Drupal Development & Maintenance
Enterprise Drupal built for scale.
Comprehensive development solutions
iFactory is a Drupal development agency with deep roots in the Drupal community. Our team members are active module authors, contributors, conference presenters, and published authors. This is not a team that just uses Drupal. We actively shape it. That community investment translates directly into expertise: when a complex integration problem arises or a new Drupal release introduces architectural changes, our team has already been working on it upstream.
Drupal’s flexibility and power are a natural fit for the specific needs of higher education: complex content models spanning thousands of pages, multi-site architectures serving dozens of departments, deep integration requirements with Slate, Salesforce, Banner, and PeopleSoft, and the accessibility demands of institutions serving diverse student populations. iFactory’s Drupal work is always paired with strategic thinking. Information architecture is designed for the enrollment funnel, not just technical implementation.
iFactory folks have contributed to the Drupal community by providing support, writing blog posts, authoring books, attending and presenting at camps and conferences, and contributing and maintaining modules.
This team of talented, attentive individuals led us in the creation of a modern, clean, user-friendly website in a timely and efficient fashion... We felt like we were the only client throughout the process.
Process
Comprehensive development solutions
Drupal Architecture & Configuration
Content modeling. We design custom content types, field configurations, and taxonomy structures specifically for higher education. Academic programs, departments, faculty profiles, events, news, and audience segments each get structured content models that support both editorial workflows and front-end flexibility.
Multi-site and domain access. Large university systems with multiple campuses, colleges, or schools often need distinct web presences that share infrastructure. We configure Drupal’s multi-site and domain access capabilities to support these distributed architectures while maintaining centralized governance where it matters.
Page building. We implement Paragraphs, Layout Builder, Canvas, or custom block-based page building systems that give content editors flexibility within guardrails. Editors can build rich, varied pages without breaking brand standards or accessibility requirements.
Governance and permissions. Drupal’s granular role-based permission system is one of its greatest strengths for higher education. We configure permissions aligned to your institutional governance so the English department, the admissions office, and the president’s office each have exactly the content authority they need.
Drupal Module Development & Integration
Custom code and custom modules. When your institution needs functionality that doesn’t exist in contributed modules, we build it. Custom code and custom module development for institution-specific requirements is a core strength of our Drupal team.
CRM integration. We integrate Drupal with Slate, Salesforce, and HubSpot to ensure that inquiry forms, application starts, and event registrations flow seamlessly into your enrollment CRM. Data mapping, field synchronization, and error handling are built to production standards.
SIS integration. We connect Drupal to Student Information Systems including Banner, Colleague, PeopleSoft, and Workday for real-time program data, course catalog feeds, and student-facing portals.
API development. We build and consume RESTful, JSON:API, and GraphQL endpoints to connect your website with the rest of your institutional technology stack. Single sign-on (SSO) implementations using SAML, LDAP, and Shibboleth ensure authenticated users move between systems without friction.
Migration to Drupal
We migrate institutions to Drupal from legacy CMS platforms including and custom-built systems. Every migration includes content inventory and mapping, scripted content migration with validation, URL redirect strategy and SEO preservation, and post-migration testing and optimization. We have migrated millions of pages across platforms without losing search rankings. Considering a SaaS CMS instead?
Drupal Performance & Security
University websites face high-traffic periods during application deadlines, enrollment windows, and commencement. We implement caching strategies (Varnish, Redis, CDN integration), image optimization, lazy loading, and code splitting to deliver Core Web Vitals pass scores. Security hardening, update management, dependency monitoring, and incident response are standard in every Drupal engagement. Our development practices are backed by SOC2 Type II certification.
Accessibility-First Drupal Development
iFactory integrates WCAG 2.2 AA compliance into every phase of Drupal development, not as a post-launch audit. We build with semantic HTML, ARIA landmarks and roles, keyboard-navigable interfaces, and accessible component libraries.
Every Drupal component is tested against automated tools and manual evaluation by experienced accessibility testers using screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), voice control, and keyboard-only navigation. We test throughout development, not just before launch.
Our accessible design system components are validated before they’re used in any layout, so accessibility scales across your entire site as new pages and templates are added.
Drupal Management & Maintenance
Roles, permissions, and workflows. We configure Drupal’s permission system and editorial workflows to match your institutional governance, so the right people have the right content authority at every level.
Configuration as code. We manage Drupal configuration in version control so updates and environment changes deploy consistently across development, staging, and production. No manual changes on live servers.
Documentation and enhancements. We provide site-specific technical documentation for your team so new members onboard quickly and existing staff have a reliable reference. Through ongoing maintenance retainers, we deliver new features, component updates, and performance improvements in regular cycles.
See how the development team works alongside our other disciplines to bring your vision to life.
Hadley
Bringing custom web development to life
Crafting an unprecedented digital experience for accessibility
Dissatisfied with existing accessibility standards, Hadley aimed to pioneer a new level of user interface design that prioritized delight alongside utility. We integrated cutting-edge technologies within Drupal and Salesforce, culminating in a revolutionary website poised to redefine web accessibility standards.
100k
Members as of March, 2024
40k
New students enrolled in fiscal year 2023
Connect with our team
Want to learn more about our website development services or discuss how we can support your institution?
Frequently asked questions
Drupal offers the flexibility, scalability, and governance capabilities that large, complex university websites require. Its granular permissions system supports distributed editorial teams across departments and colleges. Its content modeling handles the structured data needs of academic programs, faculty directories, and events. Its open-source community ensures continuous innovation and security. And its API-first architecture supports integrations with the enrollment technology stack.
iFactory team members are active Drupal module authors and maintainers, conference presenters, published authors on Drupal development, and contributors to Drupal and contributed projects. This community involvement means our team is often working on platform improvements before they’re released, giving our clients early access to best practices and architectural patterns.
Yes. iFactory has built production integrations with Slate (iFactory is a Slate Silver Partner), Salesforce, HubSpot, Banner, Colleague, PeopleSoft, Workday, Canvas, Blackboard, and numerous custom institutional APIs. We also implement SSO using SAML, LDAP, and Shibboleth. Our integration approach prioritizes data accuracy, security, and graceful failure handling.
Drupal core has strong accessibility foundations, and iFactory goes well beyond the defaults. We build to WCAG 2.2 AA standards with comprehensive testing using screen readers, keyboard navigation, and voice control. Our SOC2 Type II certification provides additional assurance that our development practices meet enterprise security and compliance standards. We also provide ongoing accessibility monitoring after launch.
Drupal offers maximum architectural flexibility, no per-seat licensing costs, and full ownership of your codebase and data. It requires more technical support for hosting, updates, and security than a SaaS platform. SaaS CMS platforms like Modern Campus, Cascade CMS, TERMINALFOUR, and Squiz reduce IT burden with vendor-managed infrastructure but offer less customization and carry ongoing licensing fees. The right choice depends on your institution’s IT capacity, governance needs, and long-term goals. iFactory can help you evaluate both paths. Learn more about SaaS CMS options.
Want to Know More?
Contact us to learn how we can be a great partner and start building your custom website optimization plan.
617-426-0609
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Address
iFactory a division of RDW Group
225 Dyer St, Providence, RI 02903