The Media Group Application Processing System (TMG) supports both paper and electronic applications to the CRB for organisations and individuals. The system presents a hierarchical organisation structure where organisations have one or many parent/child organisations and users can be associated to each depending upon the rules enforced. Any number of applications can be created for an organisation and allocated with a unique account. Applicants can then log into the system and begin the application process. Once the application is complete, the application will arrange a meeting with a verifier, and the verifier will log into the system and approve or reject the application. Once approved, the application is submitted to CRB. The application interfaces with CRB to track the status of the application. Depending upon whom is responsible for paying, the payment can be made by the application or invoiced to the organisation.

The system uses a range of technologies and approaches to accomplish the original requirement. A strict O-O design methodology us used with an SQL Server backend. Linq-To-Sql has been utilised to represent the data as O-O objects in the data access layer. The application includes a payment interface where user can pay with multiple cards or by PayPal. Aside from the implementation; the system is continuously integrated, unit tested and built nightly.

PIE has been specifically developed to liberate embedded engineering design information to provide access to, and full traceability of, product life-cycle information. PIE allows users to browse, find, view, mark-up and print product information. As it is standards based (STEP and XML), PIE obviates the need to invest in the originating CAD and PDM systems to exploit their design content. Its web deployment and minimum training requirements provide for a readily accessible, low entry cost solution for accessing engineering design information. PIE addresses the issues of extracting and presenting database-defined product structures, element metadata and associated product information, in a simple easy to use manner. It provides a low cost way of finding, viewing and printing data without the need to have access to the source PDM, CAD or EDM systems. By innovatively adopting international standards (ISO 10303 STEP) as a basis for development of the product, PIE offers the opportunity for liberating product data, and presenting it in a format that suits the business needs across the entire product life-cycle. Moreover, as more and more lifecycle applications provide STEP interfaces to their data, PIE can be quickly and easily configured to work with them. PIE is intended for deployment via thin-client applications - ideal for integration within existing Shared Data and Collaborative Working Environments where it is not practical to load client software onto users’ PCs.

Use of PIE demonstrates that product structure information, structure element metadata, 3D solid models, 2D drawings of all types, and design documentation can be readily accessed by the in-service user. Furthermore, exploitation of configuration management data enables the location of specific system items on system diagrams or the physical design tree, a capability essential to allow in-service users to find the information they require using simple and familiar search fields.

For UK Naval Maritime, PIE is deployed both shore-side and on-board ship, initially configured to provide access to platform design information alongside the master ship fit definition. The information exposed currently includes product structures, configured items, 3D CAD models, 2Ddrawings, electrical cabling information, technical documentation and build photographs.

Further to the initial delivery of PIE, enhancements to widen the scope of data accessed and the upcoming delivery of Change Management capabilities further demonstrates the flexible nature of the PIE solution and its ability to address the business need for easy access to product configuration information.

(See PIE Web Application for definition of PIE)

PIE Change Management (PIE CM) is a unique piece of software, developed in C# with an oracle backend, bosted a file based CAD change management interface. Within the application, the user can select a product and a sub-product and this will auto-generate the treeview with the structure of the whole product (The product could be any physical structure). The treeview can potentially hold thousands of entries each linking to a CAD file within the backend file system. The user can select any number of models within the treeview and they will be streamed into the applications 3D portal in real-time. This currently worked over web services due to strict firewall restrictions on our client. The system also manages technical drawings related to the structure; which can also be taken through the change management process. Aside from these features, the system operates a strict user/role based policy and enforces user licences to access the system (These can be managed remotely)

Once the user selects a number of models and technical drawings to alter, they can then be wrapped up into a work package. Once submitted, these are sent as XML to the Design Environment Interface (DEI). This is responsible for de-serializing work packages and interfacing with AutoDesk tools (Product Stream and Inventor) to translate the CAD files and store in Product Stream. Designers can then change these files and check-in their design changes into Product Stream. The DEI will then poll Product Stream for completed work and feed the modified CAD data back into PIE CM. The user can then view the new model and drawing data.

