FireWatch Case Studies
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CASE STUDIESClient success stories |
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Customised Microsoft® Office SharePoint™ Portal Server Solution
Scenario:
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service required a Web-based solution that would provide a fast, efficient and user-friendly means of accessing large amounts of data from multiple systems and departments. To meet these needs, Infographics, a Microsoft Gold Partner, was selected to deploy a customised Web Portal based on SharePoint Portal Server.
Background:
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service is responsible for a total area of 537,085 hectares (the fifth largest of the 34 non-metropolitan counties in England) and a population of around 816,500, managing 40 Fire Stations and attending over 11,000 incidents a year. This large area of responsibility brings with it the requirement to efficiently manage a vast amount of information and documents. The FRS identified that significant benefits could be gained by developing a Web Portal that could integrate information from various systems and departments into one secure solution.
Infographics was selected to implement a solution to meet these requirements. The project team chose Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server to deploy a customised Web Portal.
SharePoint Portal Server was identified as having four key strengths:
- Fast user adoption and lower training costs through use of familiar web based interfaces and tools
- Ideal fit with existing Microsoft-based infrastructure at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service
- Easy customisation of the portal to meet specific requirements
- Flexibility to personalise and target content and interface based on user profiles
Implementation:
The Infographics team carried out an initial requirements assessment and built a project plan that would deliver a customised solution within a number of weeks.
SharePoint was tailored to provide Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service with a solution that incorporates information from a number of departments and systems. This includes:
- Image/photography library
- Resource/document library, covering commercial training, brigade orders and fire safety
- Internal contact directory
It is planned that the solution will integrate with FireWatch, Infographics’ Microsoft-based HR application for the UK Fire and Rescue Service, used by Norfolk, and many other FRSs, to support core personnel management, health & safety, salary calculations, payments, development, training centre management, asset management and CLG reporting.
Business Benefits:
Chris Ferris, ICT Manager at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, said:
“By working with Infographics to deploy SharePoint Portal Server, we have enabled a fast, efficient and user friendly means of accessing large amounts of data. This now ensures events and notifications are distributed to all staff at the press of a button. Urgent matters are no longer subject to delay, and staff feel more involved as part of the organisation by knowing what is happening or being planned.
“We believe a well-informed and involved work force leads to greater participation, co-operation and resulting efficiencies. The Intranet solution developed by Infographics is helping us achieve this aspiration.”
As a result of deploying SharePoint Portal Server, Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service has:
- Increased the speed of information delivery – information can be sent out globally or targeted to relevant employees, staff can automatically be alerted to areas of specific interest to their role
- Enabled easy access to information – powerful search mechanism, departmental index, links to partner and external sites, integration with existing applications, easy navigation across multiple areas via standard look-and-feel
- Empowered staff – through timely provision of accurate, targeted information
- Streamlined distribution of management information – including dynamic updating, via integration with Crystal Reports
- Increased operational efficiency and delivered time and cost savings – through improved access to data and more effective information delivery
- Improved team-working across working groups and departments – through information sharing and simplified working procedures
Technical Overview:
The SharePoint Web Portal has enabled Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service to integrate information from various systems into one secure solution, through single sign-on and enterprise application integration capabilities. It has provided flexible deployment and management tools, and facilitated end-to-end collaboration through data aggregation, organisation and searching. SharePoint has also enabled users to quickly find relevant information through customisation and personalisation of portal content and layout, as well as through audience targeting.
Operational Requirements:
The operational requirements were that the Web Portal should:
- Reduce time and cost with out-of-the-box portal services, such as My Site, topics and news
- Ease deployment by supporting flexible features, such as deployment of enterprise options like search, indexing and audience management
- Enable fast creation of self-service portals for employees
Summary:
Infographics’ solution has delivered improved participation, co-operation and increased efficiency at Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, through the ability to easily access and share information, documents and knowledge across the organisation.