Horisk developed an application for the Scottish SPCA to manage their interaction with schools and local community groups. The Scotish SPCA run an education programme where representatives visit schools, scout groups, etc. presenting about animal welfare and protection.

The web application developed by Horisk allows a central team of administrators to manage their contacts with schools and community groups and make bookings for presentations. Each user has a calendar and a daily visits list accessible online or through a Blackberry handset. The system tracks the outcome of all visits and reports on key aspects of the Scottish SPCA education programme.

Features include:

• Tracking all correspondence with schools and groups
• Automated callback reminders
• Tracks all bookings on personalised calendars
• Reports key management statistics such as number of attendees per age group, percentage of schools visited per year etc.
• Blackberry browser specific screens for mobile access

Horisk have developed a number of solutions for booking and managing accommodation. These include Hallpad, a web-based application for universities and colleges that allows students to apply for accommodation online and then go on to accept or reject an offer of a lease, pay deposits and complete direct debit mandates for ongoing rent payments. Hallpad is used by a number of leading universities including the London School of Economics, The University of the West of Scotland and Robert Gordon University. The software replaces a cumbersome manual process that may involve handling multiple types of paper application forms and leases, and communicating repeatedly by post with thousands of students. For more information on this software visit www.hallpad.co.uk

We have also developed a commercial application for a holiday operator offering chalet ski holidays in the French Alps. This allows potential guests to check availability and prices online, get a bespoke quote and go on to book their holiday. After booking it allows the guests to manage all their requirements online in a secure account. Here they can book airport transfers, lift passes, ski lessons and equipment.

This has replaced a manual system that required staff to deal individually with every availability enquiry, quote request, ski hire etc. whether or not it resulted in a booking.

Automating many of these processes has allowed the business to expand more quickly, take on more properties and welcome more guests.

Web services expose a system's key functions through an API. They allow the facilities of a complex system to be made available to any authorised web application.

Horisk recently developed a suite of web sites for the London School of Economics to present their accommodation options to various audiences. Each web site uses the web services provided by OPERA, the university's hotel management software to check availability, display rates, make bookings and record payments. This has replaced an external system that required bookings to be re-keyed and was unable to provide live availability to users. LSE are now able to collect and analyse more customer data by directly monitoring enquiries, availability searches, failed bookings and actual bookings.

Features include:

• Live availability search
• Availability calendar
• Hotel information and rates are maintained centrally in the Opera management software
• Connects directly to WorldPay for online payments
• Records bookings directly in OPERA immediately
• Customers receive immediate confirmation by email
• LSE can have a number of sites aimed at different audiences (offering different rates and special deals) based on the same web services architecture

Horisk also developed a self service payment portal for students that allows them to pay term time fees and for this to be posted immediately on to their account.

OPERA is supplied by Micros

Horisk developed an e-recruitment application for the Human Resources department at The Robert Gordon University. The HR team had to manage a complex process of recruiting all levels of staff from porters to professors. With requests originating from a multitude of departments each with their own specific job requirements, application and interview processes.

Horisk developed an integrated web based system that allows authorised staff throughout the university to create job specifications and application forms online for approval by HR and the relevant management staff. These vacancies are then automatically advertised and online application forms made available for applicants to complete. Once the applications are submitted the system handles the short-listing and interview process through to the final generation of a job offer and contract for the successful applicant.

Features include:

• Automatically advertise vacancies
• Create an online application form
• Filter applicants against pre-defined criteria
• Invite candidates for interview
• Schedule interviews and book interview space and panel
• Generate job offer and contract
• Conduct orientation and request set-up of facilities (email, phone extension etc.) for new post automatically

For more information Online Recruitment Case Study (PDF 1200Kb)

ApplyOnline enables direct applicants to the University to apply for courses online, and is intended to make the current paper application form obsolete. Applicants can store partially completed forms, and view completed forms as a PDF. Data is error-checked and collected in a format to ease its insertion into the University's existing Student Information System.

ReviewOnline is the equivalent back-end workflow system designed to improve the process of evaluating application forms within the University. Admissions tutors can view applicant details, create and record communications with the applicant and record their decision which is automatically transferred to the existing Student Information System

ApplyOnline and ReviewOnline formed the major part of a Business Process Re-engineering project at The Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, which was a runner-up in the Guardian sponsored AUA Awards for Excellence 2004 and was Highly Commended in the Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA) Award for Excellence 2004.

Online Applications Case Study (PDF 1Mb)

Deadline is our application developed over the past 10 years to manage all aspects of the publishing process for small and medium sized magazine, directory and guide book publishers. Deadline has a number of modules each dealing with a specific part of the process, including;

• Customer relationship management
• Advertising bookings
• Editorial Commissions
• Listings
• Flat-planning
• Invoicing
• Auto layout in Quark and Indesign

Deadline Case Study (PDF 1.5Mb)

We have developed a number of e-commerce applications for clients selling anything from fishing permits to orchid essences. All these applications had some key benefits in common:

• Live stock status
• Immediate payment processing
• Efficient dispatch management and order tracking
• Live sales and management reporting
• 24/7 availability
• Low transaction cost

Our latest e-commerce website is Healingorchids.com