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Contents .NET live

Introduction .................................................................. 2

Financial servicesSun Life of Canada.......................................................................................... 8Meijers Assurantiën .................................................................................... 12

Entertainment and mediaNorwegian Coastal Voyage ..................................................................... 16Shearings Holidays ..................................................................................... 23

IndustryBayer Diagnostics.......................................................................................... 26DPAS .................................................................................................................... 31The Office of Telecommunications Ombudsmen ....................... 36

Public sectorEast Anglia Ambulance Trust ................................................................. 40Jersey Post ...................................................................................................... 46The London Borough of Merton ........................................................... 51Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust ..................................... 56

Retail servicesHouse of Fraser ............................................................................................ 60

Web services is one of the coretechnologies used by Microsoft’s .NET.This power ful open standards-basedtechnology enables developers andsystems integrators to build and linkheterogenous applications together asloosely coupled, independent services –regardless of the underlying technologyused to build and run them. Mostsuppliers, including Microsoft, believeweb services to be extremely powerful, ifnot revolutionary.

But how much are customers using thetechnology? Have they adopted webservices with as much enthusiasm astheir suppliers, or are they morecautious? And if they haven’t, why not?

For the past two years, Microsoft, inconjunction with Infoconomy, thepublishers of Information Age magazine,has asked senior-level IT managers in theUK about their attitudes and intentionswith regards to web services.

Overall, the results show that ITmanagers are taking a cautious andmature approach to web services; thereis no sign of a big rush to adopt the

technology, and there is some concernover standards and the most suitableareas in which to use the technology. But,at the same time, adoption is increasing,and some of the earlier concerns aregradually being overcome.

SLOWLY RISING TAKE UPIn its earliest stages, web services wasover-hyped. This resulted in someconfusion among customers, withsurveys showing very high intended takeup, but little understanding about whereand how web services technology wouldbe deployed.

Now, customers are proceedingcarefully. In mid-2003, when the wave ofhype was just dying down, two-thirds ofrespondents said they had eitherdeployed web services, or intended towithin three years; today, that figure hasonly crept up to 72%. But actual use isrising – from only one-quarter ofrespondents in 2003 to just under one-third in 2004.

Resistance to web services is falling.Now 20% of customers say they have no

Introduction2

Web services – the user view

Microsoft and Information Age have carried out joint research into the useof web services among UK businesses. Here are the key findings.

plans to deploy the technology, down from28% in 2003. Asked about their use ofweb services, 16% – about one in six –say it is “heavy and mission critical”,while a further 23% said it is “substantial,but not yet critical”.

WHERE WEB SERVICES ARE USEDOne of the problems with any much-hypedtechnology is that it is not always clearwhere and why it should be applied. Thiswas cited as one of the major barriers tousing web services in both the surveys.

But it is clear, nevertheless, that atleast three strong applications for webservices have emerged (although these

do overlap). First, and perhapssurprisingly, web services is being usedas a way of exposing services tocustomers – an application cited by 30%of businesses in both surveys. Thissuggests that many of the early adoptersof the technology are not merely passiveconsumers of web services, but areactively involved in using the technologyto gain a business edge.

Second, some 27% of respondentssaid they are using web services as afoundation of new e-enabled businessprocesses. This is a considerably lowerfigure than in 2004, perhaps inrecognition of the fact that using web

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services in this way is ambitious and mayrequire some process re-engineering, aswell as investment in processmanagement products.

The third biggest application of webservices, also at 27%, is for integratingexisting internal applications. Thisdevelopment is unsurprising – integrationis now clearly one of the mainapplications of web services.

Usage of web services is spread fairlyevenly across most types of businesssoftware application – but one area standsout. The most popular area where webservices is used is for productivity andcollaboration applications. This may reflect

the particular strengths of Microsoft andits .NET products in this area.

BARRIERS TO WEB SERVICESUse of web services is rising steadily, butcustomers still have many concernsabout this new technology. Theseconcerns, however, are changing overtime, suggesting that suppliers aregradually addressing the main issues.

The most often cited reason for notusing web services is that there is simply“no clear reason to deploy”. Thissuggests that, as these reasons emerge– as they surely will – then the technologywill be adopted.

Introduction4

But there may also be some confusionover what the technology actually does –one-quarter of respondents cited“uncertainty over application of thetechnology” as one of the reasons for notdeploying web services. However, thisfigure has fallen since the 2003 survey,suggesting understanding of thetechnology is improving.

Concern over standards was cited as akey barrier by 34% of respondents in2003 and by 30% in 2004. This concernwas also echoed in the reasonsbusinesses gave for choosing theirplatform vendor – 90% of respondentssaid support for open standards was

either ‘important of very important’. Are these concerns justified? Most

experts would say “not any more”.Although web services standards are byno means finalised, and some are stillawaiting specification, the earlysquabbles between vendors have largelysubsided; even vendors with a history ofantipathy towards each other are nowworking together constructively.

The standards issue also arises in adirect question the respondents wereasked about Microsoft’s .NET and the‘rival’ J2EE framework. The answerssuggest there may be misunderstandingsabout the technologies, and that this may

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contribute to general standards concerns. Both.NET and J2EE are technologies

for building resilient distributedapplications – and both actively use, butdo not rely upon, web services. Althoughalmost all vendors and analysts say thatboth sets of technology can be usedtogether, and many customers do exactly

this, 27% of the respondents believe theymust make a straight choice between thetwo; a further, very high, 37% said theydid not know if the two could be usedtogether or not.

Although the skills needed to work with.NET and J2EE are different, theavailability of skills did not score highly as

Introduction6

Microsoft technologies explained

The Microsoft® .NET Framework is a component of theMicrosoft Windows® operating system that providesthe programming model for building, deploying, andrunning web-based applications, smart clientapplications, and EXtensible Mark-up Language WebServices. It provides a highly productive, standards-based, multi-language environment for integratingexisting investments with next-generationapplications and services, as well as the agility tosolve the challenges of deployment and operation ofInternet-scale applications. The .NET Frameworkconsists of two main parts: the Common LanguageRuntime and a hierarchical set of unified classlibraries that includes a componentised version ofActive Server Pages (ASP.NET), a loosely coupleddata access subsystem (ADO.NET), and anenvironment for building rich Windows-basedapplications (Windows Forms).The Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, a subset ofthe .NET Framework, extends the benefits ofdeveloper productivity and Web Services integrationto resource-constrained devices, such as Pocket PCand other Windows CE-based systems. It provides ahighly productive environment for development and

integration with virtually any data source, rangingfrom local Microsoft SQL Server CE databases toenterprise back ends. The Compact Framework’sunified, hierarchical class library enables softwaredevelopers to rapidly construct rich user interfaces,access native operating system methods, andinteroperate with assets on the device, such as theinfrared data port and other hardware extensions.For more information go to:http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/

Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET is the rapid applicationdevelopment (RAD) tool for building next-generationweb applications and Web Services. Visual Studio.NET empowers developers to rapidly design broad-reach web applications for any device and anyplatform. In addition, Visual Studio .NET is fullyintegrated with the .NET Framework, providingsupport for multiple programming languages andautomatically handling many common programmingtasks, freeing developers to rapidly create webapplications using their language of choice. VisualStudio .NET includes a single IDE with RAD featuresfor building web applications and middle-tier

a reason for choosing a distributedapplication development platform. Thebiggest single reason for choosing oneplatform over another, by someconsiderable margin, is the total cost ofownership. Nearly three-quarters – 73% –cited this as ‘very important’.

What is the prognosis for web services.

The answer may lie in the all-financialquestion: if your organisation uses webservices, has it returned its investment?Nearly half of respondents said yes,although, in many cases, this has beenmarginal so far. Perhaps moreimportantly, only 3% believe theinvestment will not eventually pay off. ■

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business logic, and RAD XML designers for workingwith data. For more information go to:http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/

Microsoft Visual Studio is at the heart of MSDN®Subscriptions, a premier software service thatprovides developers with the latest developmenttools and technologies. For more information go to:http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/prodinfo/overview.asp

Microsoft Exchange 2003 Server provides rock-solidmessaging and collaboration 24-hours a day, seven-days a week-with low total cost of ownership.Designed with mission-critical performance in mind,Exchange enables access to the people andinformation you want, anytime and from anywhere.Combining industry-leading reliability and scalabilitywith unmatched ease of management, Exchange2003 seamlessly integrates with the MicrosoftWindows 2003 operating system and takesadvantage of the full power of the Windows 2003Active Directory® service and security features. WithExchange 2003, businesses can further leveragetheir messaging infrastructure with value-added

collaborative solutions. Exchange 2003 is part of theMicrosoft .NET Windows Server System™ for building,deploying, and managing next-generation integratedweb experiences.For more information aboutMicrosoft Exchange 2003 Server, go to:http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/

BizTalk Server® 2004 helps customers efficiently andeffectively integrate systems, employees, and tradingpartners through manageable business processesenabling them to automate and orchestrateinteractions in a highly flexible and highly automatedmanner. For more information about BizTalk Server2004, go to:For more information about BizTalkServer 2002, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/servers/biztalk

Microsoft Windows 2003 Server™ is the serveroperating system for line-of-business applicationsand e-commerce. It provides you with the opportunityto Internet-enable your business, gain advancedmanageability and take advantage of the best newdevices.For more information about Microsoft .NETEnterprise Servers, go to:http://www.microsoft.com/uk/servers

BACKGROUND

The UK financial services industry is under pressure to change. Theprincipal driver is the need for the industry to reduce overheads, improveefficiency and deliver better levels of service to customers. In the shake-out, some providers are closing their doors to new business while othersare looking to reduce claims processing costs by outsourcing their back-office operations.

Sun Life Financial of Canada (SLFoC), a leading international insurancecompany, recognised in 2001 that it needed a leaner, less costly andmore market responsive organisation to meet these new challenges. Inparticular, its UK operation faced change to both the fabric of thecompany and its strategic direction. As a result, SLFoC now operates aclosed book for its individual life and pensions products and is acceptingno more customers. David Davies, Chief Executive Officer, SLFoC, puts itbluntly: “Having previously launched 12-15 new products over a six-monthtimescale, we realised that they were not selling. There was aninsufficient volume of income and the new business we gained was noteconomic or adding value to the business.”

The key to SLFoC’s transformation was to start with a wholesaleredesign of its IT and administration infrastructure, to around one-third ofits previous level. This would involve job losses among the 500 staff thatcould potentially have a damaging impact on company morale. Apart fromthe human considerations, SLFoC recognised that its back-office systemswere inefficient. Its UK business portfolio was administered on fourseparate legacy systems, ALIS, Capsil, HE and LPS.

The legacy systems handled 800,000 live life, pension and investmentpolicies and required 330 customer services staff to administer thebusiness. In addition, SLFoC ran its own individual money purchase andannuity processing systems. Faced with a rise in its average per-policycosts of 15 per cent in three years (1997-2000), SLFoC’s aim was clearyet challenging. It aimed to achieve a long-term reduction of 50 per cent

Sun Life Financial of Canada, a leading international financial services organisation, decided tooperate a closed book for its individual life and pensions products. As part of this process itneeded to redesign its IT and administration infrastructure. Marlborough Stirling won theoutsourcing contract to manage the portfolio and migrated 850,000 policies to its Lamda systemfrom four separate databases. The portfolio is now managed by 20-30 staff, instead of 400-500.

Customer profileSun Life Financial of Canada(SLFoC) is a leadinginternational financial servicesorganisation providing adiverse range of wealthaccumulation and protectionproducts and services toindividuals and corporatecustomers.

Business challengeSLFoC needed an outsourcingpartner to handle the migrationand on-going administration of800,000 policies from itsclosed book of individual lifeand pensions products in theUK.

SolutionMarlborough Stirling’s Lamdasolution operates on MicrosoftWindows 2000 and was builtwith Microsoft Visual Studiodevelopment tools and usesMicrosoft SQL Server 2000.

Sun Life Saves Over £100 Million by CuttingBack-Office Policy Costs by 60 per cent

Microsoft. NET Customer SolutionFINANCIAL SERVICES

9

in the per policy cost of administration, at the same time improvingcustomer service.

SOLUTION

In March 2002, SLFoC awarded Marlborough Stirling, a MicrosoftCertified Solution Provider Partner, a five-year business processoutsourcing contract, giving Marlborough Stirling the responsibility forpolicy administration for life and pension products.

Marlborough Stirling’s Lamda life and pensions administration system,gives SLFoC a cost effective solution for policy administration and datamigration. Marlborough Stirling’s Business Process Outsourcing servicesalso ensure a smooth decommissioning of the four legacy systems, andefficient, compliant operations thereafter.

Marlborough Stirling’s most significant technology alliance is withMicrosoft. It was one of five organisations worldwide to work as launchpartners with Microsoft on the development of Visual Studio .NET. Lamdaoperates on Microsoft Windows 2000 and was built with Microsoft VisualStudio development tools. Although the Lamda solution is designed to bedatabase independent, the SLFoC implementation uses Microsoft SQLServer 2000 for its database management. David Power, Director of Lifeand Pensions, Marlborough Stirling, says: “There was a lot of workinvolved in what was a huge project, but performance was never an issueand we now have a single database on a stable platform.”

In October 2003, Marlborough Stirling completed the successfulmigration of SLFoC’s 800,000 live life, pensions and investment policiesfrom its legacy systems. Power says: “The improvement to SLFoC’soperational control resulting from the decommissioning of these legacysystems and from the implementation of a single modern platform acrossthe entirety of the business cannot be overstated.”

BENEFITS

Total savings of over £100 millionMarlborough Stirling says the Lamda solution using Microsoft technologyhas enabled SLFoC to more than halve its per-policy costs. Davies agrees:“Expenses have come down significantly. Running costs of £30-35 millionhave been cut and with one-off cost savings and other specialconsiderations, the total savings are likely to be more than £100 million.”

“Running costs of£30-35 million havebeen cut and withone-off costssavings and otherspecialconsiderations thetotal savings arelikely to be morethan £100 million.”

DAVID DAVIES,CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERSUN LIFE FINANCIAL OFCANADA (UK) LIMITED

Financial services10

For more information aboutMarlborough Stirling, visit:www.marlborough-stirling.com

Benefits• Total savings of over £100m• Costs reduced by 60 per

cent• Migration of 850,000

policies• Integrates four legacy

systems• Completed in two years

Software and services• Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0• Microsoft SQL Server 2000

PartnersMarlborough Stirling


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But, Davies also pinpoints an even greater saving on which it is hard toput a price. He says: “A large part of the worry has been taken out of myjob. I no longer have to find staff to manage a system and then saygoodbye to them every couple of years. Customers are much happierbecause they have a single point of contact and we protect their intereststhrough service level agreements with Marlborough Stirling.”

Policy administrators cut from 500 to 30Together with the associated re-engineering of SLFoC’s businessprocesses, Marlborough Stirling’s Lamda system using SQL Server hasresulted in a 60 per cent saving in SLFoC’s operating costs compared tothe costs incurred in 2000. Although the number of staff involved inadministering SLFoC’s policies in the UK has been reduced significantly,customer service levels have actually improved.

Davies says: “With overall costs now less than 0.6% of funds undermanagement this provides a clear benchmark for the efficiencies that canbe achieved through combined technology and process re-engineering.With greater certainty over our future expenses we have greatly improvedthe value of our business.”

