Customer Story

How the NSTA Transformed Their Digital Workplace Using Microsoft 365 and Sharepoint.

Overview

Customer

North Sea Transition Authority.

About

The NSTA regulates and influences the oil, gas, and carbon storage industries to drive North Sea energy transition and reduce upstream emissions by 50% by 2030.

Sector

Energy.

Org. Size

185.

Service

Technology Consulting & Delivery.

Key Goals

Repetitive Process Automation

A New User-Centric System

A Secure & Accessible Digital Workplace

Whether it is creating new areas within SharePoint, new process- es, guidance or best practice for ongoing management - Appetite are always there. They guide us towards better working practices and improve our efficiency. Their response time is very high. To date the deliverables have been met as expected and on time, with implementation being smooth and successful. They are extremely professional, accommodating and above all extremely easy to work with and integrate into our working practices and business.
Senior Information and Document Manager

Challenges

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) faced two key challenges with their outdated and difficult-to-use intranet site, which was incurring separate licence costs, and an old SharePoint site with more than 500,000 files under one site, leading to issues in terms of searches, permissions, and user frustration.

  • Outdated SharePoint structure.
  • Large volumes of unstructured data.
  • Difficulty in searching and locating files.
  • Frustrated users creating their own data stores and
    systems.
  • Employee engagement with the platform.
  • Governance and security needed to be more robust.
  • Careful management of permission structures and access.
  • Difficult-to-maintain third-party applications were being used.
  • Inability to share updated news and events within the
    business.

Solutions

We were hired by NSTA to conduct an audit and make recommendations for a new company management system and intranet across two locations using Microsoft 365 and SharePoint online. We conducted site visits, workshops, questionnaires, interviews, and analysis of existing software and data structures to understand the current set up and user needs. Based on our findings, we recommended a robust, flexible, and future-proofed system. We were retained for the next phase to design and implement major changes to the SharePoint environment, including automatic workflows for data requests, metadata for each directorate, and a streamlined search functionali- ty. The system had to comply with ISO 9001 standards for data retention and storage of official records.

  • Common approach to transforming and securing the way users work, enabling remote work and improving collaboration.
  • Intuitive user interface designed with users in mind.
  • Easy maintenance and automated processes.
  • SharePoint Online used for accessibility by any authenticated NSTA user from any location on any authorised device.
  • Use of native SharePoint publishing functionality.
  • Implementation of custom requirements for content publishing and management, including content approval workflows.
  • Planned cutover, with full training program in place before launch and ongoing support.

Outcomes

Microsoft 365 has improved efficiency for NSTA by allowing employees to work remotely using SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Yammer. Upgrading their SharePoint environment has made content maintenance easy, reduced costs by eliminating paper and license fees, and it has become their main platform. Thanks to our expertise and flexible working style, Appetite for Business has developed a long-term relationship with NSTA, which includes two five-year contracts for SharePoint maintenance services and MS 365 Projects including SharePoint and Power Platform.

  • A well-designed, scalable, and streamlined system which is easy to maintain and update.
  • An ISO compliant system which follows Microsoft Best Practice and includes modern SharePoint framework enhancements.
  • An intuitive user interface.
  • Easy maintenance and automated processes.
  • Fast and accurate search as standard across SharePoint, Teams, and Yammer.
  • Engaged staff who are confident about the system.
  • A single platform allowing easy collaboration.
  • Digital access across multiple devices regardless of location.
  • A system designed with its users in mind from the outset.
  • NSTA are meeting their goal of operating fully in a secure, accessible Digital workplace.

Who We Help?

Whatever, your situation we can help you to de-risk and accelerate your M365 adoption.  

For Owners

Small team? At capacity? Don’t know where to start? Work with us and always be in the know with data at your fingertips. Save yourselves the stress so you can digitally transform your organisation and processes. Hold on to and develop talent. Identify areas for more efficiency. Stay secure and compliant and move the business forward.

For IT

Juggling with strategy and small in-house team? With a specialist partner like us we can help simplify management, achieve compliance and guide you on best practice governance and strategy, keeping data secure whilst giving people access to the insights they need.

For Finance

Overseeing a global business? Let us help you go from data to insight to action. Free up cash flow by identifying efficiencies, removing legacy systems and removing bottlenecks. Increasing real time visibility, measuring metrics, mitigating risk and achieving better compliance and transparency.

For HR

Worrying about upskilling or reskilling your talent pipeline to meet changing technology needs and digital skills shortage? Let us help you to boost productivity, knowledge sharing and wellbeing in remote workers. Deliver a best-in-class employee experience from onboarding to offboarding. Provide better access to employee voices to guide, transform and evolve.

Sectors We Have Worked In

With experience and clients across a wide range of sectors and industries, we understand the challenges you face.  

Energy/Renewables 

We have core domain experience in this area,  providing solutions that have transformed the way our customers manage their businesses and use their data to extract maximum value. 

Construction  

We know how important it is to support construction companies who want to rapidly digitize their processes to support off site workers and remove manual processes, avoid delays, and drive project efficiencies. 

Professional Services  

We have been trusted by customers to streamline and secure operations and develop bespoke responsive apps within Microsoft 365 to increase productivity and deliver differentiating services.

Transport & Travel  

We understand the pressure to streamline operations, reduce costs and increase efficiency. Appetite provide M365 development and support services to improve efficiency and QHSE audit and compliance.

Pharmaceutical  

From regularly working with pharma organisations, we understand the challenges to support collaboration, productivity, and paper lite initiatives to streamline processes, increase visibility and comply with regulations. 

Public Sector   

We are on the UK Government G-Cloud framework.  We can support you with process transformation, employee engagement and digital working practices with a variety of solutions.  

Healthcare  

From advisory and best practice around large digital transformation programmes to out of the box and bespoke digital solutions we can help you adopt modern working practices. 

Not for Profit  

Every penny counts.  So, we help you do more with less, from licensing to better information access, tracking data for metrics and creation of dashboards all to ensure regulatory compliance.

Partners

Our Services

Discover our range of Microsoft services. Customised, comprehensive and client-centric.

Strategy

Plan a Microsoft 365 strategy that lays the foundation for future growth, innovation and success.

Skills

Educate and empower your workforce with the skills to harness the full potential of Microsoft technologies.

Software

Customised Microsoft solutions designed to improve collaboration, automation and optimise efficiency.

Security

Safeguard your data with 24/7 monitoring and proactive protection that helps you sleep at night.

Support

Receive unparalleled assistance and expert guidance that keeps your Microsoft ecosystem running smoothly.