WriteImage CEP Education Management Software Enhanced ...



|Overview | | |“Productivity has increased significantly. This is partly because developers now focus on core |

|Country or Region: United Kingdom | | |functionality, while designers focus on the application’s look and feel.” |

|Industry: Education | | |Neil O’Connor, Technology Officer, Tribal Group |

| | | | |

|Customer Profile | | | |

|Based in the United Kingdom, Tribal Group | | | |

|provides consulting and professional support | | | |

|services. It helps private- and public-sector| | | |

|clients improve service delivery to their | | | |

|customers. | | | |

| | | | |

|Business Situation | | | |

|Tribal wanted to enhance its flagship | | | |

|Education Business System product to provide | | | |

|more functionality to its customers. | | | |

| | | | |

|Solution | | | |

|The company redeveloped key modules, | | | |

|including an existing timetabling | | | |

|application, using Windows Vista™, which | | | |

|incorporates the Microsoft® .NET Framework | | | |

|3.0 development environment. | | | |

| | | | |

|Benefits | | | |

|Increased efficiency. | | | |

|Support for smart-client and Web-based | | | |

|delivery. | | | |

|Increased developer productivity. | | | |

|Enhanced graphical user interface. | | | |

|Improved usability. | | | |

| | | |The Tribal Group Education Business System (EBS) product helps further education and sixth form |

| | | |colleges, and those working in adult and community learning, manage their day-to-day operations. The |

| | | |software, historically delivered as a client-server application, supports almost every aspect of the |

| | | |education management process. To increase functionality for users, Tribal is redeveloping EBS using |

| | | |tools provided with the Windows Vista™ desktop operating system. These tools have allowed the United |

| | | |Kingdom-based company to build new functionality quickly and cost-effectively, while significantly |

| | | |improving graphical elements of the user interface. In addition, the new technology supports |

| | | |separation of development and design tasks, dramatically increasing efficiency. |

| | | | |

| | | |[pic] |

| | | | |

Situation

Tribal Group delivers a wide range of technology and consultancy services to private- and public-sector customers. The company develops and deploys software and consultancy services for schools, further education colleges, private training providers, and higher education institutions as a key element of its offerings in the education market. It has been successfully delivering solutions in education and learning for more than 20 years.

One of the key products in the Tribal portfolio, Education Business System (EBS), helps learning providers that cater for the post-16 market work efficiently and effectively. EBS supports every aspect of college life—from enrolling students on programmes of learning to creating data submissions required by government agencies. It can be delivered as a comprehensive service, which includes training, support, and consultancy. Or, alternatively, it can be offered as a managed service with Tribal employees working on college premises.

EBS was created 12 years ago, originally using Oracle Forms client-server technology. Traditional grey-screen interfaces were used to enter information through an application that resided on the user’s desktop. The product, which was advanced for its time, soon became the market leader.

In 1999, Tribal decided to rewrite certain elements of the solution, broadening the offering and integrating new tools to help administrative employees gather information on student course enrolment and other key data. To carry out this development work, the company used Microsoft® Visual Basic® 6.0 and Microsoft Active Server Pages technologies.

Neil O’Connor, Technology Officer at Tribal, says: “People wanted access to information through Web-based interfaces, so we used Microsoft technologies to create Web-based versions of some EBS modules. This allowed college staff to log on and see selected information, such as student attendance records, course enrolment details, or student contact details, held centrally in an Oracle database.

“We created other Web-based modules, allowing tutors to mark registers, confirm exam entries, and conduct timetabling and resource planning processes for classes and exams online. At the same time, we extended functionality for administrative personnel, supporting enhanced curriculum planning and modelling activities based on the requirements for complex government funding structures.”

In 2004, to further develop the capabilities of EBS, Tribal began rewriting all modules of the solution using the Microsoft .NET Framework. This process is now well underway, and the latest modules are being built on Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0, which is fully integrated with the Windows Vista™ desktop operating system.”

In addition to the Web-based modules, Tribal is now taking advantage of the powerful features of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) in .NET Framework 3.0 to create smart-client solutions within the EBS product suite.

The move to .NET Framework 3.0 and WPF will allow new functionality to be developed quickly and effectively, provide a highly intuitive graphical interface, increase ease of use, and enrich the user experience.

Solution

With the new phase of development using .NET Framework 3.0 and WPF on Windows Vista, Tribal will be able to deliver EBS modules in Web-based or smart-client formats, depending on the requirements of the college or individual user.

O’Connor says: “We have developed an in-house toolkit called the Unified Application Framework (UAF), which helps us to standardise development work across Tribal. This overlays developer tools available with .NET and Windows Vista with additional code libraries and tools that are especially useful in the context of our business. We have already invested significantly in the development of the UAF, and we are reaping the benefits in terms of accelerated development times and a richer user experience.”