Secure and error-free migrationThe successful migration of SLFoC’s 800,000 live life, pensions andinvestment policies to SQL Server was completed on time in October2003 with minimum disruption to customers.

Davies says: “With four different legacy systems there was four timesas much chance of making a mistake. The Microsoft technology has theability to scale up and the migration went incredibly smoothly. Thereseems to be no limit to the number of policyholders who can be servicedwithout any degradation in service.”

Frees the enterprise for new businessSLFoC’s success in stabilising its cost base has put the company in abetter position to consider low risk new business lines. Davies says: “Ourparent company in Toronto will take a great deal of convincing the UKmarket is ready for a new product line. However, we are looking atpotential new initiatives, perhaps with a white label product line, becausewe have a stable and manageable cost base.” ■

“The traditional wayof working was onpaper but it wasinefficient andpresented anunsophisticatedimage to thecustomer. We weresearching for a toolto get rid of thepaper to enable self-service for ourmajor customers,24-hours a day,seven-days a week.”

MICHEL SCHAFTCHIEF OPERATING OFFICERMEIJERS ASSURANTIËN

Retail12

BACKGROUND

Commercial insurance brokers are at a crossroads. While the inflatedcost of insurance coverage has fuelled double digit growth for theircommission income, the customer has never been so disgruntled – oftenpaying more for less and suffering from decreasing standards of service.And with insurance companies more selective than ever, brokers mustwork hard to differentiate themselves – and their clients’ risks – to thecarriers in the market. These were some of the considerations that ledMeijers Assurantiën, one of the Netherlands’ largest independentbrokers, to embark on a radical upgrade of its client service operations in2002. Meijers is a specialist in property/casualty and employee benefitsbrokerage and an influential special risks broker on the VNAB, the DutchBourse. As a family-run business, Meijers prides itself on client service,winning accounts by providing creative solutions and hard work.

With 80 per cent of its business in the domestic market, Meijerswanted to increase its international business and compete with globalbrokers for high-end, large and complicated risks. Meijers was alsoconscious of the need to future-proof its operating systems; especiallywith the VNAB trading floor implementing electronic systems.

Meijers realised it required a way to manage the reams of riskinformation associated with the more complex needs of customers.Michel Schaft, Chief Operating Officer at Meijers, says: “The traditionalway of working was on paper, but it was inefficient and presented anunsophisticated image to the customer. We were searching for a tool toget rid of the paper to enable self-service for our major customers, 24-hours a day, seven-days a week.”

The ability to enable client contacts around the globe to service theirbasic needs online outside Dutch business hours was another keyconsideration. Meijers needed to access its worldwide broker and marketpartners more quickly and securely to leverage the full benefit of itsmarket relationships on behalf of new and existing customers.

Meijers Assurantiën, a leading Dutch independent insurance broker, wanted to gain moreinternational business by improving the management, flow and presentation of risk informationassociated with its clients’ insurance transactions. Riskclick provided Meijers with a Microsoft.NET-enabled platform and, as a result, Meijers has increased its international business by 30 percent, improved service to clients and halved the time taken to close complex risk placements.

Meijers Gains 30 per cent MoreInternational Business With Web Services

Daniel Stander, Vice President Corporate Development & Strategy atRiskclick, says: “Meijers was used to doing most of its business by beingvery hands-on. They were a sales driven business, but over time thatbecame a constraint to growth. With the changing market conditions andthe desire to compete with global brokers for the most complexmultinational risks, customers became more demanding. Customerswanted a consistency of service in terms of quality, speed, and accuracy.”

SOLUTION

Riskclick provided Meijers with a platform to manage documentation andcorrespondence between its customers, other local brokers servicing itsaccounts and multiple client locations. The Riskclick solution pullstogether, into a single user interface, all of the key functions that risk andinsurance firms need to operate. The out-of-the-box technology met 80 percent of Meijers’ requirements. The remaining requirements were deliveredwith rapid configurations over four-weeks at the beginning of 2003.

Using Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and the Microsoft .NETFramework, Riskclick enabled Meijers to achieve efficiency, certainty andconnectivity benefits through Web services. The delivery of the solution isbased on the idea that software should be securely accessible anywhereas required, person-to-person or machine-to-machine, and shouldintegrate more readily with back office and other systems.

Riskclick’s XML Web-based services architecture enables programswritten in different languages, and on different platforms, tocommunicate with each other in a standards-based way. And the platformdeployed at Meijers adopts several XML schemas for risk and insurancepublished by ACORD, the global standards body that is sponsored by theworld’s leading insurance companies and intermediaries.

Stander says: “Riskclick’s unique ability to enable cross enterprisetransactions without forcing participants into a hub means that anyone canstart using Riskclick right away and unobtrusively pull its counter-partiesinto secure, efficient transactions.” Not only did this enable Meijers toexchange of documents, messages and data with customers in real time,but it created an audit trail to track the progress of business processes.

The .NET Framework and its native support for Web services liesbehind the successful integration and increased efficiency provided bythe Riskclick solution. Duplication of data entry is eliminated because

Customer profileMeijers Assurantiën is aleading Amsterdam-basedindependent property/casualtyand employee benefitsbrokerage. It is an influentialspecial risks broker on theVNAB, the Dutch Bourse.

Business challengeMeijers needed to access itsworldwide broker and marketpartners more quickly andmore securely to grow itsinternational business. And itwanted to afford global clientsan effective self-service portalto compete more effectivelyagainst larger brokers.

SolutionRiskclick provided Meijers witha platform using the Microsoft.NET Framework to manage inreal time the documentationand correspondenceassociated with its clients’insurance transactions.


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information can be entered in one system and uploaded to Meijers’business partners using a Riskclick Web service.

Riskclick’s proprietary software building blocks were rapidly configuredand assembled using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET to support Meijers’specific insurance process and to meet their key customers’ needs. Thesolution was also extremely intuitive for the end-users. Schaft says: “TheRiskclick-powered application is as easy to use as e-mail and from anoperations standpoint, this approach significantly increases userproductivity and greatly speeds up the ROI delivery.”

BENEFITS

International business grew 30 per cent in first year In its first year, the Riskclick solution has enabled Meijers to increase itsinternational business by up to 30 per cent. The key to this was the .NETFramework helping Meijers out-perform the so called ‘global brokers’ byputting account executives, and the risk managers they serve in controlof their risks and insurances. Given that any one of these internationalplacements might generate €150,000 in revenues for Meijers, it was notlong before the solution had delivered a positive return on investment.

There have been several examples of high profile multinationalcorporations looking for a broker to handle their business in theNetherlands. Schaft says: “Meijers has been successful in winning thebusiness in competitive tenders partly because of its reputation, but alsobecause our new technology has given us market agility, promoted theirvisibility into overseas risk financing and above all engendered trust.”

Cycle times on multinational placement processes halvedImproving response time has been a major factor in demonstrating thebusiness agility needed to compete on demanding, multinational risks. Insome instances, transactions with customers that took up to three weeksto execute have been cut to less than two days.

As Jaap Meijers, President and CEO, says: “We not only convincedinsurance buyers at multinational corporations that we were capable ofservicing their global needs, we also consistently executed complex,global placements in considerably less time than customers anticipated.Our deployment of Riskclick has further developed our reputation in therisk management community and certainly generated new business.”

“We not onlyconvinced insurancebuyers atmultinationalcorporations thatwe were capable ofservicing theirglobal needs, wealso consistentlyexecuted complex,global placementsin considerably lesstime thancustomersanticipated.”

JAAP MEIJERSPRESIDENT AND CEOMEIJERS ASSURANTIËN

Financial services14

For more information aboutRiskclick, visit:www.riskclick.com

Benefits• International business grew

30 per cent in first year• Client responses in real

time without previous delays• Service improved for existing

clients• Cycle times on multinational

placement processes halved• Enables cross-enterprise

collaboration

Software and Services• Microsoft .NET Framework• Microsoft Windows Server

2003• XML Web services• Microsoft Visual Studio .NET

PartnersRiskclick


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Cross border teamwork made possible Large corporates always need a clear view across several countries of therisks and coverages associated with their subsidiaries. This is the onlyway that they can rationalise and implement an effective global insuranceand loss control program. Using the Riskclick-powered platform Meijersenabled some of the world’s largest companies to view, review andpublish critical information in real time.

This happened when Oshkosh Truck Corporation acquired GeesinkNorba in the Netherlands. Steve Stich, Chief Risk Officer at Oshkoshsays: “When it became clear that progress was unacceptable with theincumbent broker I appointed Meijers as co-ordinating broker acrossEurope. Immediately Meijers assigned a single point of contact and setup a teaming environment using Riskclick’s software as our foreigninsurance platform. Meijers has proved to Oshkosh that it has the abilityto handle one of the Fortune 1000’s most challenging accounts.”

Schaft explains: “The application’s robust yet flexible documentmanagement functions and the automatic audit trail are crucial forcoordinating an international insurance program. The business processesinvolved are complex, requiring several stakeholders to be on the samepage with many living documents enduring multiple iterations.”

Future proofed but with low TCOThe Riskclick solution avoided the enormous risks and costs of buildingsoftware from scratch and gave Meijers the benefit of a low total cost ofownership. Meijers lacked both the resources and the time to build acustomised solution. Yet it also wanted to future proof its technology andexpand its international customer base. Schaft says: “We selectedRiskclick technology because it immediately delivered value to us and ourcustomers. We rapidly deployed the software as an integrated riskmanagement platform to link Meijers seamlessly with the key customercontacts and other brokers on a given assignment, enabling us and ourclients to take a holistic view of account and transaction activity.

Harnessing the .NET developer tools and the Web services capabilitiesnative to the .NET Framework, Riskclick has changed the rules ofinsurance innovation, handing a progressive, entrepreneurial, results-orientated firm like Meijers the agility to seize new markets, to improveproductivity and increase operating margins. ■

BACKGROUND

High-end travel companies must cater to the individual requirements oftheir discerning customers. Norwegian Coastal Voyage (NCV) delivers arange of package, tailor-made and group cruises to a variety ofdestinations in different price brackets. The niche cruise operator, whichoperates 11 ships that visit 34 ports on the coast of Norway, sells itsholidays to members of the public and to third-party travel agents.

In late 2002, NCV identified the need to upgrade its seven-year oldbooking system, written in the Thoroughbred programming language andrunning on a UNIX/ICL platform. One key aim was to reduce the timerequired to make bookings. John Smith, Head of Finance and IT, NCV, says:“Our customers call to book cruises over the phone and this process wastaking up to 15 minutes for standard packages. Sales staff had to clickbetween a number of different reservation systems to make bookings forship cabins, transport, hotels and other key elements that make up ourholidays. Where tailor-made holidays were involved, booking times wereeven longer and group bookings were nearly impossible to manage.”

As well as slow booking times, NCV’s system failed to deliverinformation to enable good business decision making. Smith says: “Wehad to run four or five reports and crunch key numbers into a spreadsheetto get any idea of what was happening across the business. We could notbuild a picture of our customers and their needs and it was difficult toassess the correlation between advertising spend and bookings.”

Finally, the old system was based on green screen technologies. As aresult, the invoices and itineraries presented to customers looked similarto utility bills. Smith says: “We offer niche cruises at the high end of thetravel market. We need to deliver documentation that mirrors the qualityand reputation of our brand, instead of de-valuing it.”

To meet these challenges, NCV decided to deploy a new tour operatingsystem that would tie its disparate reservation and payment systemstogether for easier booking and better management reporting. NCV sent

Niche cruise operator Norwegian Coastal Voyage (NCV) has implemented a new tour operatingsystem to streamline the booking process and improve customer service. The solution, built onthe Microsoft .NET Framework by travel software specialist Phoenix Database Technologies, willsave NCV 175 man-days and reduce training requirements for salespeople significantly. The .NETFramework enabled Phoenix to bring the fully bespoke solution to market in just four months.

Customer profileNorwegian Coastal Voyage(NCV) is a leading niche cruiseoperator with an annualturnover of £15-£20 million. Itoperates 11 ships that visit 34ports on the coast of Norwayand sells holidays to membersof the public and third-partytravel agents.

Business challengeNorwegian Coastal Voyage(NCV) wanted a new system toreduce the time required tomake bookings, improvecustomer service and supportplans for aggressive expansion.

SolutionA new reservation managementsystem and data warehousingfacility built using the Microsoft.NET Framework and MicrosoftVisual Studio .NET developertools.

Net-Powered Solution Equips Niche CruiseOperator for Expansion

Microsoft. NET Customer SolutionENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA

17

a tender to six specialist companies in this area and, at the same time,received an invitation to a tour operating system demonstration hosted bytravel technology specialist Phoenix Database Technologies.

Ian Richardson, IT Manager, NCV, says: “The technology we saw atPhoenix was far more advanced than anything else we had come across.We also found that the out-of-the-box packages only offered us around 80per cent of the functionality we need and required a high degree ofcustomisation to meet the specific needs of our business.”

SOLUTION

NCV selected a bespoke software solution from Phoenix DatabaseTechnologies, built on the Microsoft .NET Framework. Chris Suddell,Director of Technical Services, Phoenix Database Technologies, says:“We chose the .NET Framework because it enabled us to buildconnections quickly and easily between existing systems and externaldata sources and bring the solution to market in just four months.

“We set about integrating the booking processes using the Microsoft.NET Framework. We provided a link to Commedia, a service that calls ona credit card payments authorisation system and a range of internal andexternal systems such as postcode databases and ERP systems. Thenew interface to the Commedia service has reduced the time required toprocess payments to NCV and also provided transparent connectivity tothe Amadeus XML API for flight reservations.

“We built a rich client user interface within the application that enablesthe NCV reservation consultants to book all the elements that make up aholiday via a single screen – including a cabin, flights, car hire, hotels andso on. This is a huge improvement on the bad old days, wheresalespeople had to enter one system for information for each of theseelements and calculate prices manually.”

The system is supported by a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 databasewith Analysis Services on top, enabling NCV to create data cubes formulti-dimensional data analysis. This database has a ProClarity front endthat allows flexible analysis of management information. Bookings arehandled by an application written in the C# .NET programming languageusing Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework. The newsystem enables salespeople to build holidays quickly and easily from asingle user interface. They can reserve separate elements, such as

“We chose the .NETFramework becauseit enabled us tobuild connectionsquickly and easilybetween existingsystems andexternal datasources and bringthe solution tomarket in just fourmonths."

CHRIS SUDDELLDIRECTOR OF TECHNICALSERVICESPHOENIX DATABASETECHNOLOGIES

Entertainment and media18

Benefits• More effective booking• Rapid time-to-market• Open, future-proof system• Better management

decision making• Fuelling future growth

Software and services• Microsoft Visual Studio .NET

2002• Microsoft SQL Server 2000• Microsoft Windows 2000

Server• Microsoft .NET Framework

PartnersPhoenix Database Technologies


cabins, transfers and hotels, using a tool similar to the virtual shoppingbaskets used for e-commerce Web sites. Where pricing was previouslyworked out manually, costs are now generated automatically.

The data cube for bookings is refreshed hourly, enabling NCV to reporton its operations more effectively. It can see, for example, which cabintypes are selling on which ships in near real time. It can also identifywhere capacity exists and find ways to advertise more effectively. If thecompany wants to add a new dimension to the data cube, such as salesby season, it can do so quickly and easily, with no risk to underlying data.

BENEFITS

More effective bookingSince its launch on 30 June 2003, NCV has dramatically reduced the timerequired to take bookings. As a result, the company will save theequivalent of more than 175 person-days. This means NCV can increaseits revenues and booking volumes without taking on additional staff.

