A platform that enables managing over 60 educational local government institutions from a single panel
Project type
Platform enabling the management of multiple websites
Industry
Education/Local government
Technologies
Drupal
Tailwind CSS
TypescriptScope of work
Pre-implementation analysis, graphic design, web development, post-implementation support
Key Project Elements
- Reducing overall website maintenance and update costs
- Streamlining workflows for editors and administrators by creating a unified platform
- Migrating websites for over 60 schools and institutions onto a single platform
- Ensuring consistent WCAG compliance and functionality while preserving each site's autonomy
About the Client
MBFO (Miejskie Biuro Finansów Oświaty) is a budgetary unit that supports educational institutions. It delivers centralized financial, accounting, and administrative services for schools, preschools, and psychological and pedagogical counseling centers.
Ewelina Rudzka
Director / MBFO
I am pleased to recommend Smartbees as an extremely competent and professional partner in the design and implementation of CMS systems.
The team demonstrated the highest level of professionalism at every stage of every project. The communication was smooth, and all actions were taken quickly and effectively. Training was also a valuable element of our collaboration. The Smartbees team conducted it excellently, explaining even the most complex issues in a simple, understandable manner. This demonstrates their vast knowledge and teaching skills.
We truly enjoyed working with Smartbees and recommend them as a partner for creating advanced Drupal-based websites.
The Challenge
Prior to the collaboration, the client managed over 60 websites for schools and educational institutions that lacked technological consistency. This made it difficult to administer the sites and ensure uniform features and accessibility standards. Consequently, development and maintenance costs were high, and feature deployment was slow, as updates had to be applied individually to each site.
The Goal
The objective was clear: to create a unified platform for managing all websites, while preserving their identity. The solution needed to balance two distinct requirements:
- Autonomy – allowing each school and institution to independently manage its own content.
- Centralization – enabling the development and maintenance of the entire network from a single location.
This approach aimed to optimize costs and streamline MBFO’s services. Crucially, it enabled the centralized management of the entire ecosystem. This meant that updates, fixes, or new features deployed to the core platform were immediately available to all connected sites.
The Solution
We chose Drupal 11 with the Domain Access module to create the system. It allows for managing multiple websites from a single installation. It enables:
- easy colour and structure adjustment,
- preserving the same accessibility standards on all websites,
- simple website updates,
- centralized management of key functions.
We also leveraged two solutions: TailwindCSS and TypeScript. The first ensured visual unity, while the second simplified the management of JavaScript scripts.
Solution Details
Integration with SSO Microsoft Entra ID
The platform features an integration with Microsoft Entra ID and the eduwarszawa.pl API. This automates role assignment and enables Single Sign-On (SSO), allowing administrators to access their specific sites and permissions with a single domain account.
The Option to Add New Institutions
By combining the Domain Access module with custom development, we created a system that supports the immediate creation of new websites. This scalable architecture grows seamlessly alongside MBFO’s expanding portfolio of educational units.
One Administration Panel with Multi-level Permission Structure
Thanks to the multidomain solution, all websites share a single administration panel that automatically adjusts the view to the logged-in person’s permissions. This architecture simplifies the platform’s management, reduces technical support costs, and facilitates update implementation.
It also introduces a precise, multi-level permission structure. Local editors can manage content exclusively on their institution’s website, while site administrators (e.g. directors) control basic settings such as logos and favicons. Global administrators (MBFO employees) have a centralized dashboard for managing all sites within the platform. This significantly increases operational efficiency, as key tasks are handled centrally and local changes can be made autonomously.
The Effects
The client received a platform that allows for managing all their websites from one place
Leveraging the Domain Access module, we standardized the structure and visual identity across all sites while preserving their individual autonomy.
Streamlined workflows thanks to a central administration panel.
Reduced operational costs related to maintaining, updating, and developing websites.
The same accessibility standards for every website.
The option to quickly add additional pages to the platform.
Easier updates and introduction of new features.
Migration of 62 websites managed by MBFO to a single platform and hosting.
The option to expand the functionality of all websites with the modular CMS Drupal 11.
Statistics
62
25
~ 8400
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