WHY CONTROLSITE?

Presentation by : Anne HarlandDate : 12th JuneTime : 1.20pm

Background

Website had been ‘designed’ in-house in HTML by IT staff in their spare timeBottleneck of content within ITUsers not interested in owning their informationLittle or no corporate vision for websiteNo content just disparate ‘bits’ of information

Resources

Torridge’s web/technical team Only one member of staff working on the site4 other technical staff with limited involvement in the website development.Some IT training delivered in-house by IT sectionLimited budget for website development & content management

The Bigger Picture

Involvement with eGovernment initiatives and IEG statements

In common with many other authorities, IT are driving eGovernment agenda in the absence of a corporate visionWebsite and intranet development/improvements are seen as the first stage in our eGovernment developments

Symptoms

Why was content management initially considered?

We needed to improve the way in which information was put onto our website.We wanted to move to a database driven siteWe needed a system that is easy to use and non-technical but which gave users control.We wanted to get users enthused about

putting their information onto the site.

Issues

Issues faced by Torridge with processing information

Limited IT resourcesLimited resources for developmentUrgent need for actionCorporate and member demand for professional website at an affordable price.Successful website and intranet were key to

our IEG action plans.

Research

Basis for assessing content management solutions

We looked at those systems we knew about, we did not have time to go through full tendering exercise.

How was the research approached?We needed to act quickly, we had a demo from each system, looked at the best features and from that, drew up a brief specification of what we wanted.

The Solution

Why CONTROLSITE?CONTROLSITE offered us the real ability to manage distributed content at an affordable price.CONTROLSITE provided a user-friendly interface and unlimited ability to expand the user base.

CONTROLSITE enabled us to…

THINK BIG AND START SMALL

Basis of Decisions

What was included in the decision making process?

PriceFunctionalityEase of use for Non TechiesNumber of users able to use the systemWay in which users connected to CONTROLSITE - web interfaceNature of contractor

Implementation

How was the implementation of CONTROLSITE approached and managed?

Partnership approach with Goss InteractiveImplemented over a 3 month period with server equipment initially located with Goss InteractiveInitial training provided by Goss Interactive, IT staff then trained users - Ongoing processContent providers volunteered by their departmental heads!Initial resistance from users turning to enthusiasm and ownership of their information

Technical Set Up

2 Dell Poweredge Servers (2550) (one data, one web) 3 x 36GB Raid 5 Disks, 512MB memory, 1.13Mhz CPU (Rackmounted)DDS4 Back up tape unit and UPS, 16 port switch Tiered Leaseline currently running at 1MB access controlled by Sonicwall FirewallSoftware: Coldfusion Server Professional MS SQL2000 Webtrends Log Analyser Veritas Professional Back Up Goss Controlsite

Core benefits to date with implementing CONTROLSITEDistributed content creation and input now a reality, users feel they have control.Solution delivered with no overhead to the individual desktop, system can be accessed through a browser from anywhere, work or home.Able to deliver redesigned website and introduction of intranet at no additional cost.Intranet is a private side of the website requiring users to log in.

Core benefits to date with implementing CONTROLSITE (Cont)

We have built in to the site the ability for members of the public to log in and register with us allowing us to tailor services to their requirements. Cost savings largely intangible at present but IT technical staff now able to concentrate on technical aspects of site rather than content.More information on the site leading to improved BVPI 157 indicator.

The Future

1 member of IT staff trained in Coldfusion (week long course)We have already begun to develop the site. The benefits of working with Goss have been that they started us off with templates that we can amend and build upon as required. New templates can be created relatively easily with Goss providing handholding as and when required. Next step is to utilise the ecommerce module and begin to receive payments via the website together with linking templates to back office systems.

Torridge’s future plans with regards to managing content

Even greater involvement by users in site development and managing their contentMore and more staff are being trained (over 25 to date), average training time 3 hours, to train the trainer 6 hours.Encourage the development of departmental champions for content within each service area.Development of intranet which is a private side of the internet site.

The Future

Phased Project ApproachDuring 2002-2003 we will develop interactive elements of the site utilising an additional module provided by Goss for ecommerce.

We will also develop further interactive templates linked to our back office systems, for example to enable users to view planning applications. We will develop further the services that can be tailored to those customers that wish to log in to our site and have access to specialised features.

New and old site