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Introduction
Barclays is a UK-based financial services group engaged primarily in banking, investment banking and investment management. In terms of assets employed, Barclays is one of the largest financial services groups in the United Kingdom. Barclays has been involved in banking for over 300 years and operates in over 60 countries. Group staff numbers world-wide, at 31st December 2001 were 78,600.
The Problem
The Barclays Centre for Entrepreneurship was founded to develop an understanding of how entrepreneurship can affect an organisation, beyond new venture creation. The aim of the centre was to allow individuals (entrepreneurs, bank mangers, lecturers) to participate in a distance learning based education environment that encourages self help and the sharing of knowledge from your peers and mentors.
The Solution
The Virtual Centre at the Barclays Centre for Entrepreneurship is a web based environment that provides users with access to electronic resources, such as online courses, problem solving networks and personal/institutional support. By removing the need for direct `real world' contact between the centre and its users, it is hoped that the Virtual Centre will bring the facilities of the Centre for Entrepreneurship to a wider group of people.
Orchid Software developed a bespoke, web enabled application to run the Virtual Centre. A great diversity in materials and markets meant that complex software had to sit behind a sufficiently intuitive interface to appeal to novice users as well as the experienced. With a target audience ranging from small business support networks to corporate and university clients, the software systems had to be built to cope easily with disparate tasks.
The Orchid solution brings together various media, enabling resource creators to select the quickest delivery method for their information. All accessed through a familiar web browser, the Virtual Centre remains platform independent and so available to the widest audience.
Four sections to the Virtual Centre
The Virtual Centre consists of four sections:
1. Navigation
It is essential that navigation between the various rooms and work areas within the Virtual Centre is seamlessly easy. The Orchid Software solution uses five effective and intuitive navigation elements:
| A compass |
| Centre map |
| Audio prompts and instructions |
| Animated panels |
| Hot areas (two clicks and the user can start working). |
2. Security
Users must enter a user id and password before access to the system in granted. System administrators may also customise a comprehensive set of permissions. Once the user has access, they can:
| Access the main body of the site |
| Read and download materials |
| Contribute to discussion forums and chat rooms |
| Publish materials |
| Approve publications |
| Carry out administrative tasks |
| Redesign the work area interface |
The latter four are dependent on the user's permissions, which are managed by a back office system, housed and supported separately.
3. Communication
Users are able to communicate in real time and asynchronously (in chat rooms and discussion forums respectively); share information; co-author and work collaboratively; contribute to tutorials; solve problems in the business clinic and use e-mail facilities.
4. Publication
Eight applications run within the Virtual Centre to enable those users with the appropriate permissions to published articles to the web, without the need for any design or programming skills.
Materials might typically include: academic articles and papers; books and chapters; case studies; news; notices; calendars; adverts; audio/video files; web sites; course administration materials; formative and summative assessments; interactive questionnaires; and help files.
Submitted materials are stored in databases and archives, tailored to the needs of the users. Those with appropriate permissions can develop the category structures within the database as the need arises.
The publication tool doesn't limit users to publishing HTML web based files. The Virtual Library can accept a wide variety of file types and can automatically convert Microsoft Office files to Adobe Acrobat format, for increased security, smaller file sizes and cross platform compatibility. |
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“The Barclays Centre for Entrepreneurship has worked with Orchidsoft for over three years. It is our intention to continue to build upon our excellent relationship in the future.
They have consistently delivered solutions of the highest calibre within the field of e-Learning and e-Business using Orchidnet”
Tony Coyle, Manager of E-Learning, Barclays Virtual Centre |
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“(Orchid Software) have consistently delivered solutions of the highest calibre”
Tony Coyle, Manager of E-Learning, Barclays Virtual Centre |
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