynn Martinusen

Growing complexity of customer needs

• Natural and organic products expanding exponentially made it harder to keep up.
• Many new and niche products were emerging, making buyer/vendor selection challenging.
• Small store footprints meant limited shelf space.

“We rely on our customers to tell us what they want to see in our stores.”
-Martinusen

• Customer request program existed for 28 years.
• Managed by a small team of four.
• Used Microsoft Access database.
• Became difficult to:
  1. Respond to requests
  2. Manage follow-ups
  3. Keep buyers, customers, and managers in sync
  4. Prevent requests from being lost

Martinusen:
“It was a huge responsibility… the old system just wasn’t conducive to having everyone work with the program.
Instead, it was a bottleneck.”

Building the new solution

North State worked with SkyLite Systems (Microsoft Partner Network) to design a modern platform.

How it started:

• Began with a simple sketch on paper of requirements.
• Built a custom Microsoft SharePoint Online list form using Power Apps.
• Integrated with an existing customer database in SharePoint.
• Leveraged Microsoft Flow (11 automated flows) for alerts and lifecycle tracking.

Benefits:

• No training needed familiar SharePoint UI.
• Nontechnical staff could build reports and metrics with 20+ list views.
• More than 50 users now collaborate across departments (vs. 4 in old system).

How it works

• All requests stored in SharePoint lists.
• Stakeholders use Power Apps forms to view request details.
• Automated email alerts go to buyers, managers, and customer service.
• SharePoint Quick Edit list view feels like a spreadsheet for updates.
• Deep integration with Outlook and Flow ensures tasks are completed.

Chennault:
“This spreads the workflow and decision making to staff who are directly responsible… eliminating the bottleneck.”

Rollout and adoption

• Built in 10 days → tested by customer service → rolled out to buyers.
• Added quick edit functionality for ease of use.
• Training delivered via manual + video uploaded to SharePoint.
• Now managing nearly 300,000 customer records and 1,200 items, with 50+ new requests weekly.

Results and impact

• Time savings: 15 minutes saved per customer contact.
• No middleman: Store managers can instantly check status or trigger actions.
• Positive customer reviews: Yelp, Facebook, and hotline praise follow-up.
• Better employee adoption: Buyers and managers find it manageable.
• Maximized Office 365 investment: No new software required.

“Power Apps has created a way for us to easily share important information about customer requests
for new products with our stores and senior management staff.”
- Lynn Martinusen

Final takeaway

North State Grocery successfully modernized a 28-year-old customer request program by combining SharePoint, Power Apps, and Microsoft Flow.

The result: Greater efficiency, Stronger customer loyalty, and Higher value from Microsoft 365.

Are you tired of wasting your time with manual processes? Want a flexible workflow platform to automate communications and document management at your firm?

At the most basic level, the workflow platform has to be user-friendly and light to load in order for the stakeholders to use it on a daily basis. The platform should send out alerts and notifications to all the users, have easy log-in processes, integrate and work harmoniously with other softwares, manage and track documents, and provide analytics on the content that’s stored in it.

SharePoint Designs prides in taking up one-off novel projects that have challenging pain points and require a completely innovative business solution through Microsoft Office 365, especially SharePoint and Azure.

Problem

Conveyance firms act as a liaison between law firms and customers that want to buy properties. Conveyancing, for decades, has been a service that involves a colossal amount of manual labour. This legal process of buying and selling properties involves document, contract, and physical property verifications. The most important of all is managing the back and forth communication between customers, sellers, bankers, middlemen, legal advisors, and other third-party vendors.  

One such conveyancing firm wanted a solution to leverage technology, and automate most of this tasks for all the stakeholders involved. This way, customers could engage in remote transactions instead of having to meet everyone in person. The technological solution could save time, efforts, and energy for all the individuals involved.  

Solution

SharePoint Design’s team came up with a SaaS solution for the client where we designed a personalised cloud-based workflow platform using Microsoft Office 365. We were able to deliver the project to the client within one and a half months!

