DEECA’s SWAM team plays a critical role in producing hydrological insights that inform state-wide environmental decisions. Their work depends on running complex models, interpreting raw data, and delivering timely, credible results to internal and external stakeholders.
But as the volume and complexity of modelling increased, so did the strain on the systems used to store, manage, and share those results. Critical information was scattered across shared drives, bespoke tools, and inconsistent documentation, making it harder to trace metadata, compare historic model runs, and collaborate across teams.
At the same time, the department’s broader documentation workflows were hampered by legacy tools like Microsoft Word, limiting discoverability, version control, and accessibility, especially when working with contractors or multi-disciplinary teams. A trial of Azure Wiki surfaced further usability issues, prompting a deeper look at what scalable and interoperable systems could look like.
That’s where Portable came in.
The challenge
The SWAM team faced two distinct but interconnected challenges: managing the results of hydrological model runs, and improving the way documentation was created, stored, and shared.
For results management, the team needed a system that could reliably store, catalogue, search, and retrieve large and varied files. Results were being saved in multiple locations, including Model Datastore, SharePoint, and shared drives, without consistent naming conventions or metadata, making comparison and traceability difficult. Sharing outputs with other modellers and stakeholders was time-consuming and manual, creating delays and risking version errors. The goal was to move toward a more accessible, transparent, and scalable approach that supported collaboration, repeatability, and governance.
For document management, the SWAM team were seeking a solution that would:
- Improve version control and change tracking
- Support concurrent editing by internal staff and external contractors
- Offer accessible, flexible authoring with a visual editor
- Enhance discoverability through search and tagging
- Integrate with existing Microsoft systems while meeting compliance and data residency standards.
Security, interoperability, and maintainability were all front of mind. Portable was engaged to help the team unpack these requirements, explore viable solutions, and chart a course that balanced ambition with practicality.
Our approach
We began by focusing on the fundamentals: understanding how the SWAM team at DEECA worked, what they needed to deliver, and where friction existed in their current workflows.
From day one, our approach was grounded in clarity, adaptability, and partnership, not in jumping to a solution, but in unpacking the real-world conditions the solution had to live in.
Phase 1: Immersion and mapping the current state
The first phase was entirely about listening. We worked closely with the SWAM team to document their existing workflows for Results Management and Document Management. This involved mapping their tools, practices, file types, and access pathways, across both internal systems like SharePoint and shared drives, and informal methods of sharing information with contractors and external stakeholders.
We produced a current-state document that became a shared reference point. It helped align the stakeholders and created a common language for understanding the challenges. It also surfaced the important necessity of not just where documents or results were stored, but how easily people could find, use, and trust the information they needed.
Phase 2: Defining requirements and reframing constraints
Once we had a shared picture of the current state, we shifted to defining what good could look like. Rather than pitching one solution, we curated a set of potential pathways spanning reuse of existing tools, adoption of off-the-shelf platforms, and opportunities to build custom solutions. Each option was framed against the team’s core criteria: version control, accessibility, interoperability with Microsoft products, and the ability to meet compliance and data governance requirements.
This stage also surfaced a crucial pivot. While early assumptions favoured building something entirely new, our deeper research showed that some existing tools (particularly SharePoint when configured properly) could be repurposed more effectively than expected. That insight helped the team weigh the cost, complexity, and long-term maintainability of each option and demonstrated how technology decisions could be shaped by design logic, not just technical specs.
Co-evaluating options and supporting decision-making
Rather than delivering a fixed recommendation, we worked alongside the SWAM team to test assumptions, compare trade-offs, and refine each option based on internal feedback. This iterative approach allowed for real-time course corrections, for instance, reevaluating requirements around stakeholder access when a broader external user base was introduced.
What mattered most in this phase was giving the team decision-making confidence. Each option was contextualised with pros and cons, implementation effort, and long-term considerations helping internal stakeholders align around a clear direction without surprises down the track.
A flexible, values-led process
Throughout the project, our team balanced technical rigour with adaptive design thinking. We treated documentation not as a one-off deliverable, but as a living asset that evolved alongside the project. We kept options open without being indecisive. And when the path shifted for example, when constraints around system integration became more defined we shifted with it, keeping the focus on sustainable, scalable outcomes for the department and its partners.
This approach reflects Portable’s broader philosophy, that the best solutions don’t come from technology alone. They come from systems thinking, collaborative design, and a clear line of sight to what success looks like in practice, not just on paper.
The impact
The project successfully brought clarity and alignment to a complex set of challenges across Results Management and Document Management.
By focusing on practical experimentation, informed decision-making, and internal collaboration, we equipped DEECA’s SWAM team with the tools and confidence to move forward strategically.
Key outcomes included:
- Informed decision pathways
We identified and presented multiple solution options, including reusing existing systems, adopting off-the-shelf tools, or building new platforms, each with clear pros, cons, and alignment to DEECA’s needs. - Product trials grounded in real requirements
Trial implementations of shortlisted platforms allowed the team to evaluate technical fit, usability, and compliance turning assumptions into validated insights. - Cross-team collaboration and alignment
Our process brought together internal teams and external contractors, creating shared understanding and a coordinated path forward that aligned with the department’s internal digital strategy. - Clear guidance for executive decision-makers
We delivered an Architecture Review Board-ready document that served as a practical decision-making asset for senior leadership structured around enterprise architecture, governance, and operational risk considerations. - Foundation for future implementation
The work established a shared understanding of the problem space, a roadmap of viable solutions, and a common language to support future planning, procurement, or development.
Reflections
From our partner
"Portable demonstrated exceptional flexibility throughout the project, quickly adapting to evolving requirements and ensuring the architecture met DEECA’s needs. Their proactive approach and clear communication made collaboration seamless and highly effective."
Michael Finger, Senior Water Resource Analyst, DEECA
From a Portable team member
“Working with DEECA was a truly collaborative experience. Their willingness to explore new solutions and adapt to insights made the project dynamic and rewarding, leading to impactful outcomes for water management in Victoria."
Faiq Gazdhar, Tech Lead, Portable
Project team
- Joel Langford, Senior Producer
- Faiq Gazdhar, Tech Lead
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