The ISARR software platform
Swansea University
Sectors
Delivering more – Proactive safety and security through data driven intelligence
Swansea University was established in 1920, and is currently celebrating its centenary. A World class research University in the top quartile of UK Universities, it provides an outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate education and overall experience for 25,000 students over two main campuses (Singleton Park and Bay Campus), some 5 miles apart.
The Challenge
The University’s Security/First Response Team had an in-house reporting system that had outlived its operational usability. It had been designed around a database that lacked functionality and flexibility, as well as the ability to direct information in a timely manner to where it was most needed. Access to this system had grown exponentially across the University with an apparently unrestricted user base. As a result, the system had slowed down significantly due to the numbers of users with access; with too many people having the database open at once.
- Lacked functionality and flexibility
- Unable to share information in a timely manner
- Slow
- Lacked flexibility around recording incidents
- No evidential methodology
- Difficult to produce management information / escalate incidents
- Significant privacy and security issues
The Solution
Moving forward, it was clear any new system must be easy to operate during a high tension, complex situation with a user friendly front end that enabled speed and accuracy of input. It had to be intuitive for users, reducing any training burden. In simple terms it should; maximise the use of dropdown fields; provide for the use of templates and prompts that standardise inputs; increase search functionality and improve report content and construction that in turn facilitates uniformity of entries to achieve a good evidential standard and management information.
The Results
A section that has a column for text and a column for a video/audio or client quote (We then have a number of short video snippets of client interviews (video and audio only) which will be used for visitors to watch / listen. We need to also show some corresponding text that pulls out the key points and finally a way to call out specific quotes/points or benefits from the audio/video – essentially this is client based reinforcement/social proof of the results we have summarised at the top).
ISARR has given University’s departments and the Senior Management Team a true appreciation of the risk, threats and demand contingent with running what is in essence small towns with significant student numbers accommodated on each campus. Thus reflecting the diverse issues of a multicultural population that require a timely multi-department / multi-agency response. As a result, its use has expanded across the University and it has been taken up as the go to system for several departments and demand for the information product is rising.
“Our journey with ISARR has been simple, effective and game changing for the university”
Adrian Dennehy, Campus Protection Services Manager
Cardiff Metropolitan University
“The portal is a ‘one-stop shop’ for my aviation security, intelligence and risk management needs.”
Peter Miller, Principal AVSEC consultant
“The use of ISARR has improved consistency in
reports and provided valuable management
information for proactive response.”
Mark Arnold, Head of Security
University of Kent
“By partnering with ISARR we are going to continue to achieve our mission of providing valuable resources and support to our members”
Julie Barker, Chief Operating Officer
Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO)
“ISARR’s Aviation Insights have been far more up-to-date and of better quality than the commercial sources we used in the past.”
Ian Gregory, Security Regulation and Compliance Manager
Edinburgh Airport
