Industry · Research & development
From Network Drives to SharePoint
For a client based in Singapore, PROVADIT moved research documents from network drives and local computers to SharePoint. We created a shared filing structure, set up manageable access rules and trained the people responsible for using and maintaining it.
Explore the case- Industry
- Industry · Research & development
- Our role
- Platform selection, migration, documentation and training
- Focus & technology
- SharePoint · Document Management · Data Strategy
- Scope
- SharePoint migration and handover to the client’s team
Client anonymized.
The starting point
How do you move from scattered files to a shared research library?
An international industrial company’s research files were spread across network drives and individual computers. Researchers had to gather documents from different locations and work with inconsistent folder structures. They needed a shared place to find and manage documentation across locations.
The new repository had to work within the available IT environment and fit the way researchers worked. It also needed clear ownership, access rules and support so the team could keep using it after the migration.
Our contribution
PROVADIT’s contribution
PROVADIT planned and delivered the migration from network drives to SharePoint. We assessed the existing sources, agreed the new structure with the research teams, built the repository and supported testing, training and handover.
Choose a platform that fits the immediate need
We compared a central document repository, a data warehouse and a data lake. SharePoint addressed the immediate task of bringing existing files together and fit the client’s Microsoft environment. The source analysis and requirements could also inform later data-platform decisions.
Give the documents a clear structure
We built a central SharePoint repository with a filing structure agreed with the research teams. Access was managed through user groups, making permissions easier to maintain as people and responsibilities changed.
Plan the move and prepare the team
We evaluated a single cutover and a phased rollout, then supported migration and user acceptance testing. Key users received training, and the client received user and administration manuals, defined support channels and help during the transition.
Inside the work
Keep control of access, versions and migrated files
Moving files was one part of the job. The design also addressed who could access them, how earlier versions would be retained and how files could be traced back to their source.
Manage access through groups
Permissions followed user groups rather than individual files. This gave the client a consistent way to grant or change access as responsibilities changed.
Plan for earlier versions and recovery
The design included document versioning and a geographically redundant backup concept with an independent destination. This addressed both earlier document versions and recovery needs.
Keep a record of where files came from
The migration concept recorded each file’s original location and migration date. That record would help investigate missing content and support a controlled return to the source location if needed.
Deliverables
The work delivered. The decisions it supports.
Research teams gained a shared SharePoint library instead of having to work across scattered network drives. Documentation and training gave the client’s team the knowledge needed to maintain the structure, manage access and support users.
- A shared SharePoint repository replacing scattered network-drive and local file storage.
- An agreed filing structure, group-based access rules, migration and backup concepts, and technical and test documentation.
- Trained key users, practical manuals and a support approach for day-to-day operation.
Engagement context
The project covered the SharePoint repository, migration, operating concepts and team handover. Building a subsequent data warehouse or data lake was outside this engagement.
What this illustrates
The first step in a data strategy can be a practical one: make the information people already have easier to find and use. This migration addressed that immediate need while preserving the analysis and requirements for future platform work.
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