The faster booking times also mean better customer service. Previously,3-5 per cent of callers hung up before a salesperson could answer thephone, this number has now been reduced to less than 1 per cent.

In addition, the new system is delivering a number of savings relatingto more accurate booking processes. Richardson says: “The architectureuses task lists and queues that give the status for each booking. Theseshow whether we need to send an inventory out or whether an invoice hasyet to be paid. Booking confirmations are also fed into the system andalerts are triggered where a mistake has occurred. “If there are anyhiccups with a booking, we have to compensate customers. We havesignificantly reduced the amount of compensation we pay out.”

As well as these easily quantifiable benefits, more effective bookingalso improves customer satisfaction. As a result, the new systemensures that NCV maintains its excellent reputation in the marketplace.

Rapid time-to-marketBudget was approved for the new system in March 2003. To achievesuccess, it needed to be up and running by 30 June in tandem with thelaunch of the new 2004 NCV brochure. Suddell says: “NCV presented uswith an extremely challenging deadline for project delivery. It is noexaggeration to say that we could not have built the system on time

19

without the Microsoft .NET Framework.” Initially, Phoenix concentrated onthe booking engine that links to the existing systems. Reportingfunctionality was added later to ensure the core system was ready ontime. Smith says: “The .NET Framework makes it very easy to build anddeploy interfaces between disparate systems. Everyone I have spoken toin the industry has been astonished that Phoenix and NCV managed toimplement all this functionality in just four months.”

The Microsoft .NET Framework draws on Class Libraries of pre-builtcode components. These reduce the volume of code that developersneed to write from scratch. In addition, it enables developers to write in awide variety of compatible programming languages. Suddell says: “This isone of many applications that we have developed exclusively on theMicrosoft .NET Framework. I estimate that we developed the solution 30per cent faster using .NET than we could have before and some areas ofdevelopment, such as building the XML interfaces to external datasources, were up to 50 per cent faster.”

Better management decision makingNCV now has a single view of performance across the organisation.Previously, reports were keyed into spreadsheets to provide managementinformation. Now, interfaces between internal systems enable dataanalysis in near real time. New fields can be added to the company’sOnline Analytical Processing (OLAP) cube quickly and easily and viewedthrough the ProClarity front end.

One application for this analytics functionality is in the field ofadvertising. When customers book, the system records how they firstheard about NCV offerings. Smith says: “We can now figure out the costof acquiring each and every customer and assess the effectiveness ofeach marketing campaign. We can also discover which travel agents andgroups are giving us the most business, and which areas of the countrywe should be marketing our offerings in.”

Tailor-made system Phoenix Database Technologies was able to achieve excellent levels ofproductivity using the Microsoft .NET Framework. As a result, it was ableto offer a fully bespoke reservations management solution that was morecost effective than many less suitable off-the-shelf products. Smith says:

“I estimate that wedeveloped thesolution 30 per centfaster using .NETthan we could havebefore and someareas ofdevelopment, suchas building the XMLinterfaces toexternal datasources, were up to50 per cent faster.”

CHRIS SUDDELLDIRECTOR OF TECHNICALSERVICESPHOENIX DATABASETECHNOLOGIES


For more information aboutPhoenix DatabaseTechnologies, visit:www.phoenixdb.co.uk


21

“With Phoenix’s help, we were able to look at our business processesinternally and make changes for the better. We didn’t have to shoehornour processes into an off-the-shelf software solution. Instead, we createda system that enables us to work in the most effective way possible.”

Now, NCV can deliver attractive invoices and itineraries that includephotographs of ships, hotels and ports. In addition, the process ofcreating itineraries for tailor-made holidays has been streamlineddramatically. Richardson says: “The system recognises which ship,destination and hotels have been chosen for a holiday and builds theitinerary automatically. Not only does it present all documentationimpeccably, it also ensures we can deliver all the right information quicklyand accurately while minimising the administrative burden.”

Reduced training requirementsNCV offers 16 grades of cabin on 11 cruise ships. As a result,salespeople must be very knowledgeable about the company’s extensiveofferings and systems before they can take bookings effectively. Thisrequires extensive investment in training and long lead times to staffproductivity. Now, everything required for the booking process is availablein a single rich client interface. In addition, the new system offersinteractive deck plans. These enable employees to click on plans forevery ship down to cabin level.

This is a unique offering that helps NCV salespeople deliver the bestpossible customer service, while vastly reducing training requirementsand ensuring that new salespeople are productive almost immediately.Smith says: “These new features enable us to get new employees up andrunning within 24 hours. This maximises our sales opportunities andimproves the speed and quality of our customer service.”

An open, future-proof systemExisting systems are frequently changed to reflect new businessprocesses or product offerings. Next year, for example, cabin grades maybe changed to make the booking process simpler. Previously, this wouldhave had a substantial impact on all connected systems, with mostgrades hard coded from lists or catalogues. Now, the componentisednature of the new .NET-based environment enables changes to beimplemented quickly and easily with no need for architecture redesign.

Suddell says: “The .NET Framework eliminates legacy systems. Forexample, any new application or Web service can be integrated with oursystems quickly and easily. This means NCV can change the functionalityof a software component without changing its overall architecture.”

Because data sources and applications are segregated from thefunctionality of core applications and the NCV computing architecture iscompletely open. Richardson says: “I recently found a number of freesoftware tester CDs and one of them included the Microsoft MapPointservice. I was able to integrate this with our system and export a fewfields of our database into MapPoint. Immediately, we could see exactlywhere our bookings were coming from, represented on a map of the UK.

“There are currently no other reservation systems written in .NET. Mostare still COM-based, although there are some browser-basedapplications. .NET promises to revolutionise the way companies takebookings across the industry. This is largely because it enables us to addnew functionality or replace components quickly and easily.”

Fuelling future growthNCV has increased its turnover by 15 per cent for the last three yearsrunning. Three new ships have been launched in the past 18 months todeliver coastal voyages in Norway. The company now wants to increaseturnover by 33 per cent in 2004 in line with this additional capacity.

Smith says: “We could not have even contemplated this kind ofrevenue increase using our legacy systems. Booking times alone wouldhave prohibited us from processing the required number of reservations.”

During the next phase of the project, NCV will enable customers tobook their own cruises online. Every element of the new system will scaleup to meet higher processing requirements. Smith says: “The scalabilityof the new solution enables us to implement new IT initiatives and growthe business without redesigning our architecture. This is precisely theflexibility we need as we move towards the next phase of the project.”

Since the site went live in June, it has successfully handled more than1,700 bookings, served 4,100 passengers and processed paymentsequalling more than £6.3 million. Smith says: “We are making substantialtime savings, losing fewer bookings and delivering significantly improvedservice. The reduction in booking times in particular positions us toachieve the required growth in turnover going forward.” ■

“We could not haveeven contemplatedthis kind of revenueincrease using ourlegacy systems.Booking times alonewould haveprohibited us fromprocessing therequired number ofreservations.”

JOHN SMITHHEAD OF FINANCE AND ITNCV


BACKGROUND

In August 2004 the UK transport industry will undergo major changes inthe way coach and lorry drivers record information relating to driving,working and rest time. Currently, drivers use a paper tachograph chart torecord this information, which is then manually entered into a computerfor analysis. With implementation of the digital tachograph into newvehicles from August 2004, information will be digitally recorded on aDriver’s SmartCard, and the existing tachograph and paper charts willeventually be phased out completely.

As one of the UK’s leading coach operators with an enviable reputationfor compliance with safety regulations, Shearings Holidays wanted toremain in the forefront of transport operators for fleet managementstandards and safety. As part of its concern to improve the accessibilityand manageability of compliance information, Shearings beganautomating the reporting of tachograph charts over two years ago. Thecompany downloaded analyses of the tachograph data from a third-partyservice company, known in the industry as a Tachograph Analysis Bureau,and then manually generated a report. The process was time consumingand reports were often very slow to reach drivers or depot managers.

SOLUTION

To improve the timeliness of reports and gain better control over coachoperations, Shearings turned to Exentra Transport Solutions, a softwareand technical service provider to the transport industry with a nichesolution for tachograph reporting. Paul Wharmby, Senior TransportAdministrator of Shearings Holidays says: “We wanted to maximise theaccessibility and manageability of this information via a Web-basedsystem and this led us to implement smartanalysis® for around 10registered users among our senior management.” Smartanalysis is anenterprise-scale, pay-per-use, Web-based service that connectstachograph analysis bureaux with the key people among their transport

Shearings Holidays, the coach-based UK leisure company, wanted to automate the reporting oftachograph data from its fleet of 240 vehicles. Processing reports on the company’s 450 driverswas taking up to six to seven hours to complete. Shearings turned to Microsoft partner ExentraTransport Solutions, which recommended its smartanalysis solution. Shearings has gained bettercontrol over its management information and finds it easier to respond to queries.

Customer profileShearings Holidays is a coach-based leisure companycarrying more than 500,000holidaymakers every year to avariety of destinationsthroughout the UK and Europe.

Business challengeShearings wanted a Web-basedservice to give its keymanagers tachographinformation about its coachdrivers through Internetreporting and e-mailnotifications.

SolutionUsing the Microsoft .NETFramework Microsoft partnerExentra Transport Solutionsimplemented smartanalysis, aB2B services used by manytransport operators.

Coach Operator Processes Tachograph Datain Five Minutes Instead of Seven Hours


23

company customers. The solution enables tachograph data andinformation to be stored, and reports on that data to be created andaccessed online, in a totally secure and private environment. It providesmanagers with the information they need, when and where they need it,and in a format that they require.

Exentra had a limited development budget and initially started todevelop smartanalysis in J2EE, but the company experienced“nightmares” with the choice of application server. Chris Lewis, Director,Exentra, says: “Freeware was not really an option, because of its limiteddocumentation and support, whereas IBM’s WebSphere and BEA’sWebLogic were very expensive.”

Nine months down the line Exentra attended a presentation about theMicrosoft .NET Framework. Lewis, whose career background had been ina Java environment, takes up the story. “Our nine-month investment inJava proved to us that J2EE was too complex to work with and the toolswere not properly integrated. I went along to the .NET presentation asceptic, dyed in the wool Java professional. Having used the .NET toolsat the presentation, we took the decision to change to .NET overnight,with 10 man months to completion, and were able to complete the projecton time. We had no difficulty retraining to .NET because of the excellenceof the development tools. The only word to describe .NET is phenomenal– two to three times more productive than J2EE.”

Using Visual Studio .NET Exentra built the Web site for thesmartanalysis solution and Web services for communication with externalparties on ASP.NET, part of the .NET Framework, an integral componentof Windows that provides a programming model and runtime for Webservices, Web applications and smart client applications. Exentra alsodecided to use a Microsoft database solution, effectively standardisingon Microsoft technologies including Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.

Lewis says: “MySQL was fast and free but not enterprise ready. Oraclewas far too expensive. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 was fully functional,reasonably priced and contains functionality that others charge extra for,such as Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) and Reporting Services,which we plan to use in future.” Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Servicescombines the data management capabilities of SQL Server and MicrosoftWindows Server with familiar and powerful Microsoft Office Systemapplications to deliver real-time information.

"We had nodifficulty retrainingto .NET because ofthe excellence ofthe developmenttools. The only wordto describe .NET isphenomenal – twoto three times moreproductive thanJ2EE.”

CHRIS LEWISDIRECTOREXENTRA TRANSPORTSOLUTIONS


For more information aboutExentra Transport Solutions,visit: www.exentratransport.com

Benefits• Easier to comply with

regulators• Faster turnaround of

tachograph information• Easy access and availability

of data• Low total cost of ownership• Reduces paper-based

reporting


2002• Microsoft SQL Server 2000

Windows CE Edition• Microsoft Windows 2000

Professional• Microsoft Windows 2000


PartnersExentra Transport Solutions


25

BENEFITS

Automated reports on tachograph dataShearings’ transport managers now have access to automated reportson tachograph data from the company’s 450 coach drivers. Wharmbysays: “Processing reports on the company’s 450 drivers was taking up to17 hours to complete under our former system. If we started at 4pm, theywould be ready at 9am the next day. The new system is much more userfriendly. Processing the information now takes around five minutes withsmartanalysis and the .NET Framework. Previously, reports were all onpaper and it could take four to eight days before you saw them.”

Delivering better customer protection Shearings is better equipped to sustain its enviable reputation for safetyand high standards of fleet management. With the old system a customercomplaint or inquiry from the UK’s Vehicle and Operator Services Agency(VOSA) might take weeks to investigate. Wharmby says: “We now have avery good tool to respond to any issues that may arise over drivers’ hours.It has enabled us to get at the information we really need rather thansearch through reams of paper. We can pick up almost immediately if adriver has not been taking the correct number of breaks and bring that tothe attention of both drivers and depot managers.”

Low total cost of ownershipBy using the .NET Framework instead of J2EE, Exentra has benefited froma low total cost of ownership (TCO) and rapid time to market. AmongExentra’s customers are 12 tachograph bureaux and over 40 transportoperators, and more new customers are adopting smartanalysis eachweek. Lewis attributes a good part of this success to the versatility ofMicrosoft Visual Studio .NET and its reusable code He says: “Weachieved things three or four times faster in .NET than Java, with lesscomplexity, less code and a user friendly environment.”

Secure and scalable for the futureThe reports produced by Exentra for Shearings satisfy all the requirementsfor the Drivers’ Hours Law and will accommodate the combined analogueand digital reporting required in future. From August 2004 information willbe digitally recorded and paper will be phased out. ■

BACKGROUND

Increasing pressures on hospitals to improve the quality of patient careensures that sophisticated technologies for onsite patient testing are indemand. Bayer Diagnostics specialises in near-patient testing and makesand sells a product called the Rapidpoint® 400 Whole Blood GasAnalyser. Trevor Allison, Director, Research & Development, BayerDiagnostics, says: “Previously these tests had to be done by labtechnicians. We wanted to make the equipment easier to use for non-technical people, such as doctors and nurses, without compromising onaccuracy or reliability.”

Bayer Diagnostics provides special pre-assembled cartridges withRapidpoint products, containing the correct reagents, tubes and sensorsneeded to carry out the tests. These cartridges last a month, and are putinto the machine by the medical staff. They contain a memory device,which keeps track of the contained reagents, their expiry date, calibrationdata and other essential information. This device is read by theRapidpoint 400 analyser, which automatically modifies its settings.

Before these cartridges can be sent to hospitals, they are tested onautomated test stations in Bayer Diagnostics, to check the tubes andvalves inside are fully functional. The unique information from eachcartridge has to be stored not only on the internal memory device, but ona central database so that employees can track and trace theinformation. But with the volume of outgoing cartridges reaching tens ofthousands a year, Bayer Diagnostics realised that its existing databasecould not cope with the amount of data they produced. “Weunderestimated the size of the overall system and found our existingsolution hit its limits too quickly,” says Allison.

Bayer Diagnostics manufactures the cartridges in the UK, but someparts come from the USA. “We wanted staff on both sides of the Atlanticto be able to trace the data as though all the parts were made in oneplace,” says Trevor. “We required a database that was easily accessed,

The Diagnostics Division of Bayer HealthCare develops machines that enable blood tests to becarried out in hospitals. These machines use cartridges, which contain and store important dataabout their content. Bayer needed to ensure its database could integrate with sophisticated testingequipment while supporting rapidly increasing volumes of data. With the help of Smart421, aMicrosoft Gold Certified Partner, it migrated to Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

Customer profileBayer Diagnostics is one of thelargest medical diagnosticsbusinesses in the world. Itemploys 8,000 members ofstaff and its products touchthe lives of five million patientsdaily in 100 countriesworldwide.

Business challengeBayer Diagnostics developscartridges for use in point-of-care patient testing machinesin hospitals. It needed a morerobust and reliable databasesystem to support theincreasing level of data thecartridges produced toguarantee accurate test results.

SolutionA Microsoft SQL Server 2000database, integrated withbespoke applications using theMicrosoft .NET Framework todevelop an interface betweenthe cartridge information onthe database, testingequipment, and radio frequencyidentification (RFID) tags.

Bayer Diagnostics Safeguards In-HousePatient Testing Equipment for Hospitals

Microsoft. NET Customer SolutionINDUSTRY

27

always available, and could deliver reports. With several automated teststations in operation, it was essential that the database was industrialstrength, saved the data properly and safely and that the informationcould be queried from anywhere without risking downtime.”

SOLUTION

In February 2003, Bayer Diagnostics looked for a partner to help itincrease the efficiency of cartridge production and safeguard theaccuracy of their data. Allison says: “Microsoft Access was effective on asmaller scale, but it didn’t match the speed at which the organisation wasgrowing. As a result, we suffered some downtime and accessibilityproblems from overseas.” Bayer Diagnostics chose software consultancySmart421, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, to develop the solution.“We knew very little about this kind of technology but were familiar withthe work of Smart421 and knew that it could help us,” says Allison.

Derek McNulty, Practice Manager, Smart421, says: “We suggestedthat Bayer Diagnostics migrate to Microsoft SQL Server 2000 to takeadvantage of its low maintenance data management. It offers thereliability the organisation needs and will scale to meet its demandingdata requirements.” SQL Server2000 replication enables BayerDiagnostics to copy, distribute and modify data from one database toanother over the Internet to ensure consistency. This enables multiplesites, such as the company’s USA facility, to keep copies of the samedata, which can be interrogated by reporting applications withoutcompromising database security.

In April 2003, Smart421 wrote a wizard-style interface for theautomated tester, which checks that cartridges are running correctly. Itguides the operator through the process via a series of instructions. Thisinterface also links the system to the SQL Server database, ensuring allinformation from the test is automatically written to the memory deviceon the cartridge. “All the traceability information that we need is loadedonto the cartridge,” says Allison. “The operator then carries out the finalassembly where any further information is loaded onto the memorydevice via SQL Server where it’s checked and validated.”

Smart421 developed the solution in the Microsoft C# and Visual Basic.NET programming language using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and theMicrosoft .NET Framework, which connects the organisation’s bespoke

“Rollout was prettypainless. Thesolution wasdeveloped andintegratedexceptionally fastand efficiently bySmart421.”

TREVOR ALLISONDIRECTOR, RESEARCH &DEVELOPMENTBAYER DIAGNOSTICS

Industry28

For more information aboutSmart 421, visit:www.smart421.com


29

applications with the test application. Visual Studio .NET draws on ClassLibraries of pre-built code components, reducing the volume of code thatdevelopers need to write from scratch.

Jonathan Hopper, Technical Director, Smart421, says: “We set out tobuild a components-based solution so that Bayer Diagnostics couldquickly develop new products with similar characteristics in future.”McNulty says: “It is easy to use and enables us to refine our approach tobuilding this type of system.”

The organisation upgraded the memory devices on the cartridges toradio frequency identification (RFID) tags. Programmed using .NET, theseenable the wireless management of identity and specification forcartridges. The solution went live in autumn 2003 after a one-daytechnology implementation and a four-week trial. “Rollout was prettypainless,” says Allison. “The solution was developed and integratedexceptionally fast and efficiently by Smart421.”

BENEFITS

Global accessSQL Server 2000 replication gives Bayer Diagnostics employees in theUK or the USA the much-needed flexibility to transform valuable data intoreports for sharing critical information across the business. The reportsprovide an enterprise-wide view of data and drive decision-makingprocesses, without compromising system security or risking downtime.“Users can trace a cartridge back to the ingredients that went into it, theoperators who assembled it, and so on,” says Allison.

Peace of mindWith cartridges that deliver consistent, accurate results, BayerDiagnostics continues to build on its reputation for delivery of stable,reliable solutions. The new solution prevents Bayer Diagnostics fromreleasing cartridges to the warehouse if they haven’t been fully validated.It also prevents them from being shipped out of the warehouse.

“If the cartridge somehow gets through those safeguards and writesthe wrong information to the Rapidpoint device in the hospital, it won’t beaccepted,” says Allison. “An inaccurate blood test could potentially leadto a patient’s misdiagnosis or wrong treatment. This solution ensures wehave a triple failsafe to ensure inaccurate readings never occur.”

Benefits• Enables international staff

to track and traceinformation

• Ensures incorrect devicesdon’t reach

Software and services• Microsoft Visual Basic .NET• Microsoft Visual C# .NET• Microsoft Visual Studio .NET

2002• Microsoft SQL Server• Microsoft Windows 2000

Professional• Microsoft Windows 2000


PartnersSmart 421

Increased sales As confidence in point-of-care technology grows, more hospitals areputting their faith in Bayer Diagnostics and are adopting the solution toimprove patient care. The demand for the solution is growing, but theorganisation is confident its platform will maintain high standards.“We are expecting the volume of these cartridges to increase rapidly,”says Allison. “Sales are already increasing but the data is now undercontrol and we are even launching a new cartridge in 2004.”

Hopper says: “One of the key aims was to increase the productionvolume without having to scale up the organisation’s existinginfrastructure, hire new people, or compromise quality. This solution hasincreased production volume but kept quality locked in.”

Consistent high standardsSQL Server ensures that the data stored at all stages of the solution issecure, yet accessible at all times to authorised employees. The high-performance database adapts easily to a rapidly changing environmentand eliminates the risk of downtime, which is essential in an industry thatrelies on smooth-running processes. “SQL Server 2000 ensures we nolonger get system crashes. We are also less likely to lose information andship a cartridge that hasn’t been through the entire system first,” saysAllison. “The system gives us full control and the knowledge that it’s asclose to foolproof and bombproof as possible.”

Scalable for the futureThe .NET-based environment enables system changes to be implementedquickly and easily with no need for architecture redesign. BayerDiagnostics can make improvements, and develop assembly practicesand cartridge components easily in substantially less time. This ensuresthat the company can cut costs in time and training and ensure that anynew products can reach challenging delivery deadlines. The organisationhas already set its sights on new technologies, such as wireless inventorycontrol and production flows.

“This is a great way of controlling our manufacturing quality,” saysAllison. “We are already using this platform for some of the otherinstruments and consumable parts that we build. Now that we have asystem that works, it sets a standard for future developments.” ■

“An inaccurateblood test couldpotentially lead to apatient’smisdiagnosis orwrong treatment.This solutionensures we have atriple failsafe toensure inaccuratereadings neveroccur.”

TREVOR ALLISONDIRECTOR, RESEARCH &DEVELOPMENTBAYER DIAGNOSTICS

Industry30

BACKGROUND

In the 1980s, after years of being funded almost entirely through theNational Health Service (NHS), dentists in the United Kingdom found thatdiminishing NHS funding was threatening their ability to offer patients thelatest and best techniques of dental care. The response of many was toconvert from the NHS to private dentistry services.

Today, about 35 per cent of UK dentistry is privately funded. Initially,dental plans were operated under national consumer brands. However, asindependent dentistry matured, demand grew for practice-specific patientplans and branding. As a direct result of these pressures, in 1996 DentalPayment Administration Services (DPAS) was formed to enable dentiststo offer independent, practice-branded payment plans to their patients.

Since its inception, DPAS has grown significantly. It became clear thatthe original IT solution, written by an in-house developer using MicrosoftAccess, was not capable of supporting the increasingly sophisticatedservices dental practices were demanding.

As Derinne Pargiter, General Manager at DPAS, recalls: “The systemwas fine for four or five years, but it was not able to offer the moresophisticated services or accommodate the customised andpersonalised patient dental plans our customers now required.”

In its place, the company needed a scalable solution, capable ofsupporting the substantial growth expected in the forthcoming years. Ithad to be able to model the business rules required to support practicebilling systems and provide the security needed for sensitive medical andfinancial patient data. Pargiter summarises the position: “We werebecoming more and more concerned with having to rely solely on a singledeveloper working in-house. DPAS wanted to offer its customers accessto self-service client applications, enabling dentists to view all patientinformation in real-time via the Internet, but we weren’t prepared to godown this route on the basis of a home made system with variouspatches added over the years.”

DPAS, a dental administration services provider, has implemented a new solution that allowsdentists to offer practice-branded personalised dental plans to patients. The solution, developedand implemented by system integration partner iMeta Technologies, is already processing over150,000 direct debits per month and, in the first year alone, has delivered £50k cost savings whilehandling a 30 per cent increase in business volume.

Customer profileDental Payment AdministrationServices (DPAS), based inWiltshire in the UnitedKingdom, was formed in 1996to enable dentists to offerindependent, practice-brandedpayment plans to theirpatients.

Business challengeFollowing significant growth inbusiness, the company’soriginal in-house IT solution,written using Microsoft Access,could no longer support theincreasingly sophisticatedpayment plans dental practiceswere demanding.

Dental Patient Plan Solution Bites off a 30 per cent Increase in Business


31

SOLUTION

In 2002, DPAS approached iMeta Technologies, a UK system integrationhouse, to develop a new platform. iMeta is a Microsoft Gold CertifiedPartner with a successful record of providing Web-based subscriptionadministration systems. The company chose Microsoft products, inparticular the Microsoft .NET Framework, because of the cost,performance, and maintenance benefits they deliver.

The Microsoft .NET Framework is an integral component of Windowsthat provides a programming model and runtime for Web services, Webapplications, and smart client applications.

iMeta worked closely with DPAS to gather the business and ITrequirements and to analyse and define the business processes involved.The solution, developed using iMeta’s metaCore product, takes fulladvantage of the .NET Framework to deliver a three-tier implementation ofthese processes and their data.

Steve Strong, chief technology officer at iMeta, says: “.NET enables usto provide a business process modelling environment in which thebusiness and data requirements are described in XML, from which mostof the system code is generated. The solution consists of .NETcomponents that allow us to separate the presentation and code layers,making for efficient ongoing development and maintenance. Theunderlying data store is SQL Server 2000.”

The first requirement, to link various billing and payment procedures,was accomplished through basic, template-driven composite applicationdevelopment. This is key to emerging, service-oriented, architecturalstructures. Strong confirms this: “DPAS had to be able to support a widerange of dental practice billing procedures and patient plan offerings. Byselecting the .NET Framework as the basis of their developmentenvironment, we reduced the need for extensive coding to create custombusiness applications.”

Microsoft Web services ensured that iMeta could fulfil DPAS’srequirement that dental practices should be able to access informationover the Internet. Strong explains: “.NET ensures that information can begained in real-time through the new DPAS portal, or through Web serviceapplications employing SOAP-encoded XML messages that cache thelocal data at the dental practice. The latter is essential where practicesdo not have always-on connectivity.”

“DPAS has beenable to reduce staffcosts by around£50,000 per yeareven though directvolume from dentalpractices hasincreased by 30 percent in 12 months.”

DERINNE PARGITERGENERAL MANAGERDPAS

Industry32


33

DPAS is pleased that iMeta’s use of Web services has produced aflexible system that can easily adapt to future business needs, asPargiter emphasises: “Web services and the .NET Framework have madeit possible for several hundred affiliated dental practices to offer a widerange of practice-branded, personal choice plans to meet the needs oftheir 200,000 patients. As a result, DPAS is processing around 150,000direct debits per month and we expect this figure to rise significantly inthe next few years.”

BENEFITSDPAS is a growing company and its business will inevitably evolve. It wasan important prerequisite, therefore, that the new system should be ableto cope with the company’s changing requirements, whether they be foradditional capabilities, or integration with third-party tools and externalsystems. The architecture they were able to implement using theMicrosoft .NET Framework ensures that the system will remain as flexibleas possible.

Greater developer productivity The .NET Framework maximises developer productivity through modulardevelopment methodologies and re-use of code. Developer effort isdramatically reduced and once functionality has been coded it is possibleto re-apply it wherever and whenever that capability is required.

This also means that developers can work concurrently on differentelements of the solution knowing that dependencies between them canbe easily resolved.

Strong confirms these benefits: “The .NET Framework delivers a hugeleap in productivity from the previous C++ and VB development tools. Thefunctionality available within the .NET class framework, and theconsistency that exists through the classes, makes the ramp-up minimaland dramatically reduces the amount of code that has to be written by thesoftware developer.”

As a result, development can focus on the business issues. Strongoffers the example of Web services: “.NET almost completely hides thesubstantial underlying Web service infrastructure, enabling the developerto concentrate on the business problem at hand, while still increasingoverall productivity.”

SolutionDPAS commissioned partneriMeta Technologies to developand implement a new solutioncapable of supporting a widerange of dental practice billingprocedures and brandedpatient plan offerings, withreal-time access to patientinformation via the Internet.The solution is based oniMeta’s metaCore product andbuilt using the Microsoft .NETFramework.

Benefits• £50k annual reduction in

administrative costs• 30 per cent increase in

business volume• Improved customer service• Improved management

information• Protected infrastructure

investment • Ongoing IT cost savings• Increased developer

productivity• Fast system performance• Assured reliability

Ongoing IT cost savingsEfficiencies gained through increased developer productivity deliverobvious cost savings. Additionally, the separation of the presentation andcode layers achieved by ASP.NET in the .NET Framework’s tieredarchitecture simplifies ongoing maintenance to offer further savings indownstream costs.

Strong offers other examples of the cost savings the .NET Frameworkcan deliver: “Being based on the Windows platform, the final solution isalso highly cost competitive compared to other platforms. These are oftensignificantly more expensive, particularly when hardware costs areincluded, both on initial purchase costs and support and upgrades.”

Fast performance, assured reliability, high scalabilityAs DPAS is predicting further high growth and increased demand, it isessential to protect infrastructure investment with future-proofedsystems. iMeta is confident that Microsoft technologies have resolvedthese issues for DPAS.

Strong says: “The speed and reliability of systems developed using the.NET Framework is extremely good and SQL Server provides a highlycapable back-end database. The Web services architecture providesflexibility and ensures that DPAS’s ongoing business development planswill not be hampered by IT platform obsolescence. In addition, the scalingmodel of the Microsoft architecture provides good platform value,defeating other standard platforms in terms of performance and cost.”

Improved business efficiencyFor a company achieving large increases in business volume, sustainablegrowth is possible only if every opportunity is taken to maximise businessperformance. iMeta has exploited to the full the capability of the .NETFramework to improve the efficiency of the DPAS business.

Pargiter offers some compelling evidence: “DPAS has been able toreduce staff costs by around £50,000 per year, even after allowing for thecost of the external support from iMeta and even though direct volumefrom dental practices has increased by 30 per cent in 12 months.Furthermore, thanks to improvements in the accuracy of reporting, thecompany has been able to respond to increased practice inquiries withouthaving to hire additional staff.”

“The speed andreliability ofsystems developedusing the .NETFramework isextremely good andSQL Server providesa highly capableback-end database.The Web servicesarchitectureprovides flexibilityand ensuresongoing businessdevelopment planswill not behampered by ITplatformobsolescence.”

STEVE STRONGCTOiMETA

Industry34

For more information aboutiMeta, visit: www.imeta.com


35

Accurate calculation of patient direct debits is vital – dentists andpatients will not tolerate billing mistakes. Pargiter has no doubt that thenew system ensures this is the case: “We are confident that direct debitadministration has become even more efficient. We no longer suffer fromunexpected incorrect debit calculations, which saves staff time, avoidsgoodwill payments and increases our reputation.”

Better service, higher customer satisfactionThe DPAS remote access capability allows customer dental practices todownload their monthly reports directly. This saves money by avoidingprinting and postage costs, and saves time spent on mailing the reports.

Pargiter sees further advantage for their customers: “Remote accessallows practices to answer their own queries by accessing patient datadirectly. By helping them avoid the need to contact the office, we enablethem to serve their patients more effectively while saving them time andthe cost of the calls.”

Enhanced business dataBetter financial and business reporting, including the generation of ad hocqueries by internal staff, has given DPAS much better control over itsmission-critical data and a clearer understanding of its own businessprocesses. “A key benefit of implementing the system is the improvedintegrity of underlying data and payment calculation structures,” saysPargiter. “This is helping staff avoid mistakes, a problem that wasbecoming worse with our previous system. As a result, payments tocustomer dental practices are being calculated more accurately and beingpaid more promptly.”

DPAS's experience shows that the adoption of the .NET Framework andWeb services can bring immediate improvements in customerconnectivity and managing the business-to-business delivery of complexinformation. Pargiter concludes: “Effective analysis of businessprocesses was central to the project's success and has allowed us tounderstand our business more clearly. Healthcare and other serviceorganisations that need to manage complex data stores in a real-timeenvironment can learn from our experience with .NET how to maximize thebenefits of information technology investments to improve the servicethey offer their customers.” ■

Software and Services• Microsoft .NET Framework• Microsoft Visual Studio .NET• Microsoft SQL Server 2000

PartnersiMeta Technologies Ltd

BACKGROUND

Many organisations require access to address and postcode-relatedinformation order to capture information about their customers.Traditionally, such information has been provided to enterprises usingcompressed data stored on their own local IT infrastructures. However,the UK address database has 27 million addresses and requires as manyas 100,000 updates per month. The volume and dynamism of this dataresults in a number of challenges. As well as finding ways to compressdata for delivery to customers, traditional software providers have notfound it cost effective to send out regular CD updates. This has resultedin businesses using obsolete data.

To overcome these problems, Postcode Anywhere developed anaddress database and Web service to make this information availableonline. The new service enables users to pay for address queries on a per-use basis, making it highly accessible to both large corporates and smallerorganisations. In addition, the service updates information remotely,eliminating data integrity issues and removing manual update processes.

One example of a company that has benefited from the PostcodeAnywhere service is the Office of Telecommunications Ombudsman(Otelo), a not-for-profit organisation that handles consumer and small-business complaints against telecommunications providers. Establishedin October 2002, Otelo had the opportunity to build its IT infrastructurefrom the ground up. It chose to work with technology solutions providerVigence to select software, office equipment and a phone system. Theresulting solution enables Otelo to operate with minimal IT infrastructureon site, eliminating the need for maintenance and updates internally.

To deliver the best possible service, Otelo needed to capture customerinformation in the most efficient way possible. Achieving this with nosoftware tools can result in mistakes and slow service. In addition, Oteloplanned to scale up from a few call centre operatives to 50 people in atight timeframe. It needed address verification on a pay-per-use basis.

“Since we startedworking with the.NET Framework, wehave achieved a 60-70 per cent savingin development timeand costs. Much ofthis is due to theextensive classlibraries providedwith the .NETFramework. Theseeliminate most ofthe fiddlydevelopment tasksrequired for a pureASP-basedimplementation.”

GUY MUCKLOWMDPOSTCODE ANYWHERE

Retail36

Postcode Anywhere has developed a Web service to enables organisations to capture and verifycustomer details quickly and easily, with no need to manage large-scale address databases inhouse. The service, which was developed using the Microsoft .NET Framework, is already helpingmore than 700 clients to serve their customers better. One customer already reaping benefitsfrom the service is the Office of Telecommunications Ombudsman (Otelo).

Postcode Anywhere Delivers Web Servicefor Accurate, Address-Based Information

With support from Vigence, Otelo has implemented a solution using thePostcode Anywhere Web service to collect information about customersquickly. The service has revolutionised the delivery of address-basedinformation and is currently in use by more than 700 customers acrosssectors including public authorities, travel, finance and utilities. AndrewBradley, Communications Manager, Otelo, says: “With PostcodeAnywhere, we can be sure that all our information is always up to dateand deliver the best possible service to our customers.”

SOLUTION

The Postcode Anywhere Web service, which was developed using theMicrosoft .NET Framework and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, enablescustomers to access accurate address information. It offers more than27 million UK addresses and US data for a further 130 million homes.

Jamie Turner, IT Director, Postcode Anywhere, says: “The .NETFramework is an integral component of Windows that provides aprogramming model and runtime for Web services, Web applications andsmart client applications, and streamlines the development process forwriting Web services. This is because it provides mature object-orientedprogramming languages, such as Microsoft Visual Basic .NET, that offergenuine object-oriented facilities, such as strong typing, inheritance andpolymorphism. We have real confidence that an application or Webservice developed using the .NET Framework will work. It also makesprolonged de-bugging in languages such as C++ a thing of the past.”

Another benefit of the .NET Framework is that application componentscan easily be shared between different products. Postcode Anywhereoffers services for public and corporate customers, which are verydifferent. The .NET Framework enables the services to share manycomponents of the code base – reducing duplication of developmenteffort. The openness of the .NET development environment also makesit simple for users to hook into the system. New customers can find theWeb service and controls for the service on the Postcode Anywhere Website and ‘sign up’, by following a straightforward process. Web servicesbuilt using the .NET Framework can be called by any Web services client.

The database that underpins the Postcode Anywhere service is built onMicrosoft SQL Server 2000. The front end of the service goes throughMicrosoft Internet Information Server (IIS) 5.0 on Windows 2000 Server.

Customer profilePostcode Anywhere enablesorganisations to quickly andaccurately capture an addressfrom a postcode or zipcode.

SituationPostcode Anywhere has workedwith the earliest beta releasesof the .NET Framework since2000. When it identified aniche to deliver address-basedinformation as a fully-hostedWeb service, it decided todevelop the offering using theMicrosoft .NET Framework.

SolutionUsing the .NET Framework,Postcode Anywhere hasdeveloped an offering that isavailable either as a fullyhosted Web service, or as alocal solution which is updatedvia the Web.

Benefits• Time and cost savings for

end-users• Development costs reduced

by 60-70 per cent• Enterprise-level security• Fast, simple set up for

customers• Reliability


37

This has given Postcode Anywhere the capability to scale the service tomeet the very high demands. Turner says: “Microsoft SQL Server hasperformed incredibly well at the back end and manipulating data is veryfast. While most competitors have made big investments in technology tocompress data, we host uncompressed data for maximum performancefor the public service. We have also introduced a service for corporatecustomers who host the data locally. This uses a different, more compactdata structure that occupies just 2 gigabytes. More importantly though, itis updateable and regular updates are downloaded from our Web serversover a secure connection. As a result of this bandwidth-efficientreplication, corporate customers can install the data on their ownmachines and they never need to touch it again.”

BENEFITS

Time and cost savings for end usersBy using the Postcode Anywhere Web service, in tandem with othercustomer-oriented software applications, Otelo has reduced the averagetime required to serve customers from one hour to just 30-40 minutes.Andrew Bradley, Communications Manager, Otelo, says: “We save severalminutes per call as a direct result of the Postcode Anywhere Web service.This means we easily save two or three hours every day. As a result, wecan deliver a better service to callers and handle queries more quickly.”

In addition, says Bradley, “The system is extremely user friendly andeasy to configure. Training is never an issue.”

The service also provides an open interface to enable additionalcustomer service features for Postcode Anywhere clients. Bradley says:“In the future, Otelo will make our services available to customers via aWeb site. The Postcode Anywhere service can be exposed online to helpcustomers register their details. Because accessibility and transparencyare such big issues in the service we provide, we need to make it easyfor people to register complaints across a range of channels includingSMS messaging, phone and the Internet. The Postcode Anywhere offeringhelps us to achieve this going forward.”

Development costs reduced by 60-70 per centFor Postcode Anywhere, the .NET Framework has enabled significant timeand cost savings throughout the development process. Guy Mucklow, MD,

“Security featuresare built into thesystem to monitorusage and protectour customers. If anorganisationexperiences asudden increase inusage, we canimmediately isolateit, send a messageto the client, andnotify our own staffto investigate.”

GUY MUCKLOWMDPOSTCODE ANYWHERE

Industry38

Software and Services• Microsoft .NET Framework• Microsoft Visual Basic .NET• Microsoft SQL Server 2000

PartnerPostcode Anywhere


Postcode Anywhere, says: “Since we started working with the .NETFramework, we have achieved a 60-70 per cent saving in developmenttime and costs. Much of this is due to the extensive class librariesprovided with the .NET Framework. These eliminate most of the fiddlydevelopment tasks required in the past.

“For example, we are currently working on a new version of our desktopclient application, which was originally written in Visual Basic 6.0. Firsttime around, it took one developer two to three months to get the baseline code in place. With .NET, we reduced this to just two to three weeks.”

Security fit for the enterpriseThe Postcode Anywhere service is protected by Microsoft IIS. Thisintegrates seamlessly with the Microsoft .NET Framework and MicrosoftSQL Server. Mucklow says: “Security features are built into the system tomonitor usage and protect our customers. If an organisation experiencesa sudden increase in usage, we can immediately isolate it, send amessage to the client, and notify our own staff to investigate. We havehad excellent feedback from clients when these security features kick in.Even where accelerated use of the system is legitimate, customers arehappy to know that their operations are being monitored and protected.”

Fast, simple set up for customersThe Postcode Anywhere Web service enables new users to be configuredquickly on the system using a wizard interface. This also applies tosmaller organisations, which have traditionally found it difficult to sourceaddress-information solutions. Mucklow says: “Organisations of all sizescan call us for desktop licences and we can have them up and running intwo or three minutes. We can also send invoices electronically in near realtime, making the entire process of using the service quick and painless.”

ReliabilityBecause the system is highly reliable, Postcode Anywhere can focus ITresources on ongoing development rather than on maintenance and thereliability of the Microsoft SQL Server 2000 database helps to provide aseamless customer experience. Jamie Turner, IT Director, PostcodeAnywhere, says: “The system requires very little day-to-day maintenance.The servers have been running trouble free since June 2003.” ■

39

For more information aboutPostcode Anywhere, visit:www.postcodeanywhere.com

BACKGROUND

Like so many success stories, this one was set in motion by adversecircumstances. In 1999, a public inquiry into the performance of theAmbulance Trust in East Anglia concluded that the operational servicewas not achieving its response time targets. The inquiry identified anumber of issues, both managerial and technical, and an executivemanagement team was appointed to address them. The remit was toimprove the delivery and performance of the service by streamlining thebusiness processes, which would require sophisticated supportingtechnology for use within the emergency control centre.

As Rob Mason, Assistant Director of Operations for the East AngliaAmbulance Trust, explains: “Response times have more to do with thepreparation of resources before emergency calls are received, than withwhat happens after the calls are taken. This is especially the case in EastAnglia, one of the most rural areas in the country, where there is also avery poor road network.”

At the heart of the Trust’s strategy was the adoption of operationalmethods, developed in the US, that focus on the alignment of resourcesto activity – by hour of the day, day of the week, and seasonally. Theprinciple objectives of this operational model are easy to understand: toensure the resources needed are on duty; and when they are, to positionthem geographically so they are in as close proximity as possible to thelikely need. Achieving these objectives, however, would require businesschange, cultural and procedural, and strategic investment in IT.

The existing systems were inadequate, as Mason recalls: “We had adiversity of legacy, UNIX and text-based systems in the control centre. Itwas difficult to extract the resource information we needed to make thenecessary decisions. In particular, the real-time information thedispatchers depend on was simply not available. Dispatchers need toknow how many vehicles they have at their disposal at any one moment.They must be able to prioritise where those vehicles ought to be

The East Anglia Ambulance Trust, one of the most rural ambulance services in the country, hasimplemented a new operational management system. The solution consists of TriTech’s VisiCADproduct, tailored to the Trust’s specific needs using the Microsoft .NET Framework. Since itsimplementation, the Trust is consistently exceeding its response time targets, has reduced supportcosts by 20 per cent and improved productivity to the value of over £3 million a year.

Customer profileThe East Anglia AmbulanceTrust is part of the NHS teamin East Anglia. The Trustprovides emergency medicalcare services and non-emergency transport servicesto patients throughout theregion.

Business challengeTo meet its response timetarget of attending 75 per centof calls within eight minutes,the Trust’s executivemanagement team needed toimprove the delivery andperformance of the service bystreamlining the businessprocesses, which requiredsophisticated supportingtechnology for use within theemergency control centre.

Ambulance Trust Achieves Response Targetsand Rescues £3m Annual Productivity

Microsoft. NET Customer SolutionPUBLIC SECTOR

41

positioned, in relation to historical demand, by hour of the day and day ofthe week. This is a process we know as ‘system status planning’.”

With existing systems that were unable to do this, it was inevitable thatthe Trust would have to build a new IT infrastructure.

SOLUTION

The Trust’s strategy was to develop an IT infrastructure built on theMicrosoft Windows platform using Microsoft technologies, as JasonBrown, System Analyst for the East Anglia Ambulance Trust, recalls:“When we started looking for a computer-aided dispatch system (CAD)one of our requirements was that it had to be Windows-based, ideallyusing Microsoft SQL Server. We wanted to standardise our productportfolio across the operation, using best-of-breed solutions that met ourbusiness needs.”

With such specific needs, the Trust knew that no one system wouldprecisely match their requirements. However, experience elsewhere hadtaught them that developing a mission critical system in-house was not arealistic option. Their strategy was to seek an existing solution that bestmet their requirements and a development environment that wouldsupport the in-house tailoring necessary to meet their needs exactly.

VisiCAD from TriTech Software Systems, a US Microsoft SolutionsProvider, was selected as the best fit solution and the Microsoft .NETFramework was chosen to provide the development environment.VisiCAD’s three-tier client-server architecture allows bespoke tailoring ofthe product in any programming environment and easy integration withother systems. The .NET Framework is an integral component of Windowsthat provides a programming model and runtime for Web services, Webapplications, and smart client applications.

The additional capabilities that the Trust needed to develop included anautomated dispatch system for lay response teams, Web access tointernal management reports, and improved interfaces to externalsystems. The strengths of the .NET Framework, in particular Visual Studio.NET, ASP.NET and its ability to easily support multi-threaded applications,were instrumental in the Trust achieving these improvements.

Brown confirms this: “Although VisiCAD gave us the system statusplanning capability, it did not provide all we needed. However, we wereconfident that .NET would enable us to develop the additional capabilities

“The advantages of.NET have helpedmake it possible toachieve significantperformance andproductivityimprovementsdespite relentlessactivity increases.”

