Client Description:
Our client is a San Diego-based semiconductor design house formed in 2013. It is a leading integrated photonics chipset developer and supplier for high-volume sensor and communication products. They have partnered with multiple tier-1 customers across the markets it serves to deliver the complex optical systems required for transformational product realization.
INDUSTRY: Manufacturing
MARKET: California, United States
SIZE: 200 employees
Challenge:
The manufacturing company’s primary goal was to simplify the document submission process for users and minimize manual inputs from the Document Control team. Before the start of the project, submissions were sent through emails and users often found SharePoint functionalities too complex. The organization wanted to create a user-friendly and easy-flowing document submission and approval process, that would not only make the process seamless and easy to adapt to but also increase document security and SharePoint efficiencies.
Overview:
Klarinet Solutions was hired for two projects by the company in the last five years. The first was building the original custom Document Control database with approvals, version control, and retention. When the client was in search of a partner to establish their Document Control system, they weren’t entirely sure of what their SharePoint environment would look like. In came Klarinet, with ideas and possible options of what could be achieved within the system, and was able to win over the client with proposed SharePoint customizations.
Due to the clear demonstration of their expertise, the Klarinet team was brought in for the second project as well, which took place between August 2019 to February 2020. This involved the enhancement of the original Document Control system using SharePoint’s automation tools, Power Apps and Flow.
The new objective was to design a user-friendly submission and approval application, which facilitated automation of the approval process from submission to release, while enhancing security so that no one could edit released documents.
Solutions:
With weekly meetings and effective collaboration between Klarinet and the client, Klarinet was able to deliver a comprehensive solution for their business challenge. The key deliverables of the project were:
- An app built on SharePoint, which used Flow and Power Automate to transition the submitted documents to the approval process.
- Automatic notification emails for approvals, reminders, and release notifications to multiple users.
- Multilevel workflow, starting with an initial review phase, and going into an approval phase, and final review phase.
- Facilitated the automatic transfer of documents from the submission library to the release library where it was locked for editing.
- Set up of automatic flagging for any edits made to documents, along with email notifications for approvers and the Document Control team.
- Creation of complex links in emails and application to ensure users were viewing documents in SharePoint view mode instead of edit mode.
- Tracking submission and approval dates for cycle time measurements.
- Capturing approvals, rejections, and comments in both the SharePoint mobile and desktop app.
- Ability for users to track submission progress, as well as view pending approvers.
- Implementing a check in – check out system to prevent accidental document edits.
Klarinet Solutions saved the Document Control team significant amount of time with SharePoint efficiencies and automation and by giving autonomy back to users. The Klarinet team provided high-level support for the organization and were incredible problem solvers, with quick and creative solutions at every step.
Client Testimonial:
“We are very grateful for the team effort! We know this project was very complex, and as with any project there were problems along the way, but the team was always eager to find solutions for us.”
– Jennifer Morris, Quality System Specialist
What can You Achieve with Managed Service Support?
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