Catalysing Digital Excellence: Durkan’s Transformation Journey with SharePoint

Sector

Public Sector | Trade Union

Location

Borehamwood, United Kingdom

Revenues

£200 Million

About

Catalysing Digital Excellence

Durkan is a leading housebuilder known for its quality developments in London and the Southwest. With a legacy of crafting innovative and sustainable living spaces, Durkan delivers homes that meet diverse needs. This commercial organisation prioritises modern living and environmental sustainability while creating vibrant communities. Durkan’s expertise covers private sale, shared ownership, and affordable housing. They’re committed to sustainable design, creating greener and more responsible communities.

Outcome



Modern Intranet with Sharepoint.

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Enhanced Insights through Microsoft Clarity for heatmaps and user journeys for informed platform optimisation.

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Ongoing support for Microsoft 365 and Sharepoint.

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Reduced Cyber Risk.

Executive Summary

Durkan’s outdated Intranet presented a multitude of challenges, from an antiquated WordPress version to sluggish performance and a lack of mobile friendliness. Navigational difficulties and the unwieldy management of people directories in Excel further compounded these issues, creating substantial resource requirements for cybersecurity. However, the comprehensive transformation led by TTG and Durkan produced a remarkable outcome, resulting in an empowered, modernised digital ecosystem and streamlined operations.

This successful project included migrating to a new SharePoint-based Intranet with enhanced navigation, integrated people directories, and improved mobile friendliness. The collaborative content migration process, along with the implementation of Microsoft Clarity for performance analysis, further contributed to the Intranet’s success and its capability to meet Durkan’s digital needs.

The Challange

A Dated Intranet, manual administration and lack of secure access

Durkan’s existing Intranet presented a myriad of challenges, primarily stemming from its outdated WordPress version. These challenges included sluggish performance, un-updated plugins, and a notable lack of mobile friendliness. These issues, in turn, hampered employee engagement and productivity. Furthermore, the Intranet’s navigation was far from intuitive, making it challenging to access essential directories and employee profiles.

These profiles were previously managed through unwieldy Excel spreadsheets, adding complexity to daily operations. To complicate matters, the internal IT team was saddled with additional administrative burdens to ensure secure access to the Intranet. Durkan needed a comprehensive overhaul of their IT landscape to address these issues effectively.

The Solution

An Intranet Overhaul

We recognised the need for a transformative journey to overhaul Durkan’s Intranet. The focal point of our solution was the implementation of a new SharePoint-based Intranet. This redesigned Intranet was meticulously crafted to offer enhanced navigation, resulting in an improved user experience.

We seamlessly integrated the people directory, making it easier to access vital employee information. Additionally, TTG collaborated closely with Durkan’s marketing team and key stakeholders to ensure a seamless transition, meticulously reviewing and migrating content and images. To gain valuable insights into user behaviour, we integrated Microsoft Clarity’s heatmaps and user journeys, enabling us to make informed optimisations to the platform.

The Success

Empowered, Aligned and Supported

The transformation of Durkan’s Intranet marked the dawn of a new era of digital empowerment. With the implementation of the new SharePoint Intranet, Durkan gained a user-friendly and easily manageable platform. Marketing teams were empowered with self-administration capabilities, allowing them to quickly and efficiently update content and engage with employees. This shift brought about alignment with Microsoft technologies, effectively leveraging Durkan’s investments while also reducing the cost associated with the legacy WordPress Intranet.

Cybersecurity concerns and the additional administration required by the internal IT team were mitigated, resulting in a reduction of one full-time equivalent (FTE) dedicated to Intranet management. The transition removed the cyber risk linked to the outdated WordPress version. TTG played a pivotal role as a support partner, always available to assist with any Office 365 or SharePoint-related issues.

Durkan’s experience serves as a prime example of the benefits that come with implementing a modern, user-friendly Intranet solution. The collaboration between Durkan and TTG resulted in significant cost savings, improved cybersecurity, and increased efficiency through self-administration.