city of weston - intranet implementation

From Outdated to Future-Ready: How the City of Weston Transformed Its Intranet with Synergy and Powell

OVERVIEW:

The City of Weston, recognized by Money Magazine, Family Circle, and USA Today as one of the best cities to live in the U.S., prides itself on delivering an excellent quality of life to its residents. As the city continues to grow, ensuring efficient internal communication and streamlined digital tools is essential to maintaining its high standard of services.

The City of Weston partnered with Synergy to modernize their outdated SharePoint Classic intranet and transition to SharePoint Modern, addressing Microsoft’s reduced support for the legacy platform. Using Powell as an overlay tool, the upgrade ensured ongoing compatibility with Microsoft updates, eliminating the need for additional development and significantly reducing maintenance costs. 

Leveraging Powell Manager, Synergy implemented modern site templates to create a flexible, user-friendly intranet tailored to the city’s needs. The migration was efficient and minimally disruptive, resolving issues with outdated custom web parts and enhancing reliability.

The new, mobile-friendly intranet empowered off-site contractors and mobile staff with seamless access, improving workforce efficiency and satisfaction while future-proofing the platform.

Goals / Challenges:

The City of Weston was operating on an outdated intranet built with SharePoint Classic, a platform rapidly losing support as Microsoft shifted focus to SharePoint Modern. With key updates no longer reaching their existing environment, Weston faced growing risks around functionality, performance, and long-term compatibility.

Compounding the issue was the city’s evolving workforce. Many employees—especially contractors—were increasingly mobile, often working remotely or in the field. The existing intranet couldn’t keep up with their needs, and Weston knew a modern, more flexible solution was essential for both current operations and future scalability.

Key goals included:

• Outdated Platform: Replace SharePoint Classic as Microsoft reduced support, minimizing the risk of obsolescence.

• Need for Modernization: Upgrade to SharePoint Modern to ensure compatibility with evolving SharePoint Online features.

• Mobile Workforce Support: Provide a responsive, accessible experience for employees working off-site or in the field.

• Future-Proofing: Ensure the new intranet could adapt to Microsoft’s ongoing roadmap and technology changes.

Solution/Approach:

To support Weston’s transition to a modern intranet, Synergy implemented Powell as an overlay for SharePoint Modern—ensuring long-term compatibility with Microsoft updates and eliminating the need for custom development. Using Powell Manager, Synergy deployed modern, flexible site templates that improved usability, streamlined navigation, and replaced unreliable custom web parts. The migration was smooth and efficient, with minimal disruption to staff.

Key solution components included:

• Seamless Integration: Powell was used as an overlay for SharePoint Modern, guaranteeing forward compatibility with Microsoft’s roadmap.

• Cost Savings: Managed updates removed the need for custom code, reducing ongoing development and maintenance costs.

• Reliable and User-Friendly: New site templates replaced outdated components, improving stability and usability.

• Improved Mobile Access: A responsive, device-friendly interface empowered mobile workers and off-site contractors.

"This project challenged us to deliver a scalable, precise solution tailored to CoStar's real estate data needs—showcasing Synergy’s commitment to creating impactful, industry-focused results."

—Andy Lock, Synergy Implementation Team

The Results: Faster, Smarter, More Agile

The move to WEBCON BPS marked a significant leap forward in Copper River’s operational maturity.

Key benefits included:

• Rapid development and deployment of new workflows and digital forms

• A consistent user experience across all 16 companies

• Improved cross-department collaboration, task tracking, and reporting

• Reduced time-to-market for launching new business applications

• Greater flexibility to model and manage complex processes using tools like WEBCON Designer Desk

INDUSTRY	GEOGRAPHY	CONSULTING	software
Government	USA	SharePoint Consulting Custom Intranet Development	POWELL Microsoft 365

Ready to Elevate Your Intranet Experience?

At Synergy, we specialize in helping organizations turn outdated intranets into powerful digital workplaces—built for scale, simplicity, and impact. With deep expertise in Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Powell 365, we deliver solutions that empower teams, streamline communication, and bring your brand to life from the inside out.

Let’s build an intranet your people will actually use—and love.

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