The Client
The Challenge
Three Systems, Zero Visibility, Real Commercial Risk
Grid Construction, a commercial construction company based in Perth, had a document management problem that was costing them time and creating risk on every project.
Like most construction companies, they’d grown into their systems organically. What started as a simple SharePoint folder had evolved into a fragmented mess:
- An internal SharePoint site for the project team
- An external SharePoint site for sharing with consultants and subcontractors
- An Excel spreadsheet tracking drawing revisions and transmittals
On paper, it worked. In practice, it was a productivity drain hiding in plain sight.
Built on Microsoft 365. No new software. No new logins. Results in weeks.
The Solution
We implemented a SharePoint-based document management system that consolidated Grid’s three locations into one.
What We Built
Document Register List
A SharePoint list replacing the Excel spreadsheet, with metadata columns for:
- Drawing Number
- Title
- Discipline (Architectural, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, etc.)
- Current Revision
- Status (For Construction, Superseded, Draft, etc.)
- Date Updated
- Location
- Sent To
- Last Sent Date
The team can now filter, sort, and search drawings without opening a separate spreadsheet or calling the Document Controller.
Metadata-Enabled Document Library
The existing SharePoint document library was reconfigured with matching metadata. Every drawing now carries its revision status, discipline, and other key information as searchable properties.
Custom Views
We created filtered views for common questions:
- By Discipline: Show only Structural drawings, or only Electrical
- By Status: Show only “For Construction” documents
- By Date: Sort by most recently updated
- Current Only: Hide superseded revisions, show only current
Instead of asking “What revision is A01?”, anyone on the team can open the Current Only view, search for A01, and see the answer in seconds.
Permissions Configuration
Internal team members have full access. External sharing follows specific protocols so consultants and subcontractors see only what they need to see.
Data Migration
All existing tracking data from the Excel spreadsheet was migrated into the new SharePoint list. No information lost. No starting from scratch.
