Portfolio

Local Government CMS Website

Citric have just launched a brand new website on behalf of the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit. The Unit has been created primarily to prepare a joint Core Strategy document that will set out a vision for the development of the region. Citric received a detailed specification for the new website's feature set and we could immediately see that our Sitetric system could meet these requirements perfectly. The website needed to provide functionality for Content Management, Online Surveys, Document Libraries, Multimedia Compatibility, Newsletters and more.

One of the key requirements was that the site needed to meet and comply with accessiblity standards in accordance with all Government websites. This can be hard to achieve with a Contetn Managed system but we were able to tweak the implementation in order to meet with these regulations in as much as possible. The site was created using XHTML Transitional and CSS in accordance with web standards.

We were given a very short turnaround time for this project but we managed to meet all deadlines and successfully launched the site ahead of schedule.

CMS Website Redevelopment

Club Silverstone offer memorable experiences which combine the use of either of a range of super cars together with a trip to glamorous locations and events. Their existing site was proving difficult to update and was looking a bit dated. They approached Citric and gave us a brief to breathe fresh life into their online presence, whilst also making the site more maintainable. Not a problem.

Citric created a couple of designs based on requirements agreed at intial meetings and soon we had a website with which we could start adding the individual features. Continuous communication helped us refine the site and implement features exactly as required.

As an example of Citric's flexibility, immediately prior to launch Club Cilverstone expressed a wish to change the design of the site, to incorporate more of a black background, providing emphasis to the main content. We were able to apply their requested changes at no extra cost due to the methods we use (XHTML/CSS) when building websites.

Club Silverstone have stated they very much enjoyed the experience of working with Citric and will definitely be reccomending us. As a nice tie-in the new site got launched on the weekend of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, the site of our client's offices.

Brochure Website for Associated Financial Advisors

A local financial company approached us, following a recommendation, to discuss creating a new brochure website for them.  Associated Financial Advisors (AFA) wanted a fresh, professional site that not only matched their company's branding but one that they could update themselves.  They were looking for a turnaround of just a matter of weeks.

We worked closely with AFA to agree the basis of the design, the functionality required, and their expectations.  We then used our Siteric solution to deliver the new website, which not only met all expectations, but was also on time! The new site enables the client to keep the content up to date and also incorporates a dynamic form module for online enquiries.

We host the site and have provided some Outlook Web Access email accounts.

Remote Office Services for Carlton Stewart

Carlton Stewart provide learning and development solutions to large companies and organisations. The nature of their work requires them to be on-site at various locations around the country, and the group consists of an affiliation of partners, again living in various locations.

Mobile and home working is therefore essential to how the business operates. At the same time, the partners must be able to share and access information as they would if they were in the same office.

Citric provides a number of services to Carlton Stewart to meet these needs. These include full Microsoft Exchange services, that can be accessed from anywhere, on any device; A VPN service that gives each user access to a shared file system and the accounts software; Terminal services for running sophisticated team analysis software from anywhere; And highly portable laptops that integrate with bluetooth phones for internet access whilst on the road, allowing them to use any of the services in any location.

Web 2.0 Application - www.thunks.co.uk

"Thunks" is a concept developed by Independent Thinking Ltd (see above). In their words:

"A Thunk is a beguilingly simple-looking question about everyday things that stops you in your tracks and helps you start to look at the world in a whole new light."

A "Web 2.0 application" is a website that uses user-generated content to deliver a service (e.g. Youtube, Myspace). We developed a thunks.co.uk to allow users to submit their own thunks and answer the thunks set by others, leaving comments as they go. The site is very simple, but so is the thunks concept, and so the site achieves it's aims very well. 

Search Engine Optimisation for Combined Energy Solutions

Combined Energy Solutions Ltd provide maintenance and installation services to a variety of industry sectors including: Commercial, Industrial, Leisure, Education and Local Government. They approached us in 2004 to update their website, as they felt the existing site did not reflect their corporate image very well. Extensive use of Flash and other images also meant that search engine performance was poor.

Working closley with CES, Citric produced a new website that used CES's branding throughout, making it instantly recognisable to it's customers and potential clients. We also removed the flash movies, replacing them with seach-engine friendly text and headings. Finally, we added a dynamic news section, that allows CES to keep the site up-to-date.

The site now recieves 10 times the amount of vistors per month than the old site, with over a quarter of all traffic finding the site on Google alone - nearly 300 potential customers a month that would have missed the original site.

Web Services for Teachers & Academic Personnel Ltd

Teachers & Academic Personnel (TAP) is a teacher recruitment company operating in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. They specialise in providing supply and full time teachers for Primary and Secondary schools.

Citric have been providing TAP with IT services from the company's inception. This includes their core business services, and the web services which link schools and teachers directly to those business services via the internet.

The latest version of the website runs on the Sitetric platform, which allows TAP to generate marketing campaigns on the fly, in response to the ever-changing requirements of schools. We also developed custom modules, which talk directly to TAP's database, to show live teacher requirements and generate timesheets for schools.

