The solution
As a trusted SharePoint advisor and Microsoft Gold Partner, SoftwareOne was the VdS’ choice to help move to the cloud. The collaboration delivered ongoing operational support, advice, conceptual design, and implementation.
Modernizing the intranet with Microsoft SharePoint Online & Teams
Migrating its SharePoint 2016 farm to SharePoint Online, VdS created a future-proof intranet for company-wide exchange with modern collaboration tools such as Teams and other Microsoft 365 services. All relevant content could be transferred to the new scalable environment, and the cost-intensive private cloud supporting the old SharePoint environment could be switched off. The collaborative M365 services are now used company-wide.
Improving business apps with Microsoft Power Platform
Individual business applications and portal solutions used in different VdS departments gradually moved from SharePoint 2016 to Microsoft 365. The specialist applications, mainly based on NINTEX technologies, were migrated with the Microsoft Power Platform. Utilizing cloud-based tools such as Power Automate and PowerApps, automated workflows and user-defined applications have been seamlessly integrated into the new IT environment, making them quickly available to VdS employees.
App development with Microsoft .NET
Previously, to receive product certifications, VdS customers had to submit applications on paper. These were manually transferred to other specialist applications such as SAP, SharePoint, or Active Directory.
This procedure was very time-consuming, resource-intensive, and error-prone. It was not transparent to customers, and an attempt to automate the process flow as a portal using SharePoint had not been sufficient. Processing certification renewals for customer products would ideally allow the holder to view, renew, or change online directly. However, with the 7,000 to 8,000 certifications VdS currently issues, SharePoint reached the limits of assigning sufficient user authorizations for both the customer interface and VdS.
To streamline this time-consuming and resource-intensive process, SoftwareOne's Application Modernization Services developed the web-based app “MyCertification.” Based on Microsoft .NET it digitizes, simplifies, and transparently presents customer applications, replacing the previously analog processing. The change significantly reduces time required to manage the data and automates test procedures to ensure better data quality. For customers, the Microsoft .NET web application “MyCertification” can grant all required user authorizations and provide a complete overview of the status of their certifications, including an online application for changes or extensions. For VdS, the new application means reduced processing time, cost minimization, and improved customer-friendly service.