Case Studies

Overview
Educo required a web site to enhance their competitive advantage within the area of international project management. The original Educo web site was bland and did not serve any useful purpose other than conveying basic information. The development task involved creating a completely new site with a professional design and powerful backend capabilities.

Requirements
The primary requirements for the Educo web site were to automate the consultancy CV application process and to provide project management tools to aid both clients and managers.

CV Processing:
The primary function of this facility is to allow consultants to register their details on the Educo site. These details are then converted to an AusAid approved resume format and automatically converted to Microsoft Word. Many database facilities are also available to manipulate and search the consultant data.

Project Management Tools
The second major requirement involved the development of project management tools. These tools are available through a secure login, and are dynamically created depending on a particular project. These tools allow clients and managers to communicate and identify tasks with much greater efficiency.

Technology
Windows 2000 Server was the platform chosen to host the Educo site, and Cold Fusion was the primary technology used to develop the CV processing and project management facilities. This was used in conjunction with Microsoft Access to develop the backend database support.

Implementation
This project was delivered in four stages. The first stage involved implementing the consultancy CV processing with basic site upgrades. The next stage involved the full re-design of the web site, and the third stage saw the implementation of the project management tools. The fourth stage is an ongoing process which involves the maintenance and upgrade of various system components and databases.

The implementation of the new Educo site has created many positive effects. These include the streamlining of many business processes, and enhancing strategic capabilities. Educo is now able to communicate and collaborate more effectively with clients and consultants. More features will be developed for Educo soon.
Launch the Educo site

Overview
Theinternetproject.com(tip) provide virtual web hosting and domain registration services. The purpose of the tip site is to allow visitors to sign up for hosting online, and through an automated process, both billing and account creation would be performed. Tip required an attractive front end web design and a backend that would support customer signups and administrative activities.

Requirements
To provide the core functionality for the tip site, the following was needed:

Front End Design:
The design had to be effective both aesthetically and in terms of usability. The site was developed using appealing graphics, which were minimised when possible to allow for faster site speed. The navigational systems needed to maximise usability, as did the delivery of the content.

Automated Sign Up Process
The site must allow visitors to automatically sign up for hosting or domain registration services. This requires the integration of credit card processing facilities and a backend database to store the customer details.

Administrative Tools
These are a vital component to the hosting service provided by tip. The administrative tools are required to process new customer sign ups, as well as manage client requests and support tickets. The system required for this needed to be stable and efficient to ensure that customer support can be maximized.

Technology
The Tip web site is hosted on a linux platform using the Apache web server, and all code was developed using PHP. The database support for this project was developed using MySql.

Implementation
The complete site design was first developed as HTML templates. The site was then converted to PHP and all the necessary code was integrated into the initial templates. The site was then integrated with a credit card processing facility to allow for real time transaction processing.

Since implementation, the tip web site has been running very effectively. The customer sign up process has been flawless, and the administration tools have served their purpose in managing clients and providing support.
Launch the Tip site