Many organizations work with large amounts of documents, records and confidential information on a daily basis. Especially when multiple systems, retention periods and collaboration forms come together, overview quickly becomes a challenge. How do you ensure that document management remains secure, well-organized and pleasant to use, without having to redesign everything?
Hoek and Blok deliberately chose to get everything out of SharePoint that they could. In cooperation with I4-YOU they built step by step a document management solution that is not only technically correct, but also really works for employees. From automatic file structures to governance, compliance and smarter searching: a process that has been ongoing for years and continues to evolve.
For this blog, we spoke with Henk Roos of Hoek and Blok about their document management in SharePoint and the cooperation with I4-YOU. We discuss the needs of Hoek and Blok and how the cooperation went. The full customer case will follow soon, where we will go deeper into solution and results.
Hoek en Blok is a broad, multidisciplinary consultancy organization that offers entrepreneurs peace of mind and space to focus on what is really important: successful business. They do this by supporting entrepreneurs in the areas of accountancy, tax and legal issues, corporate finance, HR and IT. The focus is on advising and relieving entrepreneurs so that they can get a grip on complex business processes and allow their organization to continue to grow.
Since its founding in 1990 in Sliedrecht, Hoek and Blok has developed into an organization with approximately 200 employees, with several offices in the Netherlands namely Sliedrecht, Barendrecht and Amsterdam. Despite that growth, the organization has deliberately remained personal and accessible. Short lines of communication, fixed contacts and a practical approach ensure that clients know where they stand and can rely on advice that suits their situation.
“The first contact was made back in 2018. We knew that we had to do something with SharePoint, but above all that we wanted to do it well. We were looking for a party that suited us: clear, practical and without unnecessary complexity. That click was there right away.
In practice, we were running up against the limits of our document management. AFAS is the source system for us and we wanted to keep it that way, but for document management it fell short. Things like version management, collaboration and easy sharing of documents were not optimally set up. At the same time, we did not want to start from scratch or move data. Another factor is that we work with a lot of confidential information. Then it just has to be right. Safe, stable and clear. Not only now, but also for the future. We wanted a solution that grows with us, that you can keep improving and that fits the way we work as an organization.”
– Corner and Block
“From the beginning the cooperation felt pleasant and familiar. No complicated processes, just doing what is needed. You give an order and it’s taken care of. That works fine.
What we find important is that I4-YOU really thinks along. Not only technically, but also from our organization and the way we work. Together, we continued to expand document management in SharePoint, step by step. From additional security and access management to building in controls and cleaning up files. That collaboration doesn’t stop after delivery.
We keep looking together at how things can be done better and how we can take advantage of new opportunities. That makes I4-YOU not a supplier for us, but a partner. Fast switching, short lines of communication and always focused on a solution that works in practice.”
– Corner and Block
The cooperation with I4-YOU has provided Hoek and Blok with a stable and future-proof document management environment in SharePoint. An environment in which files and documents are logically stored, safely managed and easy to find for employees. The result is more overview, better cooperation and time savings in daily practice.
At the same time, the solution remains in motion. By continuously developing together, adding new functionalities and paying attention to governance and compliance, the environment grows along with the organization and changing legislation. Not as a one-time project, but as an ongoing process.
The full customer case will be published soon, in which we will go into more detail about the process, the choices made and the results in practice.