ROB MASONASSISTANT DIRECTOROF OPERATIONSEAST ANGLIAAMBULANCE TRUST

Public sector42

SolutionHaving implemented VisiCADfrom TriTech Software Systemsas a best fit solution, theTrust’s in-house developmentteam used the Microsoft .NETFramework to tailor the systemto meet their specific needs.

Benefits• £3m annual increase in

productivity• Fast, efficient code

development• 20 per cent saving on direct

support costs• Response time targets

exceeded



Server• Microsoft .NET Framework• Microsoft ASP.NET


we had to have to meet 100% of our business needs.” Mason agrees:“.NET gave us the opportunity to acquire everything we needed. Withoutthis approach we could not have achieved the results we have today.”

BENEFITS

Response times have a clinical component, the faster help arrives thegreater the chance of saving life and the better the patient’s quality of lifewill be afterwards. At the time of the 1999 public inquiry, the East AngliaAmbulance Trust was managing to respond to 38 per cent of emergencycalls within eight minutes. During 2000, changes to the business culture,working practices and management procedures, had improved the figureto 53 per cent in eight minutes. Today, the target response rate of 75 percent of emergency calls being attended within eight minutes is beingconsistently achieved and very often exceeded. The .NET Framework hasbeen central to this achievement and has delivered many other benefits.

Faster, more efficient and cost-effective code development, An essential capability that the purchased solution did not provide wasWeb access to internal reports for the Trust’s managers. Using sourcedata continuously updated from the live operational database to a datawarehouse to avoid degrading live performance, the first reports werewritten using classic ASP. However, as soon as .NET was released, reportdevelopment was migrated into Visual Studio .NET and ASP.NET.

Brown explains why: “We took this decision because it gave us accessto a standard programming model rather than a sequential model of Webpage development. This provides a far more flexible Web developmentenvironment, in which the presentation and code layers are separated. Itallows page design to be re-engineered without having to re-code the entirepage, decreases the risk of introducing errors, and reduces the ongoingcost of code maintenance.” By enabling the re-use of code, the .NETFramework reduces both the time and cost of development, as Masonexplains: “.NET allows us to compartmentalise code into modules that canbe used across the different applications that we are developing.”

Improved system reliability, reduced costsThe original interfaces supplied by the vendor, such as those to pagingand vehicle location systems, were written as Visual Basic applications.

43

The Trust decided to re-write these using the .NET Framework to gainbetter reliability, higher performance and more flexibility to add and adjustfeatures without having to make any further investment in hardware.

Brown is enthusiastic about the improvements: “.NET allows us to usemultiple threads, which is very difficult to achieve reliably in Visual Basic.The result is 100 per cent reliability. The system has never failed. Intesting, we even unplugged the network cable; when we put it back in, thesystem recovered without a problem. This is a mission critical application;it needs to be running 24/7. We had some initial concerns about usingnew technology for such important development. We need not haveworried. “Mason offers further benefits: “By developing our own interfaceswe have also made 20 per cent savings on direct support costs.”

Increased system performanceSignificant system performance improvements have also been achieved.The automatic vehicle location (AVL) interface, is a case in point. It needsto deal with location reports from each of the Trust’s 130 vehicles everyeight seconds. Brown provides the detail: “The original performancecompromised the running of the whole system, servers and terminals.There were times when the AVL messages would be a few minutes behind..NET has resolved the performance issues and there is no longer any AVLlatency. Ensuring the dispatchers have accurate, real time vehicle locationinformation is a critical factor in achieving our response time targets.”

Automated operational processesProviding emergency care in one of the country’s most rural areasrequires innovative solutions. One example is lay response teams;members of local communities, trained and equipped with defibrillators,oxygen and basic life support techniques, who supply the initial responsein rural villages until an ambulance arrives.

In a rural environment with thousands of villages, dispatching layresponse teams requires sophisticated targeting, as Mason explains:“We have to know if the resource is available, whether the call meets thecriteria, what contact method should be used, how to provide theinformation required, and to track the team’s progress. .NET has enabledus to automate the whole process. We have developed a mobile phone(cell phone) interface, which automatically notifies respondents of calls

“When we startedlooking for acomputer-aideddispatch system(CAD) one of ourrequirements wasthat it had to beWindows based,ideally usingMicrosoft SQLServer. We wantedto standardise ourproduct portfolioacross theoperation, usingbest of breedsolutions that metour businessneeds.”

JASON BROWNSYSTEM ANALYSTEAST ANGLIAAMBULANCE TRUST

Public sector44


45

using SMS and allows them to update their status on the CAD system toindicate that they are responding. No dispatcher is involved.”

Rapid access to management informationThe Trust realised that easier access to more detailed managementinformation was an essential factor in improving its service. ASP.NET wasused to develop a suite of management reports that are accessible fromanywhere within the NHS intranet. One example is a graphical report thatshows the location of every vehicle each minute of the day. Mason is clearabout the importance of such reports: “We have better operationalcontrol of the business, its performance and costs. We have reduced thetime it takes to respond to complaints and the administrative burden ofdoing so; we can see what every vehicle was doing at the time, wherethey were positioned, and how many calls were ongoing. A report thatused to take all day to generate can now be produced in five seconds.”

Improved service, greater value for moneyDuring the latter half of 2003, the Trust experienced a 15-20 per centincrease in demand. This was matched by only a small increase inresources compared with the previous year. Yet thanks to the increasedproductivity made possible by the new system, they were able to maintaintheir ability to meet their response time targets.

In achieving this, the .NET Framework has helped to improveproductivity to the value of £3 million annually, as Mason makes clear:“The advantages of .NET have helped make it possible to achievesignificant performance and productivity improvements despite relentlessactivity increases. With the previous technology we’d have needed, year-on-year, a 10 per cent increase on our £30 million annual budget to meetthis increased demand within the response time thresholds. In practicalterms, we would have been forced to miss our response time targets.”

Mason believes that stakeholders have every reason to be pleased withthe increased value for money the .NET Framework has helped to deliver:“East Anglia is a success story over the last four years, not just inimprovements in response times, but throughout our working practices.Underpinning this success story is the use of technology, and underpinningthe technology is the use of the latest Microsoft products and our strategyof tailoring best-of-breed solutions to our own needs.” ■

BACKGROUND

Jersey Post delivers a range of traditional mail and logistical solutions. Thecompany is also streamlining its existing services to deliver innovativeinformation-based solutions that are founded on electronic businessprocesses. To enable this next generation of service delivery, Jersey Postmust deal with large volumes of diverse documents every day. Processingdocuments on behalf of business customers is very time-consuming.Jersey Post, which processes around 15 million documents a year, wantedto cut the cost of document management and facilitate the electronicpresentation of documents to customers and business partners.

Jersey Post manages transactions throughout its retail network on itspoint-of-sale (POS) system, WebRiposte®, provided by Escher Group. Thisinformation is then shared with corporate customers and businesspartners, such as the banks and utilities companies that use Jersey Postto collect their payments. All customer and partner account and billinginformation is fed into Jersey Post’s enterprise systems, such asaccounting and customer relationship management (CRM). Dependence onpaper-based processes to provide information to all of its customers andpartners was resulting in growing costs and causing a drain on resources.

Managing business processes effectively requires a seamless flow ofinformation, both externally and internally. In the past, integrationbetween systems at Jersey Post was achieved using bespokedevelopments. No direct integration existed between WebRiposte, the billprocessing system or the company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP)system, provided by Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains (MBSGreat Plains). Transactions originating at the POS were being manuallykeyed into the MBS Great Plains system.

Michael Boarer, Head of Business Systems, Jersey Post, says: “Weneeded to integrate our various disparate systems. At the same time, wecouldn’t afford to fund ad hoc development projects every time weneeded data integration. We also wanted the flexibility to deliver a range

“In switching ourapproach fordocument deliverysolutions to usingBizTalk Server2004, we can saveabout 75 per cent incosts in terms ofresources, manpower and softwaremanagement.”

MICHAEL BOARERHEAD OF BUSINESSSYSTEMSJERSEY POST

Public sector46

Due to rapid expansion of its hybrid and electronic services, Jersey Post could no longer supportthe lengthy processes required to collect and present financial, billing and sales information. Todeliver better service to customers and to work with business partners more effectively, JerseyPost has implemented a solution based on Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004 with the help ofSystems Integrator Unilog. As a result, it has realised time savings of more than 50 per cent.

Jersey Post Aims to cut DocumentManagement and Communication Costs

of documents in different formats to any number of customers andpartners without significant recoding.”

SOLUTION

In January 2003, Jersey Post met with Microsoft to discuss theimplementation of Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004. It chose systemsintegrator Unilog to scope the project and deliver the implementation. Thedecision was based on Unilog’s experience of delivering successfulenterprise-level solutions and its in-depth knowledge of BizTalk Server2004 and the Microsoft .NET Framework development environment.

Unilog is an IT services specialist providing consultancy, systemsintegration and applications management. It has offices across Europeand a workforce of 6,800. As a Microsoft Certified Partner, it implementsMicrosoft products and technologies, as well as partnering with Microsoftin developing emerging technologies. With expertise in integration, portals,content management, e-commerce, and bespoke .NET development,Jersey Post found Unilog to be the ideal implementation partner.

The new architecture uses BizTalk Server 2004 at its core. As BizTalkServer is an XML-based messaging hub it can be easily integrated with allenterprise systems as the company’s customer base grows and changes.The solution was also built within the Microsoft .NET Framework, whichenables disparate systems to be connected quickly via Web services.This means that Jersey Post can add new customers with new datapresentation requirements quickly and easily with no need forarchitecture redesign. Mike Prager, Principal Consultant, Unilog, says:“The Microsoft .NET-enabled architecture integrates disparate systemsinternally, enabling Jersey Post to centralise and automate processesacross its entire infrastructure. Because the .NET Framework makes itfaster to develop solutions, we were able to integrate the existinginfrastructure very quickly. Using .NET we have been able to reduce thedevelopment time for the project by around 50 per cent.”

Jersey Post is fully standardised on Microsoft technology andconsidered BizTalk Server 2004 to be a good fit with its existingarchitecture. Microsoft products already in use at the company include:Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains; Microsoft SQL Server 2000;Microsoft Office 2003; Microsoft Windows XP; Microsoft Office XP;Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Boarer says: “MBS Great Plains givesus excellent visibility across our ERP processes. For example, it enables

Customer profileJersey Post provides acomplete postal service acrossJersey. As a leading provider ofglobal distribution andcommunication solutions ande-business services, thecompany both supports andembraces innovative, emergingtechnologies.

Business challengeDue to rapid expansion of itshybrid and electronic services,Jersey Post could no longersupport the lengthy processesrequired to collect and presentfinancial and billinginformation. No integrationexisted between its variousinternal systems, socommunication of informationwas inefficient.

SolutionThe company decided toimplement an integration hubthat could connect itsdisparate systems and reducecosts and increase efficiencyacross the board.


47

us to manage the accounting function, report on our performance andshare data with other business systems. However, to maximise the valueof this comprehensive system, we needed to integrate POS, financial andother operational data from disparate internal systems in real time.

“The MBS CRM application we propose to use is designed to plug intoBizTalk Server. This enables direct mapping of account information intothe ERP system. It will enable us to provide a much slicker service for oursalesforce and our customer service team, because customerinformation can now be related to new sales opportunities. If we had triedto build a solution without BizTalk, we would have reached gridlock.BizTalk gives us an open, extensible solution which is designed to give usthe manageability and resilience that will scale to meet our needs.”

The business requirements changed at a significant point in theproject. Without BizTalk Server 2004 this would have required major re-work and would have had a serious impact on the deliverable timescales.However, the flexibility of BizTalk Server 2004 and the Microsoft .NETFramework meant that the change had little affect on the projecttimelines. But it did yield some additional major business benefits.

Prager says: “Had we built this solution from the ground-up, the impactof this change would have cost the business dearly and pushed thedelivery dates out considerably. Relying on BizTalk and its flexiblearchitecture meant we could easily accommodate this as well asexpected or unexpected changes to the business strategy.”

BENEFITS

Delivers greater value to customers With BizTalk 2004 in place, Jersey Post can automate delivery ofdocument management solutions for its business customers. Wherestatements, billing information and other critical documents werepreviously developed as independent solutions, they can now beaccommodated by a standard communications hub.

Serge Le Moeligou, Business Development, Sales and E-CommerceDirector, Jersey Post, says: “By integrating our systems and exchanginginformation with business partners using XML, we can reduce ourdocument management, presentation and communication costsdramatically, while increasing operational efficiency. BizTalk is a greattechnology that we’ve been waiting for, for a long time.”

“If we had tried tobuild a solutionwithout BizTalk2004, we wouldhave reachedgridlock. BizTalkgives us an open,extensible solutionwhich is designed togive us themanageability andresilience that willscale to meet ourneeds.”

MICHAEL BOARERHEAD OF BUSINESSSYSTEMSJERSEY POST

Public sector48

Benefits• Reduced costs by 75 per

cent• Reduced document delivery

time• Reduced development time

by around 50 per cent• Eliminated errors in manual

processes

Software and servicesMicrosoft BizTalk Server 2004Microsoft .NET Framework

PartnersUnilog


Boarer says: “In switching our approach to document delivery to anelectronic process based on BizTalk 2004, we can save about 75 per centin costs in terms of resources, man power and software management.”

Increases flexibility and service range Because Jersey Post has built a modular architecture, it can integrate newcustomers, exchange new document formats and connect additionalsystems internally without engaging in significant additional developmentwork. Le Moeligou says: “It’s all about being able to take data in anyshape or form from new clients. We can accommodate more customerswith different types of data structures at reduced costs. We see BizTalkServer as a strategic technology that is having a dramatic and positiveeffect on the way we operate. It gives us the capability we need to developand adapt our existing technology for future solutions – whether they areinside Jersey or abroad.”

Reduces costs by 75 per centBy automating communications in the online environment, Jersey Postcan offer a lower cost of entry so its customers can exchange dataelectronically at significantly reduced costs. As the business grows morerapidly, the BizTalk Server will be able to handle increased numbers ofcustomers who want to enjoy the same benefits.

Le Moeligou continues: “We can pass value on to our customers interms of lower operating costs and lower cost of entry. Clients can comein and present documents very easily. We can take data from any sourcethey have and the system will present it in a standard format so the costsare kept to a minimum. We’ll still be handling clients’ physical mail, butwe have the ability to track the use of the digital presentment and, overa period of time, eliminate many manual business processes.”

In addition, the solution will scale to handle Jersey Post’s rapidlygrowing customer base. Moeligou says: “BizTalk 2004 offers majorscalability enhancements. We deal with over half a million transactionsper week over post office counters in Jersey and we now feel that we havethe ability to manage huge transaction volumes going forward.”

Reduces document delivery time by 50 per centJersey Post anticipates a 50 per cent reduction in the time required to

49

For more information aboutUnilog, visit www.unilog.co.uk

present documents for customers and partners. This saving ispredominantly due to reduced administration, such as re-keying data.

Le Moeligou says: “The interface will sit between our retail outlets andour main accounting system. At the moment, information about sales andbilling often has to be keyed into our accounting system manually. BizTalkautomates this process and reduces the administrative burdensignificantly.” Boarer says: “We expect to halve the time it takes us todeliver documents to our customers. There will also be less time spent onmonitoring and correcting failures. This will free up IT resources for morestrategic development projects that will add value for our customers.”

Delivers greater control over information managementBizTalk Server allows Jersey Post to track and monitor its transactions atevery stage of their lifecycles. With greater manageability and reliability,the new solution can provide Jersey Post with unprecedented control overthe information it handles.