By using .NET and Windows Vista to rewrite EBS modules, Tribal has reduced dependence on proprietary technologies. O’Connor says: “We are no longer tied into any particular database or user interface. For historical reasons, we are still using an Oracle database, but the need for this is diminishing as more and more screens are migrated to the next version of EBS. Soon, we will be able to offer colleges the option of deploying Microsoft SQL Server™ 2005 at the back end, and this may be a more cost-effective option for many of them.”

Developers find the solution more efficient, and they can achieve more complex results with less coding effort. Windows Vista ships with a standard set of WPF controls, providing prebuilt versions of many functions that developers need.

O’Connor says: “Previously, our developers would have spent a great deal of time customising pre-shipped or third-party controls, or even writing their own controls from scratch if these turned out to be unsuitable. With WPF, however, our developers are now finding that they are able to customise the controls using ‘templates.’ This allows developers to retain or extend the basic operation of the control, while giving it a completely new look. This is a simple but very powerful feature that has greatly reduced the time required to transform new functional requirements from idea to reality.”

Tribal is also using additional Microsoft tools that streamline the development process, including the Expression suite, which comprises:

■ Expression Design, a program for managing images and importing and exporting data using extensible application markup language (XAML), a user interface mark-up language that allows graphic designers to develop advanced screen designs and graphics and integrate them into development projects.

■ Expression Web, a Web design and application tool that helps users develop sophisticated Web sites. It replaces and significantly enhances Microsoft functionality previously available with Microsoft FrontPage®.

■ Expression Blend, which allows designers to build complete user interfaces, drawing on graphical elements created in Expression Design and incorporating animation and other graphical effects. This technology fully supports XAML, which allows designers to create user interface designs that can be used directly within Microsoft Visual Studio® 2005, allowing developers to add business logic hooks to back-end systems quickly and easily.

Tribal has recently rewritten its timetable management module using the latest Microsoft technologies introduced with Windows Vista. The original version—created using classic Active Server Pages—allowed administrators to visualise a timetable in a Web browser and add scheduling information—to set up staff, course, and exam timetables, for example.

By rewriting the module using WPF, Tribal has expanded the timetabling functionality. Users can now view several employee and resource timetables simultaneously and zoom into particular timetables by passing the cursor over them. As a result, it is easier to check for timetable clashes and faster to allocate employees, rooms, and other resources.

Benefits

Using Windows Vista and the .NET Framework 3.0, Tribal has created value-added functionality for education professionals. This work has been carried out quickly and cost-effectively using the UAF development framework.

Enhanced Development and Design Processes

Development of Web-based applications using HTML required a mixture of functional and graphics code to be intermingled. This made pages difficult to maintain and amend. In addition, developers were often required to carry out design tasks or make design decisions that were outside their remit or expertise.

O’Connor says: “In the Active Server Pages days, you would see a fragment of HTML code alongside a fragment of VBScript code to handle the data on a screen. Pages like this became messy quickly—they were hard to debug and required the use of a restrictive scripting language. This scenario also required developers to take control of some aspects of design, which is often not what they do best.

“XAML allows us to codify design elements using XML. Because it is fully supported by both Expression Design and Expression Blend, which are used by our dedicated designers, and Visual Studio 2005, which is a key tool for our developers, designers and developers are able to work together much more effectively than before. This approach eliminates the problems—such as inconsistency of branding—that can arise when a large number of people contribute to the design of different pages. It also removes the often challenging task of back-fitting designs with existing code.”

Enhanced Configuration and Customisation

The UAF uses features of .NET, along with additional code libraries, to offer a configuration and customisation layer in EBS. This provides a tool that allows Tribal, or its customers, to configure any field on any screen. O’Connor says: “If customers decide they want to change, for example, the layout of a screen, or which data fields appear on the screen in which order, they can use the comprehensive customisation features of EBS to tailor it to their needs. Alternatively, they may wish to define who can see what data, so they can identify a subset of users and give them access to a page, part of a page, or even an individual field—or, indeed, bar access to certain users. In this way, customers can make sensitive information, such as student contact details, available to those who need it, and protect it from other people who are not authorised to see it. ”

Next-Generation Graphics Features

Using Windows Vista and the WPF, Tribal has enhanced the graphical elements of EBS. O’Connor says: “Windows Vista takes advantage of the fact that most modern computers have a significant processing unit in their graphics cards. Previously, memory- or processor-intensive graphics slowed most computers down at the expense of other processes, but by maximising the use of the capabilities of the graphics card, Windows Vista virtually eliminates this issue. In doing so, it opens up a range of new opportunities for developing very attractive, feature-rich user interfaces for business applications.

