Accelerating digital transformation in the mining industry with Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online, and Power Platform solutions.
Introduction: A Legacy of Complexity, A Vision for Tomorrow
A leading global mining and metals processing group embarked on a comprehensive digital workplace transformation, aiming to improve metadata governance, reduce duplication, and implement intelligent automation across the enterprise. With operations spanning Southern Africa, the United States, and Europe, the organization recognized the need for scalable Microsoft solutions that could drive efficiency and compliance across its diverse operational landscape.
The group, with operations spanning Southern Africa, the United States, and Europe, recognized the need for a significant digital transformation. The organization operates in a complex regulatory environment where compliance, transparency, and efficiency are critical. Its workforce of over 80,000 employees was dependent on legacy systems that no longer supported the demands of a modern enterprise. Information was trapped in outdated SharePoint environments, Excel-based workflows, and disconnected processes, creating friction, inefficiencies, and elevated operational risk.
To unlock its next phase of digital maturity, the mining group partnered with Mint Group to reimagine its content management, standardize processes, and introduce scalable low-code solutions through the Microsoft Power Platform.
The Challenge: A Complex Digital Landscape in Need of Reinvention
The client’s information ecosystem had grown into a tangled web of over 400 SharePoint sites, many of which were inactive or duplicative. Deep folder hierarchies led to truncated URLs and broken Microsoft Office integrations. Permissions were fragmented, metadata was inconsistent, and search functionality was practically unusable. Governance was difficult to enforce, and auditability was low.
Beyond SharePoint, key operational processes, like audit tracking, internal gifting, and capital expenditure management, were handled manually in Excel or email. These processes were slow, error-prone, and lacked transparency. Stakeholders across departments expressed frustration with the lack of visibility and control.
Why the Client Chose Mint Group
The client sought a partner that could do more than implement software, they needed a strategic collaborator who could help reimagine their digital future. Mint Group distinguished itself through a combination of deep Microsoft expertise, an empathetic approach to stakeholder engagement, and a strong track record of delivering scalable solutions in complex, regulated environments. As a recognized Microsoft Inner Circle partner, Mint brought not only technical excellence but also early access to Microsoft innovations and a consultative mindset.
From the earliest engagements, Mint demonstrated an ability to understand the organization’s operational realities and offer grounded, strategic guidance. The client valued Mint’s ability to unify SharePoint governance, digitize manual processes, and support enterprise-wide change without overwhelming the user base. Ultimately, Mint was chosen for its ability to deliver business outcomes, not just technology.
The Solution: A Platform of Purpose
Mint Group delivered a multi-phased digital transformation strategy powered by Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online, and Power Platform. The engagement began with a complete SharePoint content audit and the application of Mint’s proprietary metadata-driven Content Framework. This allowed documents to be tagged, categorized, and governed consistently across departments.
Following this foundation, Mint deployed several targeted Power Platform solutions to address high-impact operational needs. These included a custom Asset Management Audit Tool to replace Excel-based auditing, a Corporate Gifts Application to streamline employee gifting workflows, included an Executive Coaching Application and a multilingual Capital Expenditure Request solution tailored for European operations amongst others. Each application was designed with user experience, automation, and scalability in mind.
Implementation Journey
The transformation began with stakeholder workshops, content mapping, and technical analysis to identify governance risks and inefficiencies. Mint then designed and deployed a new SharePoint architecture with streamlined site collections, overhauled permissions, and centrally managed metadata.
In parallel, low-code applications were rolled out through agile development sprints. The AM Audit Tool enabled administrators to assign templates and auditors to conduct and finalize audits digitally, with real-time reporting via Power BI. The Corporate Gifts App introduced a catalogue-like interface for browsing and submitting gift requests. A multilingual investment approval workflow was developed to serve the client’s European operations, providing a localized and structured approach to managing new and amended capital expenditure requests. The Executive Coaching tool allowed Executives at Sibanye to track and manage their training/coaching sessions with external parties throughout their time at Sibanye. This tool also allowed administrators to book or re-schedule sessions between the coaches and executives whilst enjoying the ability of having an overview of all sessions for all executives and all coaches. No meeting goes unnoticed! No coach/coachee gets left behind.
Throughout the implementation, Mint led enablement sessions, provided reference guides, and supported testing and feedback cycles to ensure adoption and effectiveness.
The Results: Unified Clarity, Measurable Gains
The results were substantial. More than 800,000 documents were cleaned, structured, and centralized using Mint’s metadata framework. Duplicate content was reduced significantly, freeing up over 138GB of storage. SharePoint search functionality improved dramatically, with users now able to locate documents in seconds instead of hours.
The client saw a 40% reduction in time spent locating information and a noticeable improvement in compliance alignment. Three fully functional Power Platform solutions were delivered within six months. Departments reported improved process transparency, greater confidence in data integrity, and reduced reliance on email and Excel.
Client Perspective
One project lead remarked that the transformation not only improved operational efficiency but also introduced a sense of digital pride within teams. A senior stakeholder noted that tasks that once took hours were now being completed in minutes, calling it “a new standard of excellence.” Others commended the new systems for being intuitive and reliable, making adoption seamless across both technical and non-technical users.
Looking Ahead: Scaling Digital Maturity
With the foundational architecture now in place, the mining group is preparing to expand its use of Microsoft Power BI for procurement insights and policy workflow automation through Power Automate. Additional Power Apps are being scoped for ESG tracking, HR case management, and financial reporting.
The partnership with Mint Group continues, with a shared focus on embedding intelligent automation, scalability, and user empowerment across the enterprise. As the client continues its digital journey, it does so with a platform, and a partner, designed to support its evolving needs.
This is not just a story of transformation. It is a story of creating tomorrow, one solution at a time.
