Towards a central working platform with MS Teams & Power Apps

Digitalization does not spare the construction industry. With "KoliBri", Birchmeier Group has set up a central and automated collaboration hub in MS Teams, piloted it, and successfully started its implementation.

Rapid pandemic-driven introduction of MS Teams and Microsoft 365 

Previous communication through tools that were not under the group’s control 

Implementation of the "Cloud First" strategy and piloting of a central communication platform 

Automation of (initial) processes, including the creation of interfaces to existing systems 

Tenant Review including implementation of novaCapta best practices 

Creation of a modular solution that can be expanded flexibly 

Introduction of the provisioning tool novaWorxx with defined Teams templates 

Creation of three Power Apps for MS Teams with interface to the existing ERP system (migration from Abacus) 

Training to strengthen change & adoption 

Central collaboration hub for all construction projects 

Consistency and recognition through Teams templates 

Sound role concept for strong governance of permissions 

Increased transparency in project communication 

After the rapid pandemic-related introduction of Microsoft 365, Birchmeier Group sought external support from Sieber and Partner to approach their digitalization strategy holistically. After a thorough analysis of their

"Cloud First" strategy, they started a pilot project. The goal: to establish Microsoft Teams as the central platform for all construction site communication. For this purpose, Birchmeier relied on novaCapta as Microsoft experts.

novaCapta started with a strategic tenant review and used their best practices to technically optimize the group's tenant. Subsequently, Birchmeier's construction site communication was prioritized and centralized in Microsoft Teams to bundle all information, documents, and plans in one place. For this purpose, all leading employees on the construction sites were provided with tablets. The new collaborative platform on Teams with its automated apps was named "KoliBri". 

With novaWorxx, novaCapta laid the foundation for Microsoft Teams as a central communication platform. The interface to the existing ERP system automatically pulls new construction projects and creates groups in Teams. Pre-defined templates and storage structures ensure uniformity and recognition. Taxonomy and naming conventions were taken from the ERP for quick orientation across systems. A search function with extensive filter functions simplifies finding projects.  

In addition, three apps were introduced with the Power Platform, meaning that all information is centrally available, making it no longer necessary to switch systems. 

1. The "construction site sheet" displays all relevant construction site information: from the emergency address to the access road to the information from the construction manager. The information is automatically pulled from the ERP system, stored in a central SharePoint list, and visualized via Power Apps.  
2. The role concept for the individual construction site projects is defined in an "authorization app", as the Teams permission settings were not sufficient for Birchmeier Group. The app is represented as a tab in the projects by default. The construction administration then assigns the individual roles to the project members. 
3. The "photo upload app” uses Power Apps and Power Automate. Staff can take photos of the construction site with all devices. Context-related information as well as the geo location are automatically extracted. The photo is then correctly stored for documentation.  

Before some employees got to know "KoliBri" as a whole, the focus was on the Microsoft Teams parts that had already been introduced. With support, on-site training, intensive contact with the project teams, and FAQ events, change in the group was sustainably managed.  

The first phase of the project has already gone live, meaning "KoliBri" is already being successfully used in some projects on some construction sites - ideas and requirements from employees are also being collected and checked for added value and feasibility in the future. Currently, Birchmeier is rolling out "KoliBri" to other construction sites. Thanks to the Microsoft architecture, the solution is modularly built, and therefore, additional components can be added at any time. 

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