Aberdeen Council Case Study
Vested in 1996, Aberdeen City Council is responsible for all local government services in Aberdeen and is the city's largest employer with over 12,000 employees.
Objective
The Council requirement was for a CMS that could power their staff intranet and integrate with other applications including a staff telephone and organisational directory, classified adverts generator, an A-Z of services, etc. Each of these applications represented custom code functionality, written by the internal web team, with each application then seamlessly integrated into the Intranet.
It was extremely important that the chosen solution was easy to use and would allow the organisation to empower employees within the different departments to maintain and update their specific area with ease.
Solution
Activedition "ticked all the boxes" and was selected because of the extensive out of the box functionality, while at the same time providing Aberdeen Council with excellent value for money solution. Activedition enabled the Web Team at the Council to quickly and successfully extend the platform delivering enhanced efficiency benefits.
Activedition partner Lighthouse Design were chosen to produce the templates for the intranet. It took three months to complete the project from initial implementation to final live date.
The largest task undertaken by the web team was to validate the information on the old system and then to undertake a content migration programme to the new intranet site -a considerable but well executed programme of content cleansing and categorising was required. The content was also delivered on the intranet site with accessibility in mind.
The intranet, branded "The Zone", was launched in June 2005. With assistance from the dedicated Activedition Training Team, ACC have trained 170 users to maintain and update the intranet site.
The design of the intranet Home Page required to be dynamic and to communicate priority news and actives throughout the organisation. Information Architecture, navigation aids, extensive site search capability (including content and documents) were crucial to establishing usability of the highest order.
With the organisation now empowered, employees more aware and knowledge at their finger tips the Council are looking to realise further year on year efficiency savings.
Client Testimonial
Activedition has provided a cost-efficient solution to a complex internal content management problem within our City Council. The smooth installation of the system has been assisted by a good support package from C2 Software enabling the transfer of skills and knowledge to our organisation.
C2 are a good partner to work with providing a professional and personable approach.
Ian Watt, Website & Intranet Manager, Office of the Chief Executive, Aberdeen City Council
