Transformation through the Cloud: How DWA revolutionized their business processes and improved productivity

Learn how having improved file management structure streamlined business processes and improved productivity for DWA Healthcare Communications Group.

Challenge

File management is an integral part of any successful organization. Documented processes and resources for data ensures that items are saved in appropriate locations that are easy to locate, quick to recover, and most importantly, secure. Ideally, employees can save files easily and operate efficiently. But as technology advances, it is easy for companies to inadvertently create silos of file storage, wasting time and energy, not to mention licensing fees. And security should be of the utmost importance.

Leadership from DWA Healthcare Communications realized that proactive steps needed to be taken to review their file management system and related processes. They partnered with Fusion Alliance to conduct a comprehensive assessment of all file management tools and the documented the processes that employees regularly took to save files.

To design a more effective file system for DWA, it was important to fully understand their current system and pain points. We worked collaboratively with DWA stakeholders to complete a thorough four-step assessment framework.

The overall project was met with positive company-wide reception despite the significant organizational change. We were thankful for the partnership and would engage in business with Fusion again in the future.

– Kathleen Barrett, COO, DWA Healthcare Communications Group

Solution

With an assortment of on-premises file servers and an Office 365 instance that included SharePoint Online and employee OneDrives, our consultants found that employees had difficulty finding content within their different systems. In addition, there was significant content duplication, which caused not only confusion, but also an increase in required drive space.

DWA recognized the need to streamline and upgrade. They sought a change that would allow employees to move through systems seamlessly and become more efficient. Our consultants suggested modernizing platforms and utilizing the following tools:

Microsoft Stream
Teams
SharePoint Online
OneDrive for Business
Azure

Updating to these platforms with appropriate architecture would allow DWA employees to store and share files in a way that is both convenient and secure. But new tools alone wouldn’t solve a related issue.

After decisions were made about platforms, tools, and structure, we moved on to creating a solution for implementation and education. This included providing training materials and making sure that employees were able to understand the changes and feel confident in the new setup, along with ensuring that secure files, documents, and conversations were archived appropriately.

Outcomes

The new file management structure, process improvements, and platform changes have saved DWA valuable time and resources. Employees can communicate with each other more efficiently, collaborate with clients better, and be more productive overall. With SharePoint Online as the central hub, all files are able to be stored, accessed, and transferred seamlessly. And when files exceed routine limits for SharePoint Online, Azure is there to securely store and send.

More than just file maintenance and sharing, our team was able to use the new system set up to automate different processes and forms, saving DWA countless hours of sorting through requests for new teams and channels, as well as all the necessary access associated with each Teams request. DWA no longer has to create a new team with scripts and manual entry, but instead has a completely automated process, freeing up even more time and resources.

Network administrators no longer need to go into the office when a problem arises or physically go onsite to a server facility. Files are being stored securely in the Cloud, with redundancies as a backup.

Ultimately, DWA was able to update their business, communication, and collaboration processes through simply upgrading their file management system and putting the right tools into place. The results were transformational for their organization as a whole, their employees, and their clients.