Executive Summary
Northern Rescue provides critical aeromedical and emergency rescue services across the upper North Island, supporting communities through life-saving air ambulance, search and rescue, and emergency response operations. As the organisation continued to evolve and expand, it recognised the need for a modern digital workplace that would improve communication, collaboration, and information accessibility across operational and corporate teams.
CorIT Tech partnered with Northern Rescue to design and implement a modern Microsoft 365 intranet built on SharePoint Online. The solution centralised organisational information, streamlined document management, improved internal communications, and established a scalable platform to support future digital transformation initiatives.
The result is a secure, intuitive and mobile-friendly intranet that empowers staff with easier access to information while providing a strong foundation for governance, collaboration and organisational growth.
Client Overview
Northern Rescue is one of New Zealand’s leading aeromedical and emergency rescue organisations, delivering emergency helicopter services across Northland, Auckland and surrounding regions. Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the organisation relies on effective communication and timely access to accurate information to support both frontline crews and corporate teams.
As part of its ongoing digital transformation journey, Northern Rescue sought to modernise its internal communications platform by implementing a SharePoint-based intranet that would better connect staff, improve knowledge sharing and provide a central source of organisational information.
Challenge
Prior to the project, Northern Rescue faced several common challenges associated with fragmented information and legacy collaboration practices, including:
- Information spread across multiple locations.
- Difficulty locating policies, procedures and operational documents.
- Limited visibility of organisational news and announcements.
- Inconsistent document ownership and governance.
- A need for improved collaboration between operational and corporate teams.
- Limited mobile accessibility for staff working across multiple locations.
Objectives
The project aimed to:
- Create a modern and engaging digital workplace.
- Centralise organisational information into a single source of truth.
- Improve communication and organisational engagement.
- Simplify document management and information discovery.
- Integrate seamlessly with Microsoft 365.
- Establish governance and permissions aligned with business requirements.
- Deliver a scalable platform to support future automation and digital initiatives.
Solution
CorIT Tech implemented a modern SharePoint Online intranet tailored to Northern Rescue’s operational requirements.
Technologies
- Microsoft SharePoint Online
- Microsoft 365
- Microsoft Teams integration
- SharePoint metadata and search
- Role-based permissions
Key Features
- Modern branded intranet homepage
- Department and team landing pages
- Corporate document libraries
- News and announcements hub
- Quick links and staff resources
- Enhanced search and navigation
- Mobile-friendly user experience
- Governance and content ownership framework
Results
The new intranet has transformed how information is managed and shared across the organisation.
Improved Information Access
Staff can quickly locate policies, procedures, forms and organisational resources through a centralised digital workplace, reducing time spent searching for information.
Better Communication
A modern news and communications hub enables important updates to be distributed consistently across the organisation, helping keep operational and office-based teams aligned.
Enhanced Collaboration
Integration with Microsoft 365 supports improved collaboration while providing a consistent user experience across SharePoint, Teams and other Microsoft applications.
Strong Governance
The implementation introduced structured permissions, content ownership and governance practices that will help ensure information remains accurate, secure and easy to maintain.
Future Ready
Northern Rescue now has a scalable digital workplace that provides the foundation for future workflow automation, process improvements and additional Microsoft 365 capabilities.
Business Outcomes
- Centralised organisational knowledge.
- Improved document discoverability.
- Enhanced communication across the organisation.
- Better collaboration between operational and corporate teams.
- Stronger governance and information management.
- A scalable Microsoft 365 platform supporting future innovation.
Conclusion
By partnering with CorIT Tech, Northern Rescue successfully modernised its internal communications and information management through a Microsoft 365 SharePoint intranet.
The new digital workplace provides staff with a secure, intuitive and centralised platform for accessing information, collaborating across teams and staying connected, ensuring the organisation is well positioned to support its critical lifesaving mission while continuing its digital transformation journey.
Client Testimonial
“The new intranet has been a really positive step for our organisation. It brings everyone together in one place while giving staff the flexibility to access the information that’s relevant to them. Not everyone needs to see everything, and the platform makes it easy for people to find what they need without adding unnecessary complexity.”
Chris Purdeu, Northern Rescue