Le Moeligou says: “BizTalk gives me the confidence that the data Ireceive has the right specification before I start working with it. Previously,I could work on a piece of data for an hour before discovering that a clienthad altered the information in some way. To me, BizTalk is all about easeof use, control, accountability and meeting client expectations.”

Future plansBizTalk will support rapid growth at Jersey Post. Le Moeligou says: “We’relooking to grow the business not just on the island of Jersey but outsideas well. We’re currently talking to some large organisations that want tofind out more about the benefits we have realised by managing ourelectronic documents electronically and sharing them in near real-time.

Jersey Post is delighted with the Unilog implementation and is now onthe Microsoft Rapid Adoption Programme for Microsoft BizTalk Server2004. With future co-operation from both Unilog and Microsoft, JerseyPost is positioned to both support and enhance its business strategies inthe future.

Boarer says: “Jersey Post has a business vision to ensure its futuresuccess in a digital world; we call it the Multi-channel business model. Itis essential that the technology, which will help enable that vision, isharmonised with the business strategy.” ■

“BizTalk 2004 offersmajor scalabilityenhancements. Wedeal with over half amillion transactionsper week over postoffice counters inJersey and we nowfeel that we havethe ability tomanage hugetransaction volumesgoing forward.”

SERGE LE MOELIGOUBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTSALES AND E-COMMERCEDIRECTORJERSEY POST

Public sector50

BACKGROUND

Public sector service delivery is undergoing fundamental change. E-government strategies are driving a wholesale shift from the traditionalreactive and departmentalised model of public sector service delivery, toa proactive model offering integrated service across disciplines. The newvision is one of seamless service delivery combining all public servicestakeholders, with the citizen as the focus. The business drivers areprocess transformation and enhanced customer experiences sustainedby interoperability, scalability, cost efficiency and performance targets.

A major influence driving this change is the Implementing ElectronicGovernment (IEG) initiative and, in particular, the e-government target of100 per cent electronic service delivery by 2005. Robert Crozier isBusiness Development Director of VisionWare plc, an independentsoftware vendor (ISV) that specialises in the electronic delivery of end-to-end service processes and the provision of trusted data for the publicsector. He offers a specific example of the challenges involved: “Thesuccess of public sector service delivery is measured against numerouskey performance indicators (KPI). One of the principle targets is to resolve80–90 per cent of citizen requests for service during the first contact.Currently, the average is 20-30 per cent.”

According to Crozier, “A local authority could hold records about anycitizen on up to 70 systems. The same citizen can also be a medicalpatient. Scores of line of business applications in the health servicemanage the delivery of acute care in hospitals and primary care throughGP surgeries. Patients will have their details held on every systemapplicable to each episode of care. When an individual’s details change,the new details need to be known by all of these systems.” In the past,disconnected and discrete business systems and processes have madethe replication of information across health and local authority systemsan intractable task. In turn, the isolation of these individual systems hasmade the provision of trusted data well nigh impossible.

VisionWare plc has developed an integrated solution for public sector customers that enables themto provide joined-up services to the citizen. Public sector departments and agencies can now shareaccurate and reliable status information on every citizen. VisionWare achieves this by combiningand cleansing data from all line of business applications to create and maintain a trusted electronicrepository, in effect “virtual electronic persons”.

Customer profileThe Electronic Government inMerton has been themechanism for change in theway they deliver services. Theyare striving to offer excellentservices, where, how and whencustomers require them.

Business challengeVisionWare enables TheLondon Borough of Merton andother public sector serviceproviders to make thetransition from the traditionalreactive and departmentalisedmodel of public service, to aproactive model that focuseson the needs and entitlementsof the citizen.

VisionWare plc Integrates the Public Sectorto Deliver 80 per cent Savings


51

The picture is changing as Crozier points out: “The integration ofmultiple government agencies involves a long road map. However, thegood news is that the technology now exists to create joined-upgovernment, with cross-organisational and cross-functions processes allsharing data from a trusted source.”

SOLUTION

When Crozier joined the VisionWare Board in 2000 and initiated thecompany’s strategic development as an ISV in the public sector, one ofhis earliest priorities was to seek a technology partner. As Crozier recalls:“To establish the company as a public sector software provider, wedecided to develop brand new, leading-edge software products. Ourstrategy was to adopt an emerging technology that would becomemainstream as our products came to market.”

VisionWare selected Microsoft and, in particular, adopted two of itsstrategic technologies: the Microsoft .NET Framework, an integralcomponent of Windows that provides a programming model and runtimefor Web services, Web applications and smart client applications; and theMicrosoft BizTalk Server. Today, VisionWare is an Accredited MicrosoftGold Partner and a Microsoft preferred partner in the public sector.Crozier says: “Microsoft’s vision and technologies perfectly match ourstrategic objectives. The .NET Framework provides efficient applicationdevelopment and the ability of Web services to create joined-up services.BizTalk provides an architecture for interoperability, enabling disparatesystems to share information, and workflow capabilities that enable themapping and orchestration of business processes.”

An-Chan Phung, VisionWare’s Principal Technical Consultant, describesthe VisionWare solution: “BizTalk is the delivery channel into our MultiVueIdentification Server – an enterprise-wide data integration tool. It enablesMultiVue to build virtual electronic citizens by applying sophisticatedmatching and merging algorithms to data extracted from all relevant line-of-business systems. Once done, BizTalk feeds back the accurate statusof each citizen so that all systems share one view, serviced with trusteddata.” Stuart King, VisionWare’s Software Development Manager,completes the picture: “BizTalk also delivers the trusted data toVisionWare’s front-end CRM systems – relate Framework – to enable theprocesses used by public sector agents when interacting with citizens;

“Microsoft’s visionand technologiesperfectly match ourstrategic objectives.The .NETFramework providesefficient applicationdevelopment andthe ability of Webservices to createjoined-up services.BizTalk provides anarchitecture forinteroperability,enabling disparatesystems to shareinformation, andworkflowcapabilities thatenable the mappingand orchestration ofbusinessprocesses.”

ROBERT CROZIERBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTDIRECTORVISIONWARE PLC

Public sector52

SolutionUsing the Microsoft .NETFramework and the MicrosoftBizTalk Server, VisionWareintegrates disparate publicsector systems, distils theirdata to create a single view ofevery citizen, which it reflectsback to the different systemsand shares with front-endservice delivery applications.

Benefits• 95 per cent error reduction• 80 per cent reduction in

downstream maintenancecosts

• Faster speed to market

Software and services• Microsoft Visual C# .NET• Microsoft BizTalk Server

2002• Microsoft .NET Framework• XML Web services

PartnersVisionWare


just as we have done for the London boroughs of Merton and Newham.At this point the user has a connected environment with shared data. Thiswas unachievable without BizTalk.”

Crozier is delighted with the business and technical supportVisionWare receives from Microsoft: “The relationship between us is veryclose, we share quality synergism. Microsoft’s vision is the best in theindustry; that any user of a computer system should be able to use anydevice from any location to access any information anywhere it happensto be. What’s more, it has a roadmap to support it.”

BENEFITS

Integrated infrastructure for the futureCRM in the public sector is non-competitive. It is neither a sellinginstrument nor a means of achieving competitive advantage. Its value isin the way it can transform process. Historically, however, departmentsand organisations within the public sector have not communicated welltogether. To consolidate their disparate data sources and combine theirprocesses involves a huge cultural change. BizTalk and the .NETFramework provides the infrastructure needed to meet it.

Integration and interoperability to meet each citizen’s needsVisionWare believes that integration, built around a knowledge base oftrusted data, is the key to success in providing joined-up government andconsistent service. Phung emphasises the technical advantage that the.NET Framework and BizTalk provide in this respect: “Web services offera particular advantage to us. Being an open standard, it makes therelease of our communications and data exchange products very easy.”

Crozier offers a further example: “Across the Bedfordshire Consortium,BizTalk enables professionals working on child protection and mentalhealth projects to collaborate successfully to meet the needs of thesecitizens. It does so by maintaining records on each system via a singlesource, to ensure that project staff share consistent and accurateinformation about each individual’s circumstances.”

Faster speed to market, lower cost of developmentBy acquiring all their tools from Microsoft, VisionWare is confident ofhaving an integrated and efficient development environment capable of

53

supporting the latest technologies. Phung confirms: “Programminglanguages and tools all have strengths and weaknesses. The .NETFramework overcomes the weaknesses and combines the strengths sothat we can quickly develop applications and Web services.” He sees there-use of code and processes, through the Framework’s modulardevelopment methodologies, as especially advantageous: “If the problemis resolved once, that effort can be applied many times, across systemswithin a council or across councils. We call it ‘pay once use many times’.”

Such efficiency enabled VisionWare to develop its relate CRM Frameworkfor the public sector and MultiVue data integration products, from inceptionto market release, in just two and a half years. Phung gives a furtherexample: “Good messaging features, such as message translation andguaranteed message delivery, are available out of the box with no codingrequired. Coupled with the accelerators that BizTalk provides, this meansthat 70 per cent of the solution is already built for us.”

Reducing downstream costsPoint-to-point integration between systems results in increasing numbersof links, impaired processes and unreliable data. Maintenance costs andtimes become unmanageable. BizTalk facilitates a holistic approach tointegrating disparate systems that not only ensures easy maintenance,but also will deliver accumulative cost savings over time.

Crozier acknowledges the advantages: “The hub and spokearchitecture of BizTalk Server integration delivers outstanding benefits.The more systems you integrate the greater the advantage. An importantobjective for cash starved local authorities is making economies of scaleand the BizTalk infrastructure ensures they can do so. The savings can bemassive, as much as 80 per cent of the downstream support costs.”

Business flexibility to meet growing demandBizTalk enables VisionWare to implement whatever CRM model a councilchooses, whether it be dedicated contact centres or by empoweringindividual employees to interact effectively with the public. BizTalkprovides a highly scalable business foundation for service delivery that isboth flexible and capable of supporting growth.

“Smaller local authorities’ systems have to be able to support 20,000weekly CRM transactions and interactions,” says Crozier, “while in larger

“Programminglanguages and toolsall have strengthsand weaknesses.The .NETFrameworkovercomes theweaknesses andcombines thestrengths so thatwe can quicklydevelop applicationsand Web services.”

AN-CHAN PHUNGPRINCIPAL TECHNICALCONSULTANTVISIONWARE PLC

Public sector54


55

authorities the number rises to approximately 150,000 to 250,000 perweek. BizTalk delivers this capacity. It enables councils of any size toimplement a system that meets their current needs, yet which is capableof expansion to meet growing demand while ensuring continuingsuccessful performance against KPIs.”

Business-driven solutionsBizTalk ensures solutions focus on business needs not just softwarecapabilities. BizTalk can handle events and coordinate the full range ofbusiness activity, from short atomic procedures to long runningprocesses. Such control helps to rationalise the use of resources andimprove productivity, while reducing the incidence of errors and improvinglevels of service. It enables the business to respond to changingcircumstances without the need for new investment in systems.

As King summarises: “It provides a framework for your solution thatenables the solution to change without the framework having to alter.”

BizTalk can also extend the use of legacy systems, as King explains:“By creating business processes that traverse between systems, such asthe automated logging of calls on one system, updating information onothers, or waiting for user intervention somewhere to trigger activitysomewhere else, systems which may not have been suited to e-government solutions can now enjoy an extended life.”

Improved public service deliveryAs in the London Borough of Newham, BizTalk ensures VisionWare candeliver improved and consistent service for citizens. It ensures they canbe accurately identified and reliably tracked across multiple systems.Likewise, in Merton, where citizens now only need to inform the councilonce of any change in their circumstances, BizTalk has reduced errorsand the cost of managing their records.

According to Crozier, “By removing the need for transcription within andbetween lines of business, BizTalk virtually eliminates human error toachieve a 95 per cent reduction in mistakes. As a result, the citizensenjoy better levels of service. The Microsoft/VisionWare solution isdelivering a sea-change in the culture of local government; enabling thecitizen to be recognised as a customer, with expectations and rightsagainst which authorities have a duty to deliver.” ■

For more information aboutVisionWare, visit:www.visionwareplc.com

BACKGROUND

Technology plays a vital role in modernising the NHS and meeting UKgovernment targets. Meeting these objectives depends on interoperabilitybetween all public sector systems, and the adoption of open standards.These standards underpin the e-government interoperability framework (e-GIF), the government’s standard for public sector IT interoperability.

The NHS is one of the largest providers of public services in the UK. Ithas a duty to equip staff with the clinical information they need tocontinue to deliver excellent patient care. A key part of the NHSmodernisation strategy is the creation of Electronic Patient Records(EPRs), which will eventually replace all paper records and ensure patientdata is current, accurate and available at any time and from any device.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust (WWLNT) is a large acutehospital trust. It serves a local population of 350,000, employs 5,000staff, and has an annual income of more than £150 million. Every year,WWLNT handles 25,000 day cases, 54,000 inpatients, 70,000 A&Eattendances, and 289,000 outpatient appointments.

WWLNT is using Web technology to build applications that seamlesslybolt into the EPR system. This is a new approach, which has enabled thedevelopment of important clinical applications rapidly, and at low cost.More importantly it has enabled the implementation of applications thathave been designed and approved by the clinicians themselves.

SOLUTION

Electronic patient recordsWWLNT made a strategic decision in 2000 to adopt a best-of-breedapproach to implementing EPR, and so make the most of its previous ITinvestments. After looking carefully at the market, it opted to use asolution called Case Notes from CSW, a leading supplier of innovative,integrated care record solutions. Case Notes is an e-GIF-compliant, Web-based EPR system, which is fully extensible via plug-in modules.

“The .NETFramework providesus with a tool set todevelop softwarethat is much easierto maintain. We cannow developapplications in amatter of weeks sothat end users cantest them and wecan alter features toensure completesatisfaction. Thatflexibility is veryimportant to us,”

PHILIP FIRTHIM&T STRATEGYIMPLEMENTATIONMANAGERWRIGHTINGTON, WIGANAND LEIGH NHS TRUST

Public sector56

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust (WWLNT) has taken important steps towards therealisation of electronic patient records by using the Microsoft .NET Framework, and implementingCase Notes, a Web-based system from Microsoft partner CSW, to provide a single view of patients.WWLNT is able to build new clinical applications quickly to improve patient care, reduce costs andcomplexity, and increase data quality and speed of access.

Headline NHS Trust Looks to the Web toBuild the Foundation for Better Patient Care

Developing clinical applicationsWWLNT needs to deliver user-friendly, fit-for-purpose IT solutions, whichare highly configurable to meet local needs and changing circumstances.This objective has been enabled by implementing an enterprisearchitecture for application development based on Web technology, XMLand the Microsoft .NET Framework.

The enterprise architecture is based ‘upon the industry standard ‘N’tier design, and made up of the following: Presentation layer, where thespecific Graphical User Interface required is developed using tools suchas Microsoft ASP.NET; Business logic layer, which has a set of re-usableobjects and support routines that enable rapid application development;Data access layer, which is made up of a set of routines that provide acontrolled interface with the EPR database; Data layer, which is made upof a very large Microsoft SQL Server 2000 EPR database.

The EPR database includes a Master Patient Index with 450,000unique patient records, a data warehouse holding departmental data(including clinical coding, episode details, pathology results and NSF coredata sets), and an XML clinical repository holding electronic documents(including discharge letters, ECGs, and medical images).

