How Cardno standardised quality assurance and project information across a growing network of offices
For Cardno (now acquired by Stantec), the first step with 12d Synergy was solving the fundamentals: quality assurance, version control, standardisation and better worksharing across a large, multi-office business. Over time, that implementation became the foundation for a broader digital transformation, with Cardno later configuring 12d Synergy to support ISO 19650-aligned information management and a more mature common data environment. What began as a QA-driven rollout ultimately became a longer-term shift toward more consistent, auditable and scalable project information management.
At the time of the original implementation, Cardno was a global infrastructure, environmental and social development company with 8,000+ employees across 85 countries, providing more than 280 services and generating approximately $1.2 billion in revenue. The business later became part of Stantec following Stantec’s 2021 acquisition of select Cardno businesses.
Multidisciplinary consultancy
Infrastructure and environmental consulting
Make project information easier to manage with 12d Synergy.
From documents and drawings to emails, models and workflows, 12d Synergy brings everything together in one secure system so your team can work more efficiently from day one.
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The Challenge
The scale of Cardno’s operations created real pressure on quality control, coordination across offices and the management of project information under strict delivery deadlines. As Dion Mead, Former Survey Manager at Cardno NZ, put it, the business needed to improve key processes and systems that lacked the robust quality assurance and data management controls required for a company of its size.
Cardno needed a dependable QA solution with full version control, structured templates, strong searchability and the flexibility of remote access. Just as importantly, the business needed consistency. If teams across projects and offices were not working to the same structures and standards, quality assurance would always be harder to enforce.
The Solutions
Cardno began by testing 12d Synergy on selected projects and refining the key building blocks of the system before wider rollout. Folder structures from a number of Australian offices were used as a guide and then moulded through the testing process to support a more connected and standardised network of offices.
Attributes were another major focus. Cardno took a system-wide approach to attributing projects, folders and files with details such as job number, client, location and office, recognising that structured input data would be critical for search, reporting and QA management. Templates were also set up to enforce consistent project structures, naming conventions, tasks, roles and email processes across different job types.
That strong initial setup later enabled a second phase of maturity. Cardno went on to configure the platform to support ISO 19650 principles, using job templates, folder structures, naming conventions, file attributes, roles and permissions, Web File Drop, Issuing & Transmittals, and version control to support a more formalised information management workflow. By 2021, 12d Synergy was already being used by 400+ users across Cardno, and the focus had shifted from fixing the basics to building a more mature common data environment.
The Result
- Standardised folder structures across multiple offices using a shared framework.
- Applied system-wide attributes such as job number, client, location and office to improve search, reporting and QA management.
- Created standardised project and email templates to improve consistency across jobs.
- Strengthened QA through mandatory reports, stored QA forms, standard templates and a complete audit trail.
- Improved email management with automatic filing, mandatory descriptions and stored attachments.
- Enabled rollback and full change history through check-in/check-out version control.
- Supported global collaboration for a workforce where over 60% of staff were based outside Australia.
“In my opinion, 12d Synergy is synonymous with a CDE or a common data environment.”
A QA rollout became the start of a longer transformation
Cardno’s approach to folder structures, attributes and templates meant that staff could step into a project, understand what stage it was at and find what they needed without relying on ad hoc local systems.
For a global consultancy, that consistency made quality assurance far more scalable. It also laid the groundwork for the later ISO 19650 configuration, where the same thinking was extended into WIP, Shared, Published and Archived states, naming conventions, permissions and formal transmittal controls.
Attributes, templates and version control improved control from the ground up
Cardno’s original implementation philosophy was essentially “rubbish in = rubbish out,” recognising that poor input data would undermine the value of the system. By making projects, folders and files more structured and attributable, the business made search, reporting and QA more dependable.
Templates reinforced that discipline. Project templates, task structures, naming rules and email templates reduced repetitive setup and helped embed consistent practice. Version control then added the safety net: complete histories of changes, easier rollback and a clearer single source of truth across active work.
From document control to ISO 19650-aligned information management
By 2021, Cardno was no longer just using 12d Synergy for document and QA management. It was actively configuring the platform to support ISO 19650 information management principles, using roles, permissions, naming rules, file attributes, Web File Drop, Issuing & Transmittals and structured folder states to manage information more formally across the lifecycle.
It shows how an organisation can start with practical QA and version control needs, then build toward a much more mature and strategic information management approach.
At the time of the original implementation, Cardno was a global infrastructure, environmental and social development company with 8,000+ employees across 85 countries, providing more than 280 services and generating approximately $1.2 billion in revenue. The business later became part of Stantec following Stantec’s 2021 acquisition of select Cardno businesses.
Multidisciplinary consultancy
Infrastructure and environmental consulting
Make project information easier to manage with 12d Synergy.
From documents and drawings to emails, models and workflows, 12d Synergy brings everything together in one secure system so your team can work more efficiently from day one.
Book a DemoPositioned as a foundational transformation story
What makes Cardno’s journey compelling is that it shows how information management maturity is built from the ground up. Quality assurance, folder structures, attributes, templates and version control can sound operational, but together they create the conditions for better collaboration, lower risk and more scalable digital delivery. By putting those fundamentals in place early, Cardno was able to move beyond document control and toward a far more mature and structured model of information management.