“For example, we have been able to deploy sophisticated animation and 3D shapes that use the graphics processing unit to run smoothly and attractively on the screen, while the central processing unit is free to work on key business processing tasks. Because of these new capabilities, we have significantly enhanced the user experience in the new release of EBS. In addition to using the latest graphics capabilities to introduce new features to the product—such as smart previews of timetables—we have also used them to improve the overall usability and visual appeal of the application.

“The significance of an aesthetically pleasing user interface should not be underestimated—initial feedback on our new timetabling module suggests that our users consider the application to be more intuitive and easier to use. As a result, we expect training time and costs to be reduced, fewer support calls to be raised, and, ultimately, for the customers to see better productivity from their timetable management staff.”

Improved Timetabling Functionality

The EBS timetabling application allows users to view and work with several different timetables on one screen. O’Connor says: “Because of the graphics capabilities of Windows Vista, there is no performance degradation when power users open multiple timetables simultaneously. Timetables can be resized and moved around smoothly and cleanly using highly intuitive tools, and users can see a ‘smart preview’ of timetables using thumbnail images.

“In the past, something so graphics-heavy would have slowed everything down, and shapes would have juddered when moved. Now, shapes scale up and down smoothly. This provides additional benefits for visually impaired users, who can zoom into detail-intensive areas of the screen using intuitive commands.”

Gadgets Streamline Working Practices

With an increasing number of tasks at hand—from checking the weather to viewing calendars—users need to open and close windows constantly. To help people save time and work more productively, Windows Vista offers a dedicated Windows® Sidebar, which provides access to Gadgets—a wide variety of customisable, engaging, easy-to-use mini-applications that offer information at a glance and provide easy access to frequently used tools.

O’Connor says: “Users will be able to drop an EBS Gadget onto the Windows Sidebar to enable them to view key information or complete routine administrative tasks. This will allow them to access their timetable for the day, retrieve the exams they need to mark, or view tasks allocated to them by other system users. This helps education professionals work more effectively and will be an additional selling point for the new version of EBS.”

Support for Smart-Client, Web-Based Delivery

As more and more EBS modules are redeveloped using Windows Vista, Tribal will offer both Web-based and smart-client deployment options, depending on user requirements.

O’Connor says: “Non-Web-based applications are typically difficult to distribute because they need to be installed and upgraded manually. On the other hand, Web-based applications can be deployed to groups of users in real time and can be kept up to date easily. Until now, the issue has been that non-Web-based applications are typically much richer and easier to use than Web-based alternatives.

“This has all changed with the new tools we have available. For example, the new XAML Browser Application (XBAP) technology allows us to offer customers the best of both worlds. It supports the delivery of smart-client applications using a Web browser, while providing the full richness of software installed locally.

“We are also planning to use the ClickOnce Deployment feature of .NET 3.0 to seamlessly roll out new versions of our smart-client modules to users throughout the college.”

Increased Developer Productivity

The use of Windows Vista has helped Tribal speed up the EBS development life cycle. O’Connor says: “Productivity has increased significantly. This is partly because developers now focus on core functionality, while designers focus on the application’s look and feel.

“It is also because we have access to our extensive UAF code libraries, underpinned by the .NET Framework 3.0, which means we no longer have to write granular functionality from scratch. Using the new technologies, we have quickly developed exciting new functionality. Developers like it, the product managers like it, and customers like it.”

Plans to Introduce New Workflow Features

Tribal is building new workflow features into EBS using Windows Workflow Foundation in .NET 3.0, which consists of a programming model, an engine, and tools for quickly building workflow-enabled applications in Windows environments. Windows Workflow Foundation includes support for both system workflow and human workflow across a variety of scenarios. It also speeds up the development life cycle by providing a consistent and familiar development experience with other .NET Framework 3.0 technologies, such as Windows Communication Foundation and WPF.

O’Connor says: “Using Windows Workflow Foundation, we will introduce a well-defined set of processes for handling information to ensure the effectiveness of college operations. These will help colleges manage a range of processes more effectively—from processing parents’ queries to submitting data to central government.”

Windows Vista

Windows Vista can help your organisation use information technology to gain a competitive advantage in today’s new world of work. Your people will be able to find and use information more effectively. You will be able to support your mobile work force with better access to shared data and collaboration tools. And your IT staff will have better tools and technologies to enhance corporate IT security, data protection, and more efficient deployment and management.

For more information about Windows Vista, go to:

windowsvista

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| |Software and Services

|Windows Vista | |

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Document published February 2007 | | |

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For more information about Tribal Group plc products and services, call 0114 281 6100 or visit the Web site at: tribalgroup.co.uk

“Using the new technologies, we are quickly developing a range of exciting new functionality. Developers like it, the product manager likes it, and customers like it.”

Neil O’Connor, Technology Officer, Tribal Group

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“Because of the new vector-based screen rendering available with Windows Vista, shapes and graphics scale up and down smoothly.”

Neil O’Connor, Technology Officer, Tribal Group

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