One of the first .NET applications to be implemented was a solution forgenerating discharge letters on the wards. As a result, the time it takesto send letters to GPs has been reduced significantly, case notes arebeing returned to Medical Records much more quickly, and errors in therequesting of take home medications have been reduced.

Within a matter of weeks the discharge letter system was adapted foruse by the Rheumatology department at Wrightington Hospital forconsultant letters, discharge letters, and outpatient appointment lettersin conjunction with a pre-operative assessment form. Plans are also inplace to roll out the discharge letter system on the Child Health andRehabilitation wards early in 2004. Within 12 months most of the wardsin WWLNT should be sending discharge letters to GPs directly.

An e-technology solution was also required to monitor thrombolysistreatment and to collect data for clinical audit, as part of the NationalService Framework for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). The CHD e-technology solution developed by WWLNT has been a big hit withclinicians. Philip Firth, IM&T Strategy Implementation Manager, WWLNTsays, “Previous ECGs are used to assess a patient’s eligibility forthrombolysis, and as such are a vital source of information for assessing

Customer profileWrightington, Wigan and LeighNHS Trust (WWLNT) is a largeacute hospital trust. It servesa local population of 350,000and employs 5,000 staff. Onan annual basis it handles25,000 day cases, 54,000inpatients, and 289,000outpatient appointments.

Business challengeWWLNT wanted to integrate itsdisparate IT systems andcreate new clinical applicationsto help meet Electronic PatientRecord (EPR) objectives andreduce costs and complexity.

SolutionWWLNT has implemented aWeb-based EPR system fromCSW called Case Notes.WWLNT has also used theMicrosoft .NET Framework, inparticular Microsoft ASP.NET tocreate Web-based clinicalapplications.


57

patients for treatment within the national target of 20 minutes. Feedbackfrom clinicians points to the fact that rapid access to ECG results storedin CSW Case Notes has improved patient care.”

Developing interfacesWWLNT has developed an integration architecture based around SQLServer, the Microsoft Visual Basic .NET development system andMicrosoft BizTalk Server. Projects completed to date include thedevelopment of a Master Patient Index system with a real-time link to thePatient Administration System (PAS) for patient demographics, next-of-kin,GP information, admissions, discharges, transfers, diagnoses (ICD10coded), GP referrals and outpatient appointments. An HL7 interface hasalso been developed with the Pathology system for up-to-date access toHaematology, Blood Transfusion, Clinical Chemistry, Immunology,Microbiology, Histopathology, and Cytology results via the EPR system.

Server architectureWWLNT is using Microsoft Cluster Services features of Microsoft Windows2000 Advanced Server, combined with Microsoft Internet InformationServer and SQL Server, to host the EPR system. Users access CSW CaseNotes via a fixed URL, which is load-balanced across the two IIS servers.

BENEFITS

Greater control of information WWLNT wanted to make patient information available at the point of care,on a need to know basis. Firth says: “Case Notes has an access controlframework which meets all our requirements for making patientinformation available in a secure and confidential way.”

Developing the framework for successASP .NET was used to build applications quickly at minimal cost. Moreimportantly, it has enabled WWLNT to implement applications that havebeen designed and approved by the clinicians themselves. “The .NETFramework provides us with a tool set to develop software that is mucheasier to maintain. We can now develop applications in a matter of weeksso that end users can test them and we can alter features to ensurecomplete satisfaction. That flexibility is very important to us,” says Firth.

“Doctors can nowaccess theinformation requiredfor letters quicklyand easily, whichsaves an immenseamount of time, andmeans somepatients may bedischarged soonerthan they previouslywould have beenunder the old way ofworking.”

DR MARTIN FARRIERLEAD CONSULTANTWRIGHTINGTONWIGAN AND LEIGHNHS TRUST

Public sector58

Benefits• Quick build of clinical

applications• Meets EPR objectives• No need to rip and replace• Single, integrated view of

patients• Easy to use• Reliable

Software and services• Microsoft Visual Basic .NET• Microsoft BizTalk Server


Advanced Server• Microsoft .NET Framework• Microsoft ASP.NET

PartnersCSW


Looking after existing investments Like many of its counterparts, WWLNT has many disparate legacysystems from a range of specialist suppliers. It, therefore, wanted to buildon these investments, rather than taking them out and replacing them.Case Notes is overlaid on existing systems and lets WWLNT plug in newmodules as and when its requirements change. This removes the need torip and replace parts of the IT infrastructure. “This approach has been ofenormous benefit to WWLNT as it is enabling us to deliver qualityinformation and reuse our existing infrastructure,” says Firth.

Single view of patients A single view of patient information across the organisation is the ultimateaim of EPRs. WWLNT is now a step closer to achieving this. Recordsincorporating data from the PAS, pathology, discharge letters, and CHDsystems (ECGs, rehabilitation notes etc.) can now be viewed as a singlerecord, saving time, improving information flow, and enhancing care.

Easy to useFirth says: “Web technology is easy to use and easy to navigate. Manyusers are familiar with the Internet for shopping and this is simplysearching for patient information instead of a CD.”

Faster discharge time for patientsThe EPR system for generating discharge letters means some patientscan be discharged days, sometimes weeks, faster. Says Lead Consultant,Dr Martin Farrier: “Doctors can now access the information required forletters quickly and easily, which saves an immense amount of time, andmeans some patients may be discharged sooner than they previouslywould have been under the old way of working.”

Future plansBecause Case Notes can scale to accommodate thousands of users andmillions of case records, WWLNT can be confident that it has invested ina platform that will meet both its current and future needs. Firth says:“We have a very small development team but have managed to achievebig results in the last 12 months. Now we have something that will helpus meet local and national targets, and better serve our patients.” ■

59

For more information aboutCSW, visit: www.csw.co.uk

BACKGROUND

The retail marketplace is characterised by growing global competition andshrinking margins. At the same time, customers are better informed andless loyal than ever before, requiring retailers to differentiate themselveson both price and the quality of the shopping experience.

House of Fraser, Britain’s leading designer brands retailer, facesprecisely these challenges. To help it maintain and extend its successfulposition, it began looking for new technology solutions to improve theefficiency of its supply chain processes. The company was handlingtransactions from 300 suppliers electronically on proprietary electronicdata interchange (EDI) systems. It wanted to scale up to 1,300 suppliers.

Andrew Bond, Development Services Manager, House of Fraser, says:“We wanted to replace our entire B2B infrastructure. In the past, wesuccessfully collaborated with partners using EDI, but the complex, costlysoftware we had in place to support it was becoming untenable.”

In 2003, House of Fraser undertook a strategic review of its ITinfrastructure. It set a number of goals for its B2B system going forward,including: the need to enable vendor-managed inventory; the eliminationof paper communications with business partners; 100 per cent of ordersto be placed electronically. House of Fraser also hoped to share strategicdata, such as sales information, with suppliers. This is so valuable tosuppliers’ business planning that they will be prepared to pay for accessto the system, helping House of Fraser recoup its IT investment.

Andrew Bond says: “It was important that our new B2B system paid foritself quickly. One way to achieve this is to provide a range of value-addedsupply chain information to suppliers in real time.” The retailer alsowanted to lower the bar to electronic communication for smallersuppliers. As Andrew Bond says: “One of the key problems with EDI isthat Value Added Network (VAN) charges are a significant barrier tosmaller suppliers coming online. With VAN costs representing 75 per centof our total electronic communication costs, it is easy to see why.”

Historically, House of Fraser has worked with proprietary technologies for exchanging dataelectronically with its suppliers. This was costly and time consuming to manage and the task ofadding new suppliers to the system typically took two to five man-days. Using a single integrationplatform built on Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004, the company plans to cut its managementoverheads for business-to-business systems by 50 per cent.

Customer profileBritain’s leading retailer ofdesigner brands.

Business challengeHouse of Fraser wanted toreplace its costly, complex,proprietary EDI system with anopen, standards-basedcollaboration platform.

SolutionWorking with Covast software,House of Fraser implementedMicrosoft BizTalk Server 2004to integrate its systemsinternally and to collaboratemore effectively with suppliers.

House of Fraser aims to halve cost ofmanaging supplier collaboration

Microsoft. NET Customer SolutionRETAIL SERVICES

61

SOLUTION

To share information effectively across the entire supply chain, House ofFraser is currently implementing a messaging hub built on BizTalk Server2004. Whereas data previously flowed between disparate systemsinternally, the new platform will enable a Web services model where datais updated across the enterprise in real time.

The BizTalk implementation at House of Fraser will be supported byB2B technology from Covast and services provided by BizTalk integrationspecialist, SolidSoft. Covast delivers Microsoft .NET-based solutions thatsimplify connecting, translating and sharing electronic documents withcustomers and trading partners. It is a recommended Microsoft partnerfor EDI and AS2 (secure Internet technology) deployments. Daan Scheer,CEO, Covast, says: “Most organisations have more than one platform inplace to support their EDI systems. Because House of Fraser is deployinga single, fully integrated system with BizTalk Server and Covast software,it will be able to reduce its maintenance costs significantly. The newsystem will also provide a single location to view electronic documents.”

House of Fraser will deploy Microsoft’s BizTalk enterprise tool set incollaboration with its strategic implementation partner Solidsoft. GarthPickup, CEO, Solidsoft, says: “House of Fraser chose Solidsoft as itsstrategic partner to provide consultancy services to design and developthe supply chain solution in conjunction with its internal developmentteam. Initially, the project will support the 300 suppliers from the existingEDI system. It will ultimately be extended to handle 1,300 suppliers.Projections are that the solution will deliver an ROI within six months”.

The House of Fraser solution is currently operating as a proof of conceptthat reflects the complexity of the House of Fraser architecture. As a keyelement of that, the IT team has connected BizTalk to the existing currentValue Added Network (VAN). Bond continues, “BizTalk Server 2004 willenable us to integrate systems and business processes quickly and easilyin a code-free environment. Integrating systems or adding new supplierswill become a drag-and-drop operation that can be completed quickly andaccurately via an intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI).”

This use of BizTalk Server 2004 by House of Fraser will also provide asingle platform for further internal application-to-application integration.After rolling-out the B2B solution the retailer also plans to connect back-end systems to its existing point-of-sale (POS) solutions. This will enable

“We wanted toreplace our entireB2B infrastructure.In the past, wesuccessfullycollaborated withbusiness partnersusing EDI, but thecomplex, costlysoftware we had inplace to support itwas becominguntenable.”

ANDREW BONDDEVELOPMENT SERVICESMANAGERHOUSE OF FRASER

Retail services62

For more information about Covast, visit: www.covast.com

For more information about Solidsoft, visit:www.solidsoft.com

Microsoft. NET Customer SolutionRETAIL SERVICES

63

the retailer to integrate its 50 stores, its back-office applications and upto 1,300 suppliers on a single platform.

Historically, the House of Fraser IT team worked extensively with theOracle development platform and J2EE. Now, all development work usesthe Microsoft .NET Framework, an integral component of Windows thatprovides a programming model and runtime for Web services, Webapplications and smart client applications. As Andrew Bond says, “Wehave traditionally used Microsoft technology on the desktop and POS, andwe now feel that Microsoft has made huge advances on the server sidein terms of scalability and performance. Using the .NET Framework for ourdevelopment platform enables us to write code faster and work with ahighly flexible object-oriented development model.

“Implementing the .NET Framework was a big change for us, but wehave achieved excellent levels of productivity extremely quickly. Now, wehave a consistent approach to development projects internally.”

BENEFITS

Operational efficiencyBy replacing its proprietary EDI software, House of Fraser will vastly reduceits maintenance and configuration requirements and generate animmediate return on its investment. Andrew Bond says, “By eliminating theconfiguration required for adding new suppliers on our existing, EDIsystems, we expect to achieve significant savings. In addition, where wecan replace paper-based communications by integrating new suppliersonto the Microsoft platform, we expect savings of more than 90 per cent.”

In addition, House of Fraser expects to save 50 per cent of its softwaremaintenance budget for B2B systems. As a result, it will be positioned toincrease the volume of its electronic communications and the number ofits electronic trading partners without incurring further costs.

Rapid recruitment of new suppliersTraditionally, the task of setting up new electronic B2B connections withnew suppliers has been slow and expensive at House of Fraser. As Bondexplains, “Our B2B strategy has always been governed by the time it tookto add and set up new suppliers. The job used to take between two andfive man-days, but anything out of the ordinary could take much longer. Inone case, we wanted to generate XML directly from one database and

Benefits• B2B system management

costs reduced by 50 percent

• Cost of papercommunications reduced bymore than 90 per cent

• New suppliers added tosystem in just one hour

• A foundation for vendor-managed inventory

• Scalability to handle moresuppliers

• Scalability to handle trafficincreases

Software and services• Microsoft BizTalk Server

2004• Microsoft .NET Framework

PartnersCovastSolidsoft

route it to a supplier via EDI without changing the format. Although thissounds very simple, the operation took us almost 30 man-days.

“Using the new system the process of adding new suppliers is similarto adding any kind of user to an IT system. It involves simple drag anddrop procedures and takes just one hour. This improvement is deliveringmassive time savings and enabling us to work towards our goal of 100per cent electronic communication across the supply chain.”

The new system also offers small suppliers the opportunity tocommunicate with House of Fraser via a simple Web browser. Bondcontinues, “The need to integrate electronic orders from small suppliersis usually more of an issue for the grocery sector, but several of oursuppliers need to access the system over the Internet via a browser. Ournew platform enables us to set these users up quickly and easily and givethem secure access to the information they need.”

Moving towards vendor-managed inventoryHouse of Fraser hopes that suppliers will now be able to contributetowards the implementation of the new value adding architecture. Theretailer can achieve this by delivering a range of new, value-added stockand supply chain information that helps suppliers to streamline theiroperations and cut costs. Andrew Bond says, “Suppliers will be preparedto invest in the new system because it enables low-cost electroniccommunications, from orders to invoices and advanced shipping notices.In addition, we can deliver information on best selling lines and trends indifferent geographical areas. This is hugely valuable to suppliers.

“All this moves us closer to true vendor-managed inventory, wheresupply chain processes are entirely automated and House of Frasersimply becomes a venue where supplier offerings are sold.”

ScalabilityNow, House of Fraser has a flexible integration platform that will scale toaccommodate new suppliers and business processes. In addition, newhardware devices and software servers can be built into the systemquickly and easily. Bond says: “The Microsoft platform makes it easy toplug in additional hardware and software servers as the B2B operationgrows. Because the system makes use of standard, Intel-based hardwareservers, costs will be minimised going forward.” ■

Using the .NETFramework for ourdevelopmentplatform enables usto write code fasterand work with ahighly flexibleobject-orienteddevelopment model. “Implementing the.NET Frameworkwas a big changefor us, but we haveachieved excellentlevels ofproductivityextremely quickly.Now, we have aconsistent approachto developmentprojects internally.”

ANDREW BONDDEVELOPMENT SERVICESMANAGERHOUSE OF FRASER

Retail services64

More information

For more information about Microsoft products or services, or about any of the case studies in this book,please email:[email protected]

To access information about Microsoft products andservices via the World Wide Web go to:www.microsoft.com/uk

To access information about Web Services go to:www.microsoft.com/webservices

To access information about companies that have usedMicrosoft technology go to:www.microsoft.com/uk/casestudies

To access information about the Microsoft .NETFramework go to: www.microsoft.com/.net

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