Reimagining DocHub: How a Legacy SharePoint Structure Became a Scalable, User-First Platform

Our client is the leading provider of integrated minerals processing solution with more than 250 high-performing processing plants. Their Head Office is based in Brisbane, with offices worldwide.

Challenge

Our client’s existing DocHub platform faced a combination of technical debt and user adoption challenges:

• Outdated site architecture: DocHub had been built on a deeply nested SharePoint structure of sub-sites within sub-sub-sites. Each sub-site had its own content types, site columns, and multiple libraries with unique permissions, leading to complexity, poor scalability, and difficulty managing external sharing.

• Storage constraints: Rapid content growth – including large engineering drawings and videos – meant their SharePoint Online tenant was nearing capacity. Without action, business operations risked disruption.
• Low adoption: Confusing navigation, inconsistent metadata, and limited training meant many staff found DocHub unintuitive, undermining adoption and compliance.

Together, these issues meant DocHub was not delivering its intended benefits and could not simply be “lifted and shifted” into a new model. Our client required a carefully planned transformation to modernise the platform and restore user trust.

Solution

Engage Squared partnered with our client to design and deliver a comprehensive, phased approach that tackled both the technical and human challenges:

• Redesigned information architecture: A new flat SharePoint site hierarchy was developed, replacing the outdated nested model. Modern hub sites were introduced to logically separate corporate and project content, supported by consistent metadata and simplified naming conventions.
• Data optimisation: Large, duplicate, and non-essential files were identified and removed or archived. This freed up significant storage space and ensured only relevant content was migrated.
• Phased migration: Using ShareGate and dedicated Azure virtual machines, the migration was delivered in 16 weekly waves. Delta scripts captured updates each Friday, allowing staff to continue working with minimal disruption.
• User enablement: To build confidence and drive adoption, Engage Squared delivered live training sessions, on-demand videos, a DocHub FAQ site, and a train-the-trainer program to equip user champions.
• Change management: Clear, ongoing communications prepared staff for each stage of the rollout, ensuring the transition was smooth and well-understood.

Results

The project was delivered successfully, transforming DocHub into a modern, scalable, and user-friendly platform:

• Modern & scalable platform: Hundreds of legacy sub-sites were consolidated into a clean, flat architecture aligned with Microsoft best practices.

• Seamless large-scale migration: Multi-terabyte datasets were migrated with minimal downtime. Despite the size and complexity, staff experienced virtually no disruption to daily work.
• Optimised storage: By cleaning up redundant files and streamlining data, our client resolved looming storage issues and gained a leaner, more sustainable environment.
• Improved user experience: Post-launch surveys showed strong results, with staff rating improvements such as “easier document search” and “simpler processes” at ~4.4 out of 5.
• High adoption & engagement: More than 90 staff attended live training, with over 1,400 unique user visits to DocHub in the first month after launch – clear signs of increased participation and trust in the platform.

Today, our client benefits from a future-proof document management environment that empowers its workforce, supports external collaboration, and underpins compliance. The project demonstrates how, with the right strategy and partner, even the most