Showcase site for Entertainment DJ Company

As a supplier of professional and bespoke DJ & Entertainment Services, DJMattPotter was keen
to produce a brochure website that was both informative yet functional and professional looking.  They also wanted the ability to add and update content themselves, with growth in mind.

By using our Sitetric solution and giving the site an attractive yet consistent look and feel, will enable our client to keep the site up to date with all their latest products and services, with minimal effort.  We implemented an admin friendly photo gallery module, meaning they can upload recent photos of their events at a click of a button.

We also provided them with Outlook Web Access, meaning they can access their emails whilst on the move even on a hand held device, and by also hosting the site, means they have one point of contact for their entire solution.

Web Application for Crown House Publishing

Crown House Publishing is specialist book publishers based in Carmarthen, Wales. Having used a bookings system we developed for ITL, Crown House realised they could benefit from having a system developed specifically for them. 

The system we developed, nicknamed "Colin" by the users, is designed to manage the publisher's inventory of titles. It is completely web-based, and hosted on Citric's servers, ensuring zero IT management overhead for Crown House. A sophisticated reporting interface ensures data can be viewed and exported in a variety of formats for further processing, while still ensuring all the user needs is a browser. 

Solutions for Northamptonshire County Council

Northamptonshire County Council is Citric's local council, and we've worked with them on a number of projects across many years. These projects have included long-term consultancy for the IT services division, application development for social services and corporate services, and currently, web application development for education services.

Because we've developed a long-term relationship with NCC, we've become very familiar with their systems and processes - an approach we use with many of our clients, which ensures a high level of service and a rapid turnaround on projects.

Web Services For Coba IT Consultants

As a supplier of specialist IT contractors to blue chip clients across Europe, it is important that Coba portray the correct image through their website, to both prospective clients, and contractors who use the site's web services.

By working closely with the client, Citric developed an attractive yet functional site that gets straight to the point. The job advertising system works directly with their internal database to ensure the latest information is always available. The timesheets system has been well received by users and timesheet adminstrator's alike, who comment on its good design  and ease of use - which, coming from IT managers and consultants, makes us very proud!

NHS Housing Portal

Citric has carried out a number of consultancy and development projects for the NHS over several years. This has included development work on the main NHS portal at www.nhs.uk, consultancy work on key projects such as the National Electronic Library for Health and e-Medical records, and infrastructure projects such as SharePoint for the National Patient Access Team and SQL installations for the NHS Information Authority.

This strong relationship with the NHS led us to design, develop and host and NHS Accommodation Portal, which helps fulfill the government's targets for assisting key workers with their housing requirements. Receiving over 20,000 visitors per month, it allows NHS trusts to post up-to-date information about their available housing, as well as informing health professionals about the assistance available to them, providing an invaluable service.

Small Business Server for HT Admatom Engineering

HT Admatom specialise in the design, development and manufacture of precision sheet metal components and fabricated assemblies. They use IT both to run the business, such as accounts and timecards, but also to design components and run the machines.

As part of an overhaul of their infrastructure, we migrated their server from a linux-based system to Microsoft Small Business Server 2003. This enabled them to use the latest SQL-based version of their core software, and take advantage of all the features of Exchange. We also supplied a number of new client machines with the server for AutoCad use. The remote office features of Small Business Server  - VPN capabilities and OWA - mean HT Adamatom users can now get more done outside the factory, while the remote support features mean we can help them diagnose and fix any problems without needing an on-site visit.

This year HT Admatom have an announced expansion plans that include a significant investment in IT, that Citric are very pleased to be involved with.

Independent Thinking Portal Site

For over ten years Independent Thinking has been working to bring the best out of young people and those who work with them, focussing on areas including thinking, learning, motivation and creativity.

Citric has been working with Independent thinking for a number of years, and the current site represents the 3rd generation of technology we have developed as a solution. The site is a showcase for the Independent Thinking associates, and uses a whole range of web 2.0 technologies - including podcats, video streaming, forums, feedback, and article publishing.

Regularly receiving over 12,000 visitors per month, Independent Thinking continues to be the primary source of advertising for the group, and has led to the founder using Citric for many other projects.

Cobbys the Florist e-Commerce Solution

Cobbys, a well-established florists in Northampton, contacted us because they were disappointed with their existing website. They were unhappy with several aspects, including the look, ability to update products, and most importantly, the sales performance. As more and more florists, and in particular Interflora, were improving their online services, Cobbys required a website that provided a better customer experience.

Using ASP.Net technology, we created a brand new site that matched the branding of Cobby's high street shops. The product catalogue is easy to update, meaning new collections are put on as they are available. It's also easy to navigate, using the browse features or the search feature.

Payment is straightfoward for customers, being accomplished with as little as 3 clicks, while security is maintained using SSL, data encryption and client-side certificates ensuring only Cobbys see the order-side pages.

In the 12 months since we launched the site, visitor numbers have trebled, with a corresponding three-fold increase in website sales - Cobbys have also reported an increase in people using the site to see which products are available and then visiting or phoning the shop, which is an important indicator of the "clicks & mortar" feel of the site.