9 June 2008
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has appointed IRIS NFP
Solutions, the leading software supplier to the UK Not for Profit
sector, to develop a tool for automating its training agreements
processing.
The Training Agreements Online (TAGSO) project
is the latest phase in the ICE’s Digitisation strategy which has
seen a number of key business processes being automated and moved
online by using IRIS’s fully web integrated Profile Concept
membership management solution.
The TAGSO pilot kicked off in January 2008
with 5 major civil engineering companies taking part in the scheme.
Having officially launched TAGSO in April 2008 with 13
participating companies, ICE is expecting to sign 30 top civil
engineering employers covering 68% of all training agreement
applications by September this year.
TAGSO provides graduate trainees with a quick
and easy way of registering on one of ICE’s approved training
agreements online, whilst giving the employers powerful tools to
manage applications and track training progress through a
personalised online area. In addition to offering improved
visibility for the employer and shorter processing times for the
trainees, TAGSO helps to reduce manual effort and paperwork as well
as to streamline payment processing for both ICE and the
employer.
The TAGSO project is the third step in the
Digitisation process ICE launched in 2004 to automate and
web-enable all its key membership application processes using
Profile Concept. With the student and graduate applications already
moved online, ICE went on to digitise the training agreements
process, aiming to enhance customer service and to challenge and
improve internal processes. An IRIS client of 8 years, ICE turned
to its trusted technology partner with their new requirements.
“We have gained significant benefits from
automating our processes and integrating the back and front office
systems in the previous phases of the Digitisation project,
presenting further opportunities for going forward. For example,
the launch of the online student applications resulted in 145%
overall increase in applications due to better worldwide
visibility, greater convenience for prospective members
and 90% processing savings. We’re expecting a similar
return from the TAGSO project”, says Caroline Sander, Quality
Manager at the Institution of Civil Engineers.
“The Digitisation process has helped us to
considerably improve our customer service and operational
efficiency, resulting in reduced costs and improved cash flow.
Furthermore, Digitisation supports sustainability, which is one of
our core values as a professional body. Profile Concept has enabled
us to achieve all this, helping us to become the modern membership
organisation we are today”, Caroline Sander continues.
Simon Fowler, Managing Director of IRIS NFP
Solutions says: “The ICE Digitisation strategy and the TAGSO
project clearly demonstrates the ROI membership bodies can gain by
using our software. The ICE will continue to benefit from IRIS’s
domain knowledge and support going forward with the project, taking
the ICE’s business to a digital level with fully automated
processes and online service offerings”.
Caroline Sander concludes: “The TAGSO
project has been well received, with both ICE trainees and
employers giving us extremely positive feedback. We have been
pleased with the IRIS partnership and look forward to continuing
the Digitisation project with them”.
About IRIS
IRIS is the largest privately owned software
business in the UK delivering regulatory, accounting and full
service solutions to well over 60,000 UK businesses and payroll
solutions to over 10% of the UK workforce. IRIS is:
- The No 1 provider to the UK Not For Profit
sector
- The No 1 provider to UK accountancy
practices
- The No 1 provider to UK law firms, barristers
and coroners’ offices
- The No 1 provider of payroll and accounts to
GPs
- The No 2 provider of Payroll & HR
software solutions
- An award winning provider of accounting and
ERP systems to UK businesses
- A leading provider of special software for
sports clubs, field services and application modernisation software
and services for blue chip companies
Founded in 1979, IRIS is headquartered in
Datchet, Berkshire with offices throughout the UK and in the US.
Revenues are well over £100m pa and the business employs c.1000
staff.