As opposed to Google’s SaaS and PaaS solutions, Microsoft’s solutions are more integrated. Therefore, using Office 365, we could build a workflow that allowed staff to create their log-in identities, authenticated them, stored all the company documents, gave a server space to host the workflow platform, and automated the organization of work emails in different folders on Outlook as well. We also built an Outlook plugin, a pop-up reminder for employees, asking them to organize emails into various folders if they were not already sorted automatically.

Technology

The team at SharePoint Designs used Angular 6.0, Graph API and Outlook API to come up with a fresh solution for the client.

You can build mobile and web applications with Angular. Add to that Microsoft’s Graph API, you have good productivity apps and workflow platforms. With Graph API, you can integrate these platforms seamlessly with other Microsoft products like Excel or Outlook, create calendars, retrieve and analyze data, organize documents, analyze user patterns and send out alerts, and do business forecasts in real time. Combined with the Outlook API, you could link your workflow platform to Outlook to send and receive emails. Whatever messages you send through your workflow platform automatically gets organized in various folders on Outlook as well.

Finally,

If you are looking to automate and scale up your business, we at SharePoint Designs provide PaaS and SaaS solutions. Leave it to a good integrated-technology platform that can do the job for you. Using SharePoint, businesses can achieve advanced technological feats.

Want efficiency, productivity, and smooth collaborations? Office 365 is the best integrated solution provided by Microsoft for all your business needs. Microsoft’s products have a competitive advantage over Google and  IBM products as they can be integrated with one another seamlessly to build customized business solutions.

Your current document management system (DMS) is not up to your expectations: there is still a lot of manual work involved to organize, search or retrieve files. Your important files are getting overwritten, and you are unable to keep the version history intact. Interdepartmental collaborations are a total mess. Your staff’s productivity takes a hit because they are busy sorting and organizing files most of the time. The server keeps failing and the current DMS is wasting your time and the company’s money.

Do not lose hope yet...

At SharePoint Designs we would like to share a case study on how we helped an accounting firm with a DMS that combines Microsoft's SharePoint technology with artificial intelligence (AI).

Problem

The account firm wanted several years worth of hard copy documents digitized, organized and placed in various folders. They files needed to be named appropriately with the corresponding dates of creation, organization name etc., for easy search and retrieval.

This was usually a manual task where in the staff, after scanning the documents, creates appropriate folders and subfolders to organize them. Then, the individual renames each of the files based on its type, the client it belongs to, date of creation, and version history. The documents could belong to a miscellaneous collection of financial, legal, letter, collateral, or other types. This strenuous process is not feasible or efficient for large firms that need hard copies digitized for various procedures.

Solution

SharePoint Design’s team arrived at a simple solution to automate this manual task by leveraging technology to create an AI metadata recognition system. For instance, the AI software reads the scanned documents line by line. It recognizes the unique elements in the document as instructed by a software code like date, organization’s name, logo, type of document, etc.

Accordingly, it creates tags based on keywords like date, document type, and organizational name to create folders and subfolders to rename the files and save them correspondingly. If there are different versions of the same file, the software retains the version history as well.

For instance, at the most basic level, this customized solution can do the following for you. Let’s assume that there are there are various edited versions of an invoice billed to an ABC Company. The AI software would create a folder for the company and subfolders for the year and month. Under these folders, there may be a subfolder named “invoices”. In this folder, the software may save the corresponding invoices by giving names such as “ABC. 3.9.2019. Invoice-1”, “ABC. 3.9.2019. Invoice-2,” etc.

More commonly, the accounting staff at various firms are usually indecisive about how to structure various documents, especially if the clientele is massive. In fact,  the templates and formats of various documents would have changed over the years as well. Leave it to AI to do such immensely complicated tasks with ease. Years of machine learning and robust research with software codes has equipped the AI software to recognize documents even if they have extremely modified templates.

Technology

Our firm has combined SharePoint DMS platform with Azure Search API and Azure Cognitive Services to bring about a tailored solution for our client’s problem.

The SharePoint platform has multiple products that can be integrated with one another to get hybrid solutions for your most complex business problems. You can store and access files in a well-organized fashion.It works on multiple devices, let’s you collaborate with multiple users who can have a single log-in to access all apps.