The PIE Web Administrator is an ASP.NET application that uses .NET providers to manage user accounts and roles for all PIE applications. The PIE suite hosts many different applications, whereby the two main types are: The read only application (an ASP.NET web application) and a Change Management application (C# Client application).

This application enables an administrative user to login and manage all users and roles within the oracle backend database. Users can be assigned multiple roles also and this effects their access privileges as necessary.

Web Administrator also lets a user view version information for each component within the PIE suite. As each PIE application hosts a unique version number, Web Administrator can retrieve these from any server location and display them seamlessly in a grid for easy component version management as well.

(See PIECM for how DEI interoperates with the DEI)

The Design Environment Interface (DEI) is a unique tool of its own kind. It sits as a windows service (in the pictures, you can see the debugging GUI) on a system and polls an oracle database for submitted work packages (These contain CAD data and technical drawings that require design changes). The DEI references the work package against a serialized XML file and de- serializes the contents and feeds data into AutoDesk Product Stream.

The DEI takes the CAD data used by the system (.STP format) and translates them into Inventor part and assembly files (.IAM and .IPT). These are stored in AutoDesk Product Stream via. the web service API. Once the designers have made the changes to the CAD data and/or technical drawings, the DEI will pick up these changes, serialize the completed work package as XML and update the CAD filing system and the backend oracle database. All PIE products will then pick up the results of these design changes.

LSC Group requested a continuous integration system that would work with their existing NHS24 KMS .NET projects. These are hosted in Visual Source Safe (VSS) but the process should support Sub Version (SVN) also. The process setup had CruiseControl.NET (ccnet) running as the front end hosting all 50-60 projects within the system. Custom plugins were created to handle the complex versioning system which labelled: The ccnet interface, the code repository, the DLLs and the setup projects. The versioning system proved successful as code for a release can be tracked with ease. The system was set to run nightly builds and track releases to the client. The backbone of each build was held together using a combination of nAnt scripts and MSBuild. These indicate what in included within each build: execution of NUnit testing, what to include within the setup projects, auto-generation of release notes and product document for the release.

The continuous Integration process setup for LSC Group to support NHS24 KMS also contributed towards a similar process for the Product Information Explorer (PIE) Suite also.

NHS24 is a sophisticated Knowledge Management System (KMS) that would improve the management of information, enabling NHS 24 to deliver accurate patient information at the point of need. The system is built upon a Plumtree backbone with a SQL Server back end database. A simple use-case example might include: A user makes a telephone call to NHS Scotland complaining of chest problems. A trained operator has the ability to check the system for multiple reasons: The user might require hospital treatment, in this case, the operator can enter the callers postcode and a mapping utility will generate a route from the caller and his/her nearest facility or clinic that provides the required service. The user may have consumed a product that has been recalled from the shelves. The system also monitors all recalled products as the ingredients may affect or disrupt a persons health. Advice can then be given over the phone or directions to his/her nearest hospital, pharmacy or clinic.

Up until the stage of release, the solution consisted of 50-60 C#.NET projects during the two years of development.

The Staffordshire County Council Transport Service web application (CAFS) is used on a daily basis by the local council to control transport accounting for the county. The council has many contracts with various transport companies which involves: taking children to school, local taxi services and any council funded transport service within the county.

The application can then take each transport provider and allocate the days of operation throughout past and present years. By setting days of operation by transport provider, coupled with costs paid by the council, the application can calculate payments that need to be made to each provider. Not only does the application manage these costs, but it harnesses the ability to create adhoc forecasting. So for example, the user may want to know how much the service for provider X will cost in three years time; or the increase in costs from one year to the next. This provides the council with strategic information so funding can be known at earlier points in time.

The Pfizer EHS management system provides the Pfizer framework for excellence. It defines roles and responsibilities and sets objectives and targets to minimize risk and improve performance. This particular website targeted Pfizer locations at Sandwich, Sittingbourne and Cambridge. The work carried out on the Pfizer EHS website included client side script and design work in adbundence. Flash was also utilised to create interactive team organograms.

This website is no longer used by the company after the introduction of a standardised web toolkit which replaced all internal web applications within the company. Using the links below, you can navigate around the original website which is currently hosted by mouse.co.uk