InImpact: The Journal of Innovation Impact

Publisher Future Technology Press
Vol. 5 No. 1 Innovation through Knowledge Transfer 2013
Volume Editors KES International
Journal ISSN 2051-6002
 
Article TitleSelectamark: The Development of a Global IT Platform
Primary AuthorJoe Dixon, KTP Associate
Other Author(s) James Denholm-Price; Andrew Knights; Jason Brown
Pages 130 - 135
Article ID inkt13-016
Publication Date 21-Oct-13
Abstract

This paper describes the unification and redevelopment of a company?s entire web-infrastructure. The project has been carried out through a KTP partnership between Kingston University and Selectamark Security Systems plc (Selectamark), based in Locksbottom, Kent. Selectamark specialise in property marking and identification and have a wide and diverse range of products, each supported by varying combinations of websites, ecommerce platforms and web applications. Prior to the KTP, these systems were developed and hosted by various different third parties, some of which were no-longer supported, causing the infrastructure to have become extremely fragmented. Some of the systems were also using old technologies and were in need of redevelopment. The KTP has allowed Selectamark to bring the skills and resources in-house to move away from this disjointed structure culminating in the production of a single platform on which web-resources can be located. This platform has improved flexibility allowed significant new contracts to be secured and enabled significant cost-savings in development and hosting. Having all systems developed in-house has allowed Selectamark to better plan new developments as well as react to business pressure quickly and efficiently. The project has raised some interesting management challenges for the whole KTP team to overcome. Indeed, it resulted in a complete ?U-Turn? in project-management methodology from the company partner across the whole business. This paper will outline how the project was managed as well as highlighting some of the challenges posed and successes enabled by the KTP.

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