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Contact Us

Email us:
info@contentandcode.com

Address:
36-37 Featherstone Street
(entrance on Mallow Street)
London
EC1Y 8QZ

Phone:
0207 101 0930

Fax:
0870 220 6959

London & Quadrant Group


www.lqgroup.org.uk

London & Quadrant Housing Trust is one of the largest housing associations in the UK, managing over 43,000 homes in Greater London and South East England. With over 40 years of experience, it is a leader in providing quality homes, caring and efficient housing services. The Trust has four regional centres and a number of local offices and has its headquarters in Blackheath, London. In 2002, Content and Code replaced L&Q's Lotus Notes-based document management system with an advanced functionality java-based intranet built using an Oracle backed content management system called VYRE.
L&Q Logo

Business Challenge

L&Q's first intranet offered a broad range of advanced information and communication features including staff directory, forums, polls, department mini-sites, internal news and a repository for all policy documents. As part of a an initiative to rationalise IT systems using Microsoft software, L&Q decided to switch to a SharePoint Portal Server Intranet solution which offered enhanced document management and enterprise collaboration features. However, the existing intranet was extremely popular with staff thanks to its simple information access and dissemination features as well as its graphic identity which unified multiple internal sub-divisions under one brand identity. How could L&Q combine the range of popular information and communications functionality provided by the existing intranet with the superior document management and team-based collaboration features offered by SharePoint?

SharePoint Portal Server Boxshot

Our Solution

As we had developed the initial information architecture and design for L&Q's first intranet it made sense for Content and Code to customise L&Q's SharePoint implementation. We re-built all the existing functionality in SharePoint and designed the new system to take on the accessible, clean, consistent design features of the first intranet. The new SharePoint intranet allowed for check-in, check-out document access, advanced version control, powerful search, password protected areas, email notifications and on-the-fly mini-site creation. These features transformed the intranet into a robust work-based portal and collaboration tool that empowered L&Q staff to share knowledge and use information like never before. The system was imported onto Content and Code servers before being migrated back to L&Q's internal servers in a seamless transition.

The new improved intranet includes a custom-built advanced forms-based Decorating Voucher feature built by Content and Code to allow L&Q staff to enter specific details (number of rooms, location, condition) to calculate and receive a voucher for decorating supplies from local retail outlets.

Best of all, Content and Code's efficient approach allowed for design and rapid-deployment in just over a month.

The Results

  • Quicker access to information
  • Localised control of content
  • Intranet reflects corporate branding
  • Full compliance with accessibility standards
  • Advanced forms-based Decorating Vouchure functionality
  • Cost savings in technical infrastructure, maintenance and support