A company, based in Lancaster University's InfoLab21, is working in partnership with Lancaster City Council to transform the way in which it manages its performance.
Escendency.com - a web-based management systems company - has designed and produced a unique real-time, people-centred, organisational Performance Management System which is improving effectiveness at LCC making it more open, accessible and accountable to local people.
The Escendency System is easy to use and is tailored to the needs of the Public Sector which needs to measure much more than purely financial data.
The Escendency System enables an organisation to translate high-level strategic objectives into measurable targets and provides managers, employees and members of the public with up to date information which is held on one central database rather than dispersed across different departments.
Lancaster City Council employs nearly 1,000 people located at a number of sites throughout the district. With such a widely dispersed workforce, collecting real-time information is a difficult task but this information is vital to enable senior managers and elected council members to plan strategically.
Richard Tulej, Head of Lancaster City Council's Corporate Strategy Service, said:
"We, as an authority, are constantly being challenged to demonstrate that we are able to deliver value for money, customer-focused services, use our resources effectively and at the same time deliver efficiency savings through continuous improvement. It was very clear to me that the Escendency Performance Management System would change the Council's whole approach to monitoring and managing its performance and is exceeding all our expectations."
Mark Robinson, CEO of Escendency.com said:
"The key point of the Escendency System is that it is people-centred. Ultimately it gets everyone directly connected to the organisation's mission which in this case is in improving the general well being of our community and environment. The work we are doing in partnership with Lancaster City Council is forward thinking and pushing new boundaries in the use of technology in meeting the needs of its people."
Escendency.com was formed in Lancaster in 2004 by Mark Robinson and his experienced management team.
The company is now based at Lancaster University's InfoLab21, the North West Centre of Excellence for ICT. InfoLab21 contains a cluster of technology-based companies and provides a wide range of services for ICT companies across the North West. Escendency has had a long term relationship with the University and started out as an Associate of InfoLab21. As the company grew it decided to take up residency in the building to take full advantage of the support available.
The company's customer base has also recently grown significantly with Arun District Council and Bridgnorth District Council taking up the system.
ENDS
For further information please contact Mark Robinson at Escendency on 07932 070691 or mark.robinson@escendency.com
Or Amanda Ross, Marketing Executive, Knowledge Business Centre, InfoLab21 email a.ross@lancaster.ac.uk or call 01524 510451
Escendency is an Application Service Provider (ASP) that has created a web-based, pan-organisational management system. Its use is primarily within the public sector, where it has been used as a catalyst for culture change by Rother District Council and Lancaster City Council. Uniquely, the Escendency system provides a common framework for the whole organisation to help focus the activities and energy of its employees. It simplifies communications, not just internally but also with external stakeholders. The company sees many opportunities for collaboration within InfoLab21 and the wider University to further develop the software and to investigate how people interact with it.
www.escendency.com
Lancaster University's world-class research, development and business centre in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It is a well equipped, high tech environment for academic research staff, research students and businesses. For more information see www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk
The £15m InfoLab21 building was made possible with funding from Lancaster University, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
Project part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund NW Objective 2 Programme 2000-06 NW Knowledge Based Action Plan www.nwua.ac.uk Delivering an Entrepreneurial and Digital Economy in North West Lancs.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and has five key priorities: Business Development, Regeneration, Skills & Employment, Infrastructure and Image.
For further information visit:
www.nwda.co.uk
www.englandsnorthwest.com