Government, WebApp

BioPortal

BioPortal is a centralized laboratory testing and results platform built for the Puerto Rico Department of Health, initially designed to support Chikungunya case tracking, and later adapted as the backbone of the island’s COVID-19 testing response.

Government, Intranet/SharePoint

Digital Workspace

We built a responsive and dynamic digital workplace in the SharePoint environment. By developing modules that automate processes such as help requests, labor billing, and property inventory, the Department of Health improved the effectiveness of its different teams. ​

Project info

  • Service: Custom Software/WebApp

  • Industry: Government
  • Location: San Juan, PR

Summary

BioPortal is a centralized laboratory testing and results management platform for the Puerto Rico Department of Health, originally to support Chikungunya case tracking, and later adapted as the backbone of the island’s COVID-19 testing response. The platform gave medical facilities, labs, and agency staff a secure, standardized way to submit orders, report results, and access critical health data in real time, becoming a lasting infrastructure that the Department continues to rely on today.

The Story

When the Puerto Rico Department of Health first needed a way to track and monitor Chikungunya cases, there was no dedicated system in place to manage the flow of laboratory testing across the island. INVID built BioPortal to fill that gap. What started as a tool for a single mosquito-borne disease outbreak quickly proved its value beyond that original scope — when COVID-19 hit, the Department turned to the same platform and asked INVID to adapt it into the backbone of the island’s pandemic testing response, used by hospitals, clinics, and laboratories across Puerto Rico.

The Problem

Before BioPortal, the Department of Health had no centralized system for managing laboratory tests and results. Medical facilities and clinical labs had no standardized digital channel to submit orders or report results, which slowed down access to critical health information at exactly the moments it mattered most,  during active disease outbreaks. The underlying system also wasn’t built to scale: its data model didn’t clearly separate core functions such as patient records, provider information, and order management.

The Results

The modernization effort turned BioPortal into a resilient, lasting infrastructure rather than a single-purpose tool built for one moment in time, and its impact showed up most clearly in how smoothly the platform carried the Department of Health through two very different public health emergencies, years apart, without ever needing to be torn down and rebuilt.

  • Authorized personnel gained secure, centralized access to critical health information, in full compliance with applicable security, privacy, and health data handling standards, replacing what had previously been a fragmented, manual process for tracking tests and results.
  • The platform successfully supported two distinct public health emergencies, Chikungunya and COVID-19, using the same underlying system, proving that the architecture could flex to meet a very different disease, a very different scale of usage, and a very different sense of urgency, without a ground-up rebuild.
  • Medical facilities and clinical labs gained a standardized digital channel to submit orders and report results, reducing the friction and inconsistency that came from ad hoc, non-digital reporting during active outbreaks.
  • A more organized, scalable data foundation, with clearly separated functional domains for patients, providers, orders, and administration, left the Department of Health with a platform that could keep growing in a controlled way, rather than accumulating technical debt with every new demand placed on it.

In the end, BioPortal became more than a response tool built for a single crisis; the Department of Health could rely on it well beyond the emergency that first brought it into existence, ready to support whatever public health challenge comes next.

The Story

The Department of Health is an essential government agency overseeing critical public health functions across the region. With hundreds of employees and numerous internal processes, the department needed a modern and efficient way to manage information, enhance communication, and optimize workflows. As operations expanded, so did the complexity of managing documents, assigning resources, and maintaining visibility over employee tasks and office equipment. It was time for a digital transformation.

The Problem

The department faced several operational challenges rooted in outdated systems and scattered communications. Employees relied heavily on email to share documents and updates, creating silos of information and slowing down response times. The lack of a centralized platform for collaboration led to inefficiencies, duplicated efforts, and frequent misunderstandings among teams. Moreover, key areas such as equipment inventory, room scheduling, and time tracking lacked structure, making monitoring resources and improving accountability difficult.

The Results

To address these issues, our team implemented a modern intranet using the latest version of SharePoint, explicitly tailored to meet the Department of Health’s needs. We held weekly progress meetings using the SCRUM methodology to ensure continuous feedback and alignment with departmental goals. The result was a fully customized digital workspace that centralized operations and significantly improved productivity.

We developed and integrated several key modules within the SharePoint environment:

  • Printers Monitoring: Provided real-time visibility into print usage across departments, enabling the agency to reduce costs by identifying unnecessary printing and optimizing device usage.
  • Labor Billings: Enabled employees to record work hours daily, automatically generate billing documentation, and track task completion by day or week—streamlining payroll and accountability.
  • Property Inventory: Simplified the tracking and management of office equipment, including assignment and return processes, ensuring every asset was accounted for.
  • Room Reservation: Allowed personnel to easily book conference rooms, promoting efficient scheduling and preventing overlaps.
  • Ticket Center: Provided a streamlined way for employees to report IT issues, with automatic assignment to the appropriate department, significantly reducing resolution times.
  • Modern Intranet Design: Delivered a user-friendly, visually appealing portal that fostered collaboration while maintaining secure access to centralized content.

The Department of Health now operates with greater clarity and coordination. With centralized tools, employees can collaborate more effectively, reducing internal emails and eliminating redundant processes. Equipment can be tracked at a glance, and data-driven decision-making is possible thanks to improved visibility. The agency also moved closer to a paperless office, reinforcing sustainability goals. Ultimately, this SharePoint transformation has paved the way for a more agile, efficient, and connected government agency.

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Laboratory test results
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Labs participation
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Fewer internal emails
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Faster IT response

Testimonials

What our clients say about us

The company was very happy with the results. The amount of customers that engaged with our site and the amount of payments that we received through this app increased exponentially.

Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority

As a service provider, the company is committed to listening, delivering effective solutions, and executing in a timely manner. The product is functional and meets the needs of 26,000 teachers.

Department of Education of Puerto Rico