Internship: Implementation of the Assai Intranet (Microsoft SharePoint)

About Assai

At Assai, we bring transparency and control to complex, capital-intensive industries. Our AI-driven engineering data platform supports teams throughout the entire lifecycle of assets: from design and construction to operations and decommissioning. It creates a single source of truth for engineering documents and data. With Assai, clients can unlock, integrate, enrich, and manage their technical information —> enabling better decision-making, faster execution, and stronger project outcomes. We help global leaders in energy, utilities, petrochemicals, and other capital-intensive sectors save time, reduce risks, and maintain full control over their projects and operations.

Assai brings clarity to complexity.

1. Background

Assai faces an urgent need for a centralized internal platform that consolidates communication, process documentation, and HR information. The current fragmentation of information across teams and tools leads to inefficiency, duplicated work, and loss of institutional knowledge. A modern intranet will serve as the central hub where all departments can share relevant updates, policies, and public internal information—ensuring that employees have one reliable source of truth for company-wide knowledge.

Key context:

• Assai uses its own Document Management System (AssaiDCMS) for project and client documentation. The SharePoint Intranet will focus on internal, procedural, and communicative content (e.g., news, policies, manuals) and must not compete with AssaiDCMS.

• Assai already holds Microsoft 365 licenses, which means no additional licensing costs are required. Leveraging SharePoint Online Hub Sites ensures a scalable, modern, and low-maintenance solution for the organization.

• Data Security Policy: This is the leading guideline for all configuration, access management, and automation in this project.

2. Internship Goal

Develop and implement a functional, user-friendly, and maintainable Intranet for Assai based on SharePoint Online Hub Sites, fully integrated with existing systems and compliant with security policies. The Intranet must meet internal requirements regarding:

• Data Governance

• Access control (Principle of Least Privilege)

• Usability and findability of content

• Support for automation and maintenance processes

• Integration with HR Bob, OneDrive, Teams, and Confluence

The outcome will be a fully operational Intranet that can be handed over to department administrators.

3. System Integration & Guidelines

To clarify which tool is used for what purpose and ensure data security, the following principles apply:

System / Tool

Usage / Scope

HR Bob

Central HR information, procedures, policies, and news. The Intranet should provide links for employees to access information without duplicating content.

OneDrive

Personal data storage. Personal documents only. Sharing outside the owner must be explicit and controlled.

Teams

Collaboration, chat, project communication, meetings. Temporary project documentation may be shared here with correct access rights.

SharePoint

Departmental and internal process documentation, news, and policies. Primary location for internal content.

Confluence

Technical documentation, knowledge management for development teams, architecture, and configuration manuals.

Data Security Policy

Always leading. Administrators and users must comply with guidelines for access, privacy, and document classification.

Recommendation: For every content placement in SharePoint, Teams, or OneDrive, evaluate “Which tool is most appropriate and secure?” and document this in an internal procedure manual.

4. Assignment Description

The internship covers a full project from inventory to handover, with emphasis on security, automation, adoption, and system guidelines.

Phase 1: Inventory & Access Model (approx. 3 weeks)

1. Scope & Resistance Analysis

   • Analyze the role of SharePoint versus AssaiDCMS, Teams, OneDrive, and Confluence.

   • Determine which content should and should not reside in SharePoint and AssaiDCMS.

2. Needs Assessment

   • Interview stakeholders regarding desired features and system integrations, including HR Bob.

   • Sections: corporate information, news, HR policies, informal communication (‘Coffee Corner’), process manuals.

3. Architecture & Governance

   • Design Hub Site structure and Access Model based on Principle of Least Privilege and Data Security Policy.

4. Deliverables Phase 1:

   • Stakeholder analysis & inventory report

   • Concept Hub Site architecture

   • Access Model with roles & rights, including system guidelines

Phase 1 Recommendations:

• Clearly document which system is used for which type of content.

• Assign content owners per section and per linked system (e.g., HR Bob content owner).

• Use templates and consistent naming conventions.

Phase 2: Technical Implementation & Search Optimization (approx. 5–6 weeks)

1. Implementation

   • Set up the Hub Site structure technically in SharePoint Online.

   • Create department sites, libraries, pages, and navigation structure.

   • Add links to HR Bob, Confluence, and other relevant external systems.

2. Functional Implementation

   • Optimize search functionality using metadata and tags.

   • Apply templates for pages and documents consistently.

3. Deliverables Phase 2:

   • Operational SharePoint Intranet (Hub + department sites)

   • Optimized search functionality

   • Internal navigation & content structure with system integrations

Phase 2 Recommendations:

• Ensure links to HR Bob and Confluence remain dynamic and up-to-date.

• Check mobile accessibility and Teams integration.

• Document for end users when to use OneDrive, Teams, or SharePoint.

Phase 3: Automation & Documentation (approx. 3 weeks)

1. Automation Proof-of-Concept

   • Power Automate workflow for notifying content owners of review dates, including cross-system notifications (e.g., HR Bob content).

2. Life Cycle Plan

   • Guidelines for archiving, cleanup, and review processes per system (SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Confluence).

3. Handover Documentation

   • Technical setup and administration manual for department administrators and content owners.

   • Procedure: which system to use for each content type (personal, department, project, technical).

Deliverables Phase 3:

• PoC workflow

• Site Life Cycle Plan including system guidelines

• Technical documentation + admin manual

Optional Components (if extra time available)

1. Governance Framework

   • Policy for SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Confluence

   • Guest access, M365 Groups ownership, compliance guidelines

2. AI Proof-of-Concept

   • Local LLM for automatically answering internal security questionnaires based on Intranet documentation

5. Guidance, Profile, and Preconditions

Category

Details

Guidance

Technical & Coordination: Dirk van Gelderen (Manager CloudOps & Security)
HR: Mirjam Knegjes [HR Director]

Marketing (Assai housstyle): Tirtza Richarts [Marketing Manager]

Internship Period

3–4 months (start in consultation)

Desired Profile

HBO/WO ICT, Business IT & Management, or Information Science.
Affinity with Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Power Automate).
Interest in security, governance, and automation.

6. Expected Results

• Fully functional Hub Site Intranet

• Clear management and access model approved by management

• Automated workflows to reduce maintenance effort

• Procedure manual: which system to use for which type of content

• Integration with HR Bob, Confluence, and other relevant tools

• Documentation for technical handover and usage

• Adoption plan including training and communication to employees

7. General Recommendations

1. Stakeholder management: weekly stand-ups, early end-user involvement

2. Content & Structure: start with core information, standardized templates, content owners per section and system

3. Security & Access Control: Principle of Least Privilege, periodic audits, Data Security Policy as leading document

4. Search Functionality: metadata, filters, synonyms, and user training

5. Automation & Maintenance: workflows, Life Cycle Plan, usage monitoring

6. Innovation & Future Proofing: Teams integration, mobile-first, AI-ready documentation

7. Training & Adoption: manuals, short tutorials, pilot group, and communication plan

8. Project Management: iterative delivery, risk management, clear documentation and deliverables

Our Values

We foster ownership and a ‘can-do’ mentality, supporting both each other and our clients. Through close collaboration, we continuously seek improvements that enhance our effectiveness in our roles.

Internship project for HBO or MBO-level, ICT, technical Engineering or similar.