Increasingly, traditional methods of handling paperwork and electronic files do not generally allow staff the speed of access to information that modern business practices demands. The vulnerability to misfiling, loss and destruction - accidental or otherwise - are also important catalysts in moving away from any reliance on paper records. Microsoft SharePoint Online is a powerful set of tools that enable housing staff to collaborate more effectively, supporting the creation and sharing of documents within a cloud-based repository, and all accessible on any device with an Internet connection. As a rudimentary document management system, SharePoint Online offers a number of distinct benefits that make it the perfect choice for many housing organisations: simplicity, mobility and affordability. It also supports several workflow types (approval, feedback, signatures) as well as real-time collaboration, where authorised users can work on the same text, table or presentation simultaneously.
Civica Cx Housing supports the retrieval of contact, asset and case-related document files stored in the SharePoint Online document management system, where a consistent data model can be applied to define the expected file types and folder structure. Through the creation of an Integration Management service, an end user can control how this content is referenced by Civica Cx Housing in order to successfully recall and view each document via the relevant form or action button.
The controlled sharing and transfer of documentation between Civica Cx Housing and SharePoint Online is managed in a systematic way:
- Contacts and Assets - For each stakeholder or property record held on the database it is possible to retrieve and view related documents by virtue of mapped entity reference values; such mappings are configured within the Integration Management service.
- Rent Agreements and Accounts - Document retrieval opportunities extend to those electronic materials that are central to the effective management of all rent agreements and their related accounts, with identified properties used to return matching files from the repository.
- Document Tracking - When a new document is captured within SharePoint Online, specific attributes assigned to it can be used to trigger a new CRM communication, which is automatically associated with a corresponding method and also cross-referenced back to the source document. The 'Process Communications' Home pane presents a consolidated view of all CRM communications generated in this way, from where they can be updated with any additional contact and contextual details before being allocated to an owner.
- Case File Attachments - Any number of file attachments can be linked to an open case (ASB, CRM, Estate Management, Feedback, Generic, Home Buy, Homelessness, Housing Options or Support Provision) in order to provide contextual background, and serve as a single point of reference for all related progression activities. Simply by specifying the web location of the desired SharePoint Online source file, the document can be attached to the relevant case. Where required, the contact and contact group stakeholder identifiers linked to the overarching case file can also be appended to the external EDM document via a custom stored procedure.
- New Communications - Launched from numerous touch points around Civica Cx Housing, the structure and behaviour of each communication is controlled via the underlying definition. Once an Integration Management service has been established for SharePoint Online, any definition can be assigned the 'Send to EDM' attribute, ensuring that all compiled communications of that type are transferred, along with the associated metadata. In such circumstances, an end user can choose to omit the corresponding entry from all 'Communications' grid views, and therefore only the SharePoint copy will be referenced.
Note: Additional configuration options implemented within the Integration Management service deliver the same functional compatibility for those organisations where SharePoint On-Premises (2016 onwards) is the incumbent EDM solution.
Separate help articles have been created for each key aspect of SharePoint EDM integration management, including:
