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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) is one of the UK’s largest emergency fleets, with over 1600 staff serving a population of 1.4 million.
When we were called in, their IT department was taking the strain of some outdated software. With 50 stations under their wing, their internal management systems needed urgent attention. But their in-house teams were lacking in both time and software development expertise.
SWFRS were impressed by our reputation for delivering high quality systems with ongoing client support, and we began our first project together in early 2005.
We began with a small challenge – ideal for starting a relationship. We like to prove our worth so clients know we can be trusted with larger projects.
Solution One: AD User Management
SWFRS planned to overhaul their Active Directory (AD) structure, a sophisticated network directory of all users. Though sophisticated, the tools to manage users can be complex, requiring changes on multiple forms. To increase speed of data entry and produce more accurate information, we developed a secure web-based utility so users could be rapidly added, maintained and moved more efficiently.
This efficiency saved administrators several man-weeks during the restructuring project. Moreover, with drop-down menus replacing free data fields, the new system produced accurate results against any searchable criteria.
Following the success of this application, SWFRS have requested a more universal user management tool, integrating with Microsoft server products such as Exchange, Sharepoint and CMS.
“We quickly developed a trusting relationship with Draig. Their commitment to long-term solutions has been clear from the start, and we’ve been able to develop a strong and lasting association.”
Heather Mitchell - South Wales Fire & Rescue Service
New Product - ADUMU
It’s often the small things that show the most innovation and find the largest audience! Though the ADUMU concept is pretty straightforward, we have found the solution leads to improved performance - particularly for organisations with larger AD systems.
With the permission of SWFRS, we’re now making this tool available to all. To see how ADUMU can improve your Active Directory management, get in touch.
Solution Two: Bilingual CMS
The next priority for SWFRS was to create a bilingual website that complied with the Welsh Language Act. To complement their internal web development skills, they called on us to configure and install a new Content Management System (CMS).
The preferred solution was to adopt Microsoft CMS (MS-CMS) along with CMS. Rapid to accelerate deployment. To ensure that this mix of solutions was robust, reliable and fully met the SWFRS requirements we developed the project in two stages:
- Stage One - Proof-of-concept activity, where we produced a prototype site to test the products’ compatibility and capability;
- Stage Two - Deployment of the solution, followed by acceptance testing and final configuration prior to the live launch.
The effective combination of these products, together with our technical expertise and quality assurance, ensured yet another project was delivered as promised. SWFRS have now gone live with this high quality solution – an excellent example of a multilingual CMS supporting a fully bilingual website.
"The CMS project has been cost-effective. Over time more departments, including Fire Stations, will have the tools to maintain their own areas. This will free the resources of ICT staff and give full control to the content owners.”
Heather Mitchell - South Wales Fire & Rescue Service
The Future
After two successful projects, delivered on-time and on-budget, we have an excellent ongoing relationship with SWFRS. We continue to support both ADUMU and the Bilingual CMS, and we hope that the confidence that SWFRS now have in us will lead to future projects as their needs evolve.
Meanwhile they’re spreading the word with a number of other Fire and Rescue Services already showing an interest in our solutions.
Computacenter & G-Cat
Our work with SWFRS arose from our partnership with Computacenter (UK) Ltd, who have a long term relationship with SWFRS. When the need for consultancy and bespoke development services arose, Computacenter were quick to recommend us.
Computacenter is an important strategic partner, each of us expanding our capabilities through complementary services and expertise. They are also a Catalist listed supplier and our connection allows the Public Sector to access our capabilities via this popular procurement route.
Find out more about Computacenter at www.computacenter.com.