With seamless workflows, user permissions and zero server problems, you can maintain document security, confidentiality and compliances. You could also do data analysis and reporting on all the content you have stored on SharePoint. It is extendable and its scope is expandable for you to build customized solutions for your unique business needs.

Azure is a cloud-solutions service that hosts all your data, applications, softwares, tools with a cloud or hybrid server. No need to set up expensive hardware anymore. All you have to do is just pay a monthly subscription to manage everything through Azure. Azure’s cognitive services help build intelligent applications with features like facial and speech recognition, visual detection, intuitive search solutions, etc. With the help of Azure AI, all your data can be read and analyzed without hassles to bring out the correct business outcomes for you.

So, free yourself from manual labor and become a decision-making authority to give your company that outstanding competitive edge in the market.

With software apps across desktops and mobile devices on the rise, it is critical for an organization to chose a right platform. We should also be wise to choose a development platform that grows along with the latest technology.

Of late, entrepreneurs are on the lookout for applications that are not dependent on the troublesome wired networks. Companies want to access their application from home, office, and also during travel. A desktop app or a mobile app does have these limitations. This has led to developing applications that are not only independent of local networks but also easily accessible from everywhere.

Can an organization use a fully functional web application for its entire system?

No wonder you have seen a recent trend where developers starting making web app versions for their desktop apps. We see more features in a standalone application than a web application. So why do organizations prefer a web-based model?

Here is why -

• No boring installation of an app on countless devices as web apps can be accessed from a browser
• No pain during software updates on a device, which is hardware dependent.
• Features on a desktop app differ from a mobile app.

Increasing trend of web apps for corporate needs:

Traditional desktop applications are limited by hardware on which they run. More organizations, to facilitate day to day operations, are moving towards a browser-based application. Considering the usability benefits of secure document management, web apps are in high demand. For instance, Skype is available as a standalone desktop app as well as a web application. Popular notes taking app OneNote, storage apps like Microsoft One Drive and other Google apps are all web-based. Web-based apps always require a live internet connection to access files all the time.

However, developers have proactively addressed this shortcoming by making the files available offline.

• It provides an interactive user interface for a flawless experience
• It has constant updates that do not bother an end user
• Users will have the access, edit, upload, and download the documents from any place and device
• It is highly secured and provides different methods of user authentication
• Web apps are inexpensive to develop when compared to standalone software
• It is easy for to maintain and perform updates in the back-end

As organizations grow, leadership attention is often pulled toward brand building, customer acquisition, and revenue growth. Startups focus on visibility. Enterprises focus on scale.

But there’s one critical area that often gets overlooked how employees work, collaborate, and access information internally.

This is where a well-designed intranet can quietly but powerfully transform your business.

An intranet isn’t just an internal website. When done right, it becomes the digital backbone of your organization, supporting productivity, communication, and operational efficiency.

Why Modern Businesses Need an Intranet?

As teams expand across locations, departments, and time zones, common challenges start to surface:

• Information scattered across tools
• Time wasted searching for documents
• Manual processes slowing decisions
• Disconnected teams and poor visibility

An intranet solves these problems by creating a single, structured digital workplace where people, content, and processes come together.

Why Use SharePoint for Your Intranet?

Microsoft SharePoint is one of the most widely adopted intranet platforms globally and for good reason.

It’s trusted by enterprises and fast-growing organizations alike because it combines security, flexibility, and scalability.

SharePoint enables organizations to:

• Centralize information securely
• Enable collaboration across teams
• Automate business processes
• Improve internal communication
• Maintain governance and compliance

At SharePoint Designs, we’ve seen firsthand how organizations unlock real business value when SharePoint is implemented strategically not just deployed.

Explore Top SharePoint Features

How an Intranet Built on SharePoint Leverages Your Business?

1. Centralized & Secure Document Management

In today’s digital-first workplace, information is created constantly in multiple formats and locations.

A SharePoint intranet allows you to:

• Store documents securely in one place
• Control access with permissions
• Maintain version history and compliance
• Access files from anywhere, on any device

This ensures employees always work with the right information at the right time, without compromising security.

2. Seamless Collaboration Across Teams

As organizations scale, collaboration becomes harder especially with remote or hybrid teams.

SharePoint enables:

• Real-time document collaboration
• Team-based workspaces
• Integration with Microsoft Teams
• Easy sharing without email overload

Instead of silos, teams work together in a connected digital environment that supports faster execution.

3. Workflow Automation That Saves Time

Many businesses lose productivity to repetitive, manual tasks.

With a SharePoint intranet, you can:

• Automate approvals and requests
• Standardize business processes
• Reduce manual errors
• Speed up decision-making

By putting routine operations on autopilot, employees can focus on high-impact, strategic work instead of administrative overhead.

4. Stronger Internal Communication

Internal communication often breaks down as companies grow.

A SharePoint intranet becomes a central communication hub where you can:

• Publish company news and announcements
• Share HR updates and policies
• Enable leadership communication
• Keep everyone aligned and informed

Employee profiles, groups, and updates also give leadership visibility into what’s happening across teams without micromanagement.

5. Better Project Visibility and Control

Project management is one of the most practical intranet use cases.

Using SharePoint, teams can:

• Assign and track tasks
• Monitor project progress
• Share documents and updates
• Maintain transparency across stakeholders

Project managers gain clearer insights, while teams stay aligned on goals, timelines, and responsibilities.

6. Improved Employee Engagement

An intranet isn’t just about processes, it’s about people.

When designed well, it:

• Makes work easier
• Reduces frustration
• Encourages collaboration
• Builds a sense of belonging

Engaged employees are more productive, more informed, and more invested in business outcomes.

Real-World Example: How a SharePoint Intranet Delivered Business Impact?

Theory is useful, but real results matter more.

At SharePoint Designs, we’ve helped global organizations transform SharePoint into a high-performing intranet that employees actually use at scale.

For example, in our Daikin SharePoint intranet case study, the organization was facing several challenges:

• Fragmented systems with limited integration across regions
• Employees struggling to locate key documents and company updates
• Low engagement due to lack of multilingual support
• An outdated intranet with poor mobile accessibility
• Limited visibility into leadership communications

By redesigning Daikin’s intranet on SharePoint, we delivered a modern, global collaboration hub that addressed these gaps:

• Centralized document management with version control and advanced search, reducing document retrieval time by 45%
• A custom, site-wide navigation and personalized homepage that improved content visibility by 40%
• Departmental micro-sites and discussion boards that increased collaboration and engagement by 25%
• Multilingual intranet experience supporting 8 languages, improving inclusivity across regions by 50%
• Automated email subscriptions and mobile-first design, driving a 60% increase in recurring intranet engagement

This transformation helped Daikin create a scalable, employee-centric intranet one that improved discoverability, strengthened leadership communication, and connected teams across regions and devices.

Read the full case study

This kind of real-world implementation demonstrates how an intranet doesn’t just support work it actively drives business efficiency.

Why SharePoint Intranets Deliver Long-Term Business Value?

Organizations that invest in a structured intranet experience see measurable benefits:

• Faster onboarding
• Reduced operational costs
• Higher employee adoption of digital tools
• Better alignment between teams and leadership
• Stronger governance and compliance

This is why SharePoint remains the intranet platform of choice for both enterprises and fast-growing startups.

Expertise Matters: Intranet Success is in the Design

Simply having SharePoint isn’t enough.

The real impact comes from:

• Thoughtful information architecture
• User-centric design
• Clear navigation
• Role-based experiences
• Ongoing optimization

At SharePoint Designs, we specialize in creating intranets that don’t just exist but actively support business growth.

Final Thoughts: Let Your Intranet Work for Your Business

An intranet should never feel like “extra work.”

When built strategically, a SharePoint intranet:

• Simplifies daily operations
• Improves collaboration
• Strengthens communication
• Frees teams to focus on what matters most

If your goal is to focus on core business outcomes while reducing operational friction, a well-designed SharePoint intranet is one of the smartest investments you can make.

Talk to our SharePoint intranet experts