The Challenge
Bringing Control to the Full Document Lifecycle
The Access Group provides business management software to more than 160,000 small and mid-sized organisations across commercial and non-profit sectors. Behind that is a business of more than 9,000 employees with its own information to govern, including controlled documents that need to be reviewed, approved and managed throughout their lifecycle.
For Governance & Compliance, the existing document management landscape was becoming difficult to sustain. Several Document Management Systems were being used across the business, and some were reaching end of life. SharePoint was already part of The Access Group’s Microsoft 365 environment, which presented a huge opportunity: could the organisation use technology it already owned to bring greater consistency and control to the way documents were managed?
The Access Group needed a more consistent and controlled way to manage the entire document lifecycle, including:
- metadata to classify and route documents correctly
- automated reviews, approvals and escalation
- version control and unique references
- retention and disposition
- electronic signatures through DocuSign
- oversight for Document Managers.
At every point, the team needed to see what’s already happened, what needs to happen next, and who’s responsible. SharePoint provided the foundation, but the bigger challenge was to shape it around The Access Group’s people and processes.
The Solution
Building the Process Around the Document
Rather than treating SharePoint as a replacement filing system, the solution was designed around the governance process behind each controlled document.
Using Metadata to Drive the Lifecycle
Workshops explored how documents were classified, who needed to act at different stages and where Governance & Compliance needed visibility. This shaped how metadata was used within SharePoint.
Instead of simply describing a document, metadata could help determine:
- Which process the document should follow
- Who needed to review or approve it
- When action was required
- Whether an electronic signature was needed
Why it mattered: Metadata helped turn each document’s requirements into a defined, visible process, automatically guiding it to the right people and triggering the appropriate next steps. This reduced reliance on people remembering what happened next, managing activity through email or manually following up.
Automating Reviews, Approvals and Escalation
Power Platform provided the automation around the SharePoint content. Document metadata and review dates could trigger the actions needed to keep the lifecycle moving, including:
- Creating review and approval tasks
- Notifying the appropriate person when action was needed
- Escalating overdue actions to the Document Manager
- Supporting different routes depending on the document, including DocuSign where electronic signatures were required
Why it mattered: Governance & Compliance could reduce the amount of manual chasing involved while keeping ownership visible throughout the process.
Making Accountability Explicit
User acceptance testing surfaced an important detail in the approval model. Final approval had initially been assigned to a team. In practice, accountability usually needed to sit with a named individual. The workflow was changed to reflect that.
Why it mattered: A workflow can work exactly as designed and still fall short if responsibility is unclear. Testing with the people using and governing the system meant the finished process reflected how accountability actually worked within The Access Group.
Keeping Documents Traceable Beyond Approval
Approval wasn’t treated as the end of the document lifecycle. Version history, consistent naming and unique references gave controlled documents a clearer identity, while retention and archiving formed part of the same process.
That gives Governance & Compliance a clearer way to understand:
- Which version is current
- What’s changed
- Where a document sits in its lifecycle
- What action is required next
Building Internal Capability
The solution also needed to be something The Access Group could manage after handover. Configuration guidance, role-specific training and an IT handover transferred the knowledge needed to:
- Maintain the SharePoint structure
- Support document creators, reviewers and approvers
- Adapt the process as requirements evolve
The Impact
Greater Control Without Another Standalone System
The Access Group now has a document management system shaped around the controls its Governance & Compliance team needs, built within its existing Microsoft 365 environment.
SharePoint provides the governed home for documents and metadata, Power Platform connects that information to workflow and automation, and DocuSign supports processes requiring electronic signatures. Together, that means:
- Less manual chasing: Reviews, approvals and overdue actions can be prompted through the workflow.
- Clearer accountability: Responsibility is mapped to the people who need to act.
- Better visibility: Document Managers can see documents awaiting action.
- Greater traceability: Versions and changes are easier to follow.
- A connected lifecycle: Creation, review, approval, retention and archiving form part of the same approach.
- Better use of existing technology: The solution uses SharePoint Online and Power Platform within The Access Group’s Microsoft 365 environment rather than introducing another isolated system.
