Ontario Realty Corporation

Original ORC website

Need

• A framework that integrated with the head office corporate initiative
• A defined policy for site development, publishing and content management (policy, templates, etc.)
• Strategic directives including governance model, mission, objectives and measurable goals (metrics)
• An understanding of the director level requirements
• The incorporation of relevant and leading best practices
• A functional plan that defined exactly what the site offers and how
• An information architecture that incorporated all of the above findings into an effective site navigation schema
• Design concepts to illustrate the look and feel of a new ORC Internet website
• Recommendations and implementation plan for a new Content Management System
• Launch and marketing of the completed website

Solution

• Internet Evaluation – using Prescient’s six-point methodology, evaluated the existing Internet site to determine its current strengths and weaknesses.
• Business Requirements Analysis – analysis of the business requirements and priorities of key content providers and stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Interviews – we interviewed 10 key stakeholders to gather their requirements and gain insight into site usage
• User Survey – engaged ORC users in a two-way dialogue through a user survey to pinpoint their particular expectations and requirements while leveraging existing or previous user research.
• User Focus Groups – conducted several focus groups in order to build an even greater qualitative understanding of user requirements and expectations
• Benchmarking - formal identification, scoring and documentation of relevant industry best practices from similar organizations.

• Strategic Planning – SWOT analysis, mission, goals, and performance measures.
• Governance Recommendations – utilized content requirements analysis and existing governance model to make additional recommendations for optimizing the ORC site’s ownership and future decision-making process.
• Functional Plan - plan detailing the site’s form and function with an accompanying information architecture and wireframes (page layouts).
• Design - design development that built on the existing ORC brand guidelines, accounted for all identified requirements, and was tested with users in focus groups.
• Content Management Plan – ORC began developing and organizing content, processes and guidelines in advance of the site