Case Study

Simplifying Proposal Management
with Advanced Technology

The Customer

And Their Challenge

Riverside Research, a non-profit organization specializing in operations research, scientific testing, modeling and simulation, program management, systems engineering, and training services, serves government entities, public agencies, and private subcontractors. With its broad spectrum of services, Riverside Research faced the challenge of efficiently managing proposal collaborations across diverse teams. The organization needed a streamlined way to create self-contained collaboration sites for each proposal request. These sites required specific security configurations to ensure that only authorized users could access and collaborate on sensitive proposals.

A significant hurdle was the limitation of SharePoint Online, which did not support automated site creation using custom workflows or Microsoft Flow. This posed challenges for Riverside Research, as IT intervention was often required to set up new collaboration environments, delaying critical processes. The organization needed a dynamic and scalable solution to enable users to create secure and functional collaboration sites on demand, without relying on IT support.

The Solution

Modular Proposal Site Creation System

To address Riverside Research’s challenges, i3solutions developed a robust and modular solution leveraging SharePoint Online, Angular, JavaScript, jQuery, and other cutting-edge technologies. At the core of this solution are custom-built forms designed using Angular, jQuery, and JavaScript to capture detailed proposal information. These forms incorporate advanced business logic to validate user inputs and dynamically retrieve relevant data from other lists, ensuring accuracy and reducing manual effort.

Upon form submission, an automated process is initiated, using jQuery and JavaScript to make REST API calls to SharePoint Online. This process streamlines the creation of new proposal sites, utilizing a predefined template to customize security groups, assign users to appropriate roles, and apply unique permissions through a JSON definition.

These sites are designed to be minimally configured, offering users a blank canvas for collaboration while including key features like a pre-populated calendar based on proposal milestones.

By eliminating the need for IT intervention, the solution significantly accelerates the setup process, allowing users to focus on their work without delays. This seamless and intuitive system ensures that Riverside Research can efficiently manage proposal activities, maintain security, and enhance collaboration across teams. The streamlined approach not only saves time but also reduces operational complexity, empowering Riverside Research to meet its goals with greater speed and accuracy while fostering a more productive and collaborative environment.

Technologies

Used in the Solution

SharePoint Online acts as the central platform for storing proposal data, managing sites, and applying security and permissions through REST API calls.

jQuery simplifies complex tasks like manipulating DOM elements, making asynchronous API calls, and handling form interactions seamlessly.

HTML structures the form layouts and interfaces, ensuring a clean and organized presentation for end users.

JSON defines the unique permissions, security groups, and other site configurations for automated proposal site creation.

JavaScript powers dynamic form functionality and automation, including validating inputs, retrieving data, and triggering REST API calls to SharePoint Online.

Angular was used to build custom forms with advanced logic, ensuring a user-friendly interface and efficient data capture for proposal information.

CSS styles the forms and proposal sites, ensuring a visually appealing and consistent user experience across the platform.

SharePoint Designer Workflows facilitates automated task management and process flows for specific business needs within the SharePoint environment.

Measurable Benefits
and Business Impact

The new system not only met the immediate needs of Riverside Research but also positioned the organization for greater agility in future proposal management processes. By emphasizing modularity and scalability, i3solutions delivered a robust and sustainable solution aligned with Riverside Research’s operational goals.