Katoni Engineering
Empowering Katoni with Context-First Engineering Document Management Through M-Files
Highlights
- Centralized, compliant document management: Metadata-driven structure, automated version control and complete traceability strengthen quality assurance and audit readiness.
- Streamlined multidisciplinary workflows: Proposal creation, engineering reviews and approvals follow consistent and well-governed processes across all engineering disciplines.
- Significant efficiency gains: Engineers quickly find the correct version of documents and avoid inconsistencies or misplaced content.
- A scalable and future-ready platform: M-Files supports Katoni's growth and provides a strong foundation for new AI capabilities and system integrations.
Use Case
Compliance Management
Process Management
Project Management
Version Management
Industry
Engineering
Country
United Kingdom
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Company Introduction
Katoni is an award-winning engineering consultancy and trusted partner to energy operators across the asset lifecycle. Headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, the company provides multidisciplinary engineering, design and project support services to the oil and gas sector while also expanding into low carbon and renewable energy projects. Since its founding in 2010, Katoni has grown from a single person operation into a team of more than 120 full-time employees, delivering high quality brownfield engineering and technical expertise to clients in the North Sea and beyond.
With eight engineering disciplines in house, including process, piping, structural, electrical, controls & instrumentation and safety, Katoni delivers complex projects that rely on accurate, timely and fully traceable engineering documentation. As document volumes increased and projects became more multidisciplinary, it became clear that a traditional folder based system was no longer suitable. Katoni needed a modern, context-first approach to document management where information could be found and understood based on what it is rather than where it is stored. This would enable stronger traceability, more reliable workflows and better collaboration across teams.
Key Challenges Before M-Files
Scaling Operations Exposed Process Limitations
Before transitioning to M-Files, Katoni used shared network drives combined with a structured folder system and manual naming conventions.
This method worked when the company was smaller, but as document volumes increased, maintaining order became difficult.Engineers sometimes struggled to locate the correct version of a document and relied on manual checks to confirm whether they were working on the most current version.
Kevin MacGillivray, IT Manager at Katoni, recalls this period clearly:
"It became incredibly quick for people to lose the depth in the file system. Things got complicated and even simple tasks like opening the correct file became difficult."
Unreliable Tracking of Reviews and Approvals
The folder-based approach also made traceability challenging. Katoni needed to demonstrate who created, reviewed and approved engineering documents, especially when working with contractors and multidisciplinary teams. Without automated history or versioning, audits and investigations often required additional effort. "The inability to find information and to see where we were was difficult. There was no real hard link between a document and the project it belonged to", Kevin explained.
Difficulty Coordinating Multidisciplinary Projects
With so many of Katoni’s projects involving multiple engineering disciplines, strong coordination and document control are essential. Under the old system, relationships between documents, deliverables and project phases were based largely on manual structure. As the company grew, this approach limited efficiency and introduced unnecessary risks.
The M-Files Solution
Evaluating Options and Choosing the Right Fit
When Katoni began searching for a more robust document management solution, the company evaluated several alternatives. M-Files stood out as the option that could support Katoni’s way of working from the start and evolve as the company grew. Its flexibility and ability to mirror Katoni’s processes made the decision clear. As Kevin puts it, "M-Files could adapt to what we needed to do rather than the other way around."
A System That Supports Engineering Processes
M-Files uses a context-first approach to organize documents, meaning information is classified and found based on metadata rather than folders. Combined with customizable workflows and an intuitive user interface, this supports the way Katoni engineers work and ensures that information remains consistent and easy to access across the organization.
Structured Project and Document Lifecycles
With M-Files, every engineering project is set up with phases, work breakdown structures and predefined document placeholders. Engineers simply drop their file onto the correct object, and M-Files assigns the appropriate metadata automatically. This ensures accurate naming, consistent document numbering and proper organization. Documents then move through structured approval workflows that reflect engineering requirements. Once approved, the document is published and issued to the customer, and engineers can proceed with new revisions as needed.
"I gained the insight and understood the potential value of M-Files Aino straight away. Even after 15 minutes of testing, I could see what Aino was capable of."
Kevin MacGillivray, IT Manager, Katoni Engineering
"One of the things I really like about M-Files is the people. The implementation team and the service team know the product well. When we go to do the technical stuff, it works nicely."
Kevin MacGillivray, IT Manager, Katoni Engineering
Enhanced Transparency and Team Collaboration
M-Files provides complete version history and a full audit trail for every action. This has strengthened governance and improved confidence during audits. Kevin emphasizes the value of this transparency: "The tracking and traceability in M-Files is just brilliant. There is no argument about it." Teams working on proposals and engineering deliverables can now collaborate more effectively, supported by consistent processes and clearly defined document ownership.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central Integration and Early AI Exploration
Katoni's environment integrates with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central through a connector that synchronizes key objects. The company is also exploring M-Files' AI capabilities. Early testing of M-Files Aino with property value suggestions and document summaries has been promising. Kevin notes, "I gained the insight and understood the potential value straight away. Even after 15 minutes of testing, I could see what M-Files Aino was capable of."
The Results
Enhanced Productivity and Accuracy
Engineers now find information quickly and reliably without having to navigate complex folder structures. By eliminating the risk of misplaced documents and inconsistent naming, M-Files helps improve productivity and reduce costly rework. "We have probably avoided many of the problems we used to have. Even small-time savings across engineers add up to a lot", Kevin remarks.
Reliable Engineering Governance and Compliance
Automated version control, audit history and workflow responsibilities make compliance easier to demonstrate. Katoni can now clearly show who approved what and when. The structured approach also ensures that the same person does not perform every step in the workflow, which was necessary when the team was smaller.
Exceptional Support and Long-Term Partnership with M-Files Managed Services
Katoni also values the strong relationship built with M-Files Managed Services. The company works closely with M-Files experts who understand their environment and engineering workflows. Kevin shares, "Our Managed Services consultant has been great. He sets up environments, helps with development work and is always there when we need him."
Kevin also highlights the quality and continuity of the broader M-Files team: "One of the things I really like about M-Files is the people. The implementation team and the service team know the product well. When we go to do the technical stuff, it works nicely."
This ongoing support gives Katoni confidence as both their business and the M-Files platform continue to evolve.
A Scalable Solution That Grows with the Business
As Katoni has expanded, M-Files has supported increasing project volumes and multidisciplinary work without requiring major administrative resources. M-Files has earned positive attention from clients as well. Kevin shares, "We have had customers come in, see how we manage documents and say they would prefer to use our system instead of their own."
A Strong Base for Continued Innovation
M-Files is now a central platform for exploring new possibilities through AI and automation. The structured, metadata-rich solution enables future improvements in search, analysis and reporting. Kevin views this as an important direction: "I think the way the world is going is toward plain word searching across the system. M-Files is moving in that direction and that is exciting for us."
Also the CEO of Katoni, James Bream highlights: "We're pleased we chose to work with the team at M-Files. The support, development and direction of the solution all confirm we made a good decision. We're now testing the capabilities and uses of the tool and continue to be surprised at its flexibility and applications. I look forward to seeing what the future holds!"
"We're pleased we chose to work with the team at M-Files. The support, development and direction of the solution all confirm we made a good decision. We're now testing the capabilities and uses of the tool and continue to be surprised at its flexibility and applications. I look forward to seeing what the future holds!"
James Bream, Chief Executive Officer, Katoni Engineering
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