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Staff were often unsure whether they were using the latest version of a document, particularly as regulatory and compliance requirements increase for veterinarians and their farming clients. Standardised reports were becoming more important, but it was difficult to ensure everyone was working from the same version.
Stephen Hopkinson, CEO of Taranaki Veterinary Centre, identified the need for change. He said, “At one point I searched for a document and there were 13 documents with the same name. That was when I thought, that’s enough.”
Access was another challenge. Information stored on the shared drive was difficult to reach when staff were offsite, particularly in areas with limited connectivity. With no dedicated IT team, any solution needed to be simple enough to build and maintain alongside existing roles.
Information Leadership provided initial setup and training, but the day-to-day build and configuration were intentionally customer-led. The pilot environment was largely configured by the CEO, who is also a qualified vet.
Stephen said, “Once I got the hang of setting up libraries and metadata, it was actually quick, and I’m not technical.”
Rather than attempting a full rollout upfront, the organisation took a staged, self-paced approach. Progress paused during peak workload periods and resumed when capacity allowed.
"We could stop for months when things got busy, then come back to it later. There was no pressure."
iWorkplace™ Controlled Documents and iWorkplace™ Template Central are being introduced progressively for core policies, templates, and higher-risk content. Search is now actively used to locate documents quickly, supported by consistent metadata rather than reliance on folder memory alone.
The long-term aim is to enable veterinarians to complete vital work alongside farmers, on farm, rather than deferring it until they return to the clinic. With documents, templates, and reports structured and accessible, vets will be able to pull up the right information in the moment, reviewing plans, discussing data, and completing reports at the kitchen table.
This supports a more efficient service, reduces rework, and strengthens advisory relationships, while ensuring that what is shared is accurate, current, and compliant.