Enhancing Final Document Management Through Automation and Ease

Client’s Challenge:

Al Rafay Consulting (ARC) assisted their client, a prominent figure within the commercial real estate industry, who experienced continuous hardships between storing, managing, and retrieving their large volume of final-version documents. Their current document management system, a third-party cloud-based application, did not provide the necessary structure and customization required to accommodate the client’s need to safely and effectively manage final documents. With over 700,000 final documents and 40+ different document types, the real-time data was inaccurate and stemmed from missing data integration, limited search capabilities, and labor-intensive manual work. This resulted in less time for employees to focus on what really matters, and more time searching haphazardly to find their document.  

Additionally, the third-party system lacked the visibility to properly manage documents, made it difficult to ensure compliance was met, and was not able to download reports within a secure platform. Understanding the necessity for a more productive and centralized solution that would suit their needs, the client turned to Al Rafay Consulting to create an in-house Enterprise Document Management in SharePoint. Having over 10 years of experience within Microsoft and SharePoint, Al Rafay Consulting delivered a customized and fully integrated solution to meet the client’s needs and future goals.

Client’s Goals and ARC’s Solution:

The client’s objective was to replace their outdated third-party solution with an in-house centralized repository for all of their real estate documents to improve efficiency, enhance compliance, and save time and cost. The client needed a more efficient way to manage all of their final real estate documents, so improving document discoverability and maintaining a stronger control over workflows were top priorities. 

Al Rafay Consulting built a SharePoint system that tags documents with consistent metadata for easier searchability, and quicker retrieval of documents based on faceted search filters. The automated workflow also simplifies the document approval process, while also providing version control and compliance ready for signing. The tool also allows for real-time reporting dashboards, for accurate identification of trends and patterns, improving process and decision-making for the client. 

With the new system, it was important to create a user-experience that was simple and intuitive, but the experts still conducted trainings for admins to support their change management and empower their full ownership of their new solution.  

In the client’s previous data management tool, the third-party data was less secure, as they did not have control if their critical documents were lost. With ARC’s in-house solution, this risk is minimized, as the data and tool is fully theirs. ARC also implemented a single sign on (SSO) feature, which establishes secure role-based access protocols and further enhances security measures. 

This product remains an essential tool for driving productivity, minimizing risk, and enabling long-term success.

Results & Summary

Al Rafay Consulting designed a personalized solution and guided the client throughout every step of the process – from initial discovery to full implementation. With over a $6,000,000 inception-to-date savings, the result is a powerful document management solution that transformed how the client stores, accesses, analyzes, and collaborates on valuable, final real estate documentation. Through workflow automation, metadata standardization, and simplifying searchability, the client now benefits from increased efficiency, reduced manual processes, and improved compliance. The system has not only simplified day-to-day operations but also enhanced productivity, efficiency, and cost. 

Schedule a Consultation to Learn More:Interested in learning more about Enterprise Document Management in SharePoint and how it can transform your business? Contact us at contact@alrafayconsulting.com