Customer Profile

Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is a non-profit organisation in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia, that provides assistance to people who are blind or vision impaired. With a mission to help individuals with visual impairments live independently and safely, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT provides guide dogs, mobility training, and various other services.

Case Study Summary

In 2022, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT embarked on the process of migrating its intranet from its standalone platform to SharePoint Online. This decision was made as a logical progression in leveraging the organisation’s existing Microsoft license, having already successfully implemented Microsoft Teams for collaboration and corporate communications earlier that year.

“Our goal was to partner with an organisation that can enable Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to realise the value from our M365 investment and continue the journey post go-live to achieve incremental value and digital literacy”.

— Glenn Mason, Chief Technology Officer.

With limited internal resources and a very ambitious timeframe, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT engaged Rapid Circle to provide leadership and support.  Migrating a company’s intranet to SharePoint Online can be a daunting task, but with proper planning and execution, it can be a seamless process that brings numerous benefits to the organisation.

Our Solution

“Right from the project’s inception, the Rapid Circle team demonstrated a high level of organisation and project management, supported by excellent technical knowledge and skill.”

–   Jane Deane, Communications and Change Specialist

Our Senior Consultant Elisa and the Rapid Circle team conducted a thorough analysis of the existing content, users, and permissions, as well as the business requirements and goals for the new intranet including replacing functions like Feedback Register. This information was used in designing, building and refining the new intranet site information architecture to all content was properly structured and organised for optimal user experience.

A theme was created and applied based on branding guidelines and the new design also looked at including social media feeds, news and events on the home page. The migration process was thoroughly tested before going live using a screen reader of all elements, including functionality, content, and user experience. Rapid Circle also provided ongoing support and training to ensure that employees were able to navigate and use the new intranet effectively.

“Their involvement included support with migrating documents and construction of site pages, offering strategic and technical advice at each step of the way. This included practical training and resources for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT key users, to build internal capacity to manage and update the platform over time.”

–   Jane Deane, Communications and Change Specialist

Key Improvements

• Consolidating all platforms under the Microsoft 365 suite.
• Seamless migration process with quick employee adoption.
• Better user experience, where staff can collaboratively and securely access the intranet from anywhere.

The migration to SharePoint Online brought numerous benefits to Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. The new platform provided improved collaboration and productivity tools, enhanced document management, and increased security. Employees were also able to access the intranet from anywhere, allowing them to work more efficiently and effectively.

The partnership with Rapid Circle was a success, and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT was able to achieve their business goals with the new intranet. The migration process was seamless, and employees were able to quickly adapt to the new platform.

With Rapid Circle’s support, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT’s new intranet on SharePoint was delivered on time and to budget, with a high level of satisfaction from employees at all levels. Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is grateful for the guidance and support provided by Rapid Circle, who demonstrated a flexible, responsive and solutions- focused approach, and an appreciation and respect for Guide Dogs NSW/ACT’s specific business, needs and priorities. Guide Dogs NSW/ACT looks forward to partnering with Rapid Circle again in the near future.

Non-profits like Guide Dogs NSW/ACT can greatly benefit from the expertise and solutions offered by Rapid Circle as they look to equip their organization with Microsoft products. If you’re a non-profit looking to modernise your operations, reach out to Rapid Circle today to see how they can help you achieve your goals.