University of Bedfordshire
The challenge
Transforming an offline research toolkit into a plan for viable software as part of pre-tender activity.
“Vu hit a sweet spot for us, they came across as a respectable agency in an industry littered with freelancers, but not too big and impersonal that we felt we were just going to be put on a conveyor belt and left with something generic.”
Brian Bean, Finance Coordinator
The University of Bedfordshire, renowned for its innovative research and educational excellence, sought to enhance their Organisational Resilience Diagnostic toolkit by transforming it into a practical software application.
This initiative, known as iSORT, builds on an existing framework for assessing and supporting organisational resilience within health and social care. Developed by Dr. Louise Grant and Professor Gail Kinman in partnership with Research in Practice, the framework originated from the Social Work Organisational Resilience Diagnostic (SWORD) Change Project and evolved into the Social Care Health and Organisational Resilience Diagnostic (SCHORD), commissioned by Health Education England (HEE) and the Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy.
To achieve this transformation, the University of Bedfordshire partnered with Vu Digital, leveraging their expertise in digital transformation. Vu Digital’s role was crucial in ensuring the toolkit’s successful adaptation into a user-friendly, adaptable software solution. The iSORT will be freely available to organisations across BLMK, Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy, and Research in Practice members.
Deep Dive into Discovery
The University of Bedfordshire approached Vu Digital to explore the feasibility of converting their Organisational Resilience Diagnostic toolkit into a software application. This toolkit, developed in collaboration with Lisa Bostock, aimed to provide a structured approach to assessing and enhancing organisational resilience. The challenge was to understand its core purpose, value, and user base before considering software development.
Vu Digital proposed an initial phase of discovery workshops. These workshops aimed to:
- Identify the toolkit’s primary users and their needs.
- Determine the business requirements from the university’s perspective.
- Explore potential application features and establish basic business logic.
Through these workshops, Vu Digital conducted in-depth discussions with the University of Bedfordshire team, focusing on user types, needs, and key business goals. This foundational work was crucial to ensure any future software development would be purposeful and aligned with user expectations.
User Experience Unveiled
Following the discovery workshops, Vu Digital delved deeper into the user experience (UX) aspects. The goal was to gather comprehensive insights that a digital development team would need to propose a robust software solution. This phase culminated in the conceptualization of iSORT (integrated systemic organisational resilience toolkit), laying the groundwork for producing detailed user stories.
User stories are essential narratives that describe the desired functionalities of the software from an end-user perspective. They serve as a blueprint for development agencies to understand the scope and requirements of the project, enabling them to provide accurate quotes and proposals as part of a formal tender process.
Vu Digital’s sessions with the University of Bedfordshire resulted in meticulously crafted user stories. These stories detailed the key features and technical considerations needed for the software, ensuring clarity and precision in the project’s objectives.
Technical Translation Triumph
In parallel with developing user stories, Vu Digital also focused on how to transform the existing PDF-based toolkit into a dynamic digital format. This involved:
- ideating a questionnaire format that could be seamlessly adapted for digital use, including compatibility with web browsers and mobile devices.
- Imagining an editable workbook format to replace the static PDF, facilitating better content management and cross-referencing within the digital tool.
This digital transformation thinking was crucial in making the toolkit more accessible and user-friendly. The technical specifications embedded in the user stories included potential challenges and solutions, providing a comprehensive guide for future developers.
The Solution
Vu Digital’s structured approach ensured a clear roadmap for transforming the resilience toolkit into a digital solution.
We developed detailed user stories with technical specifications, providing a robust foundation for tendering and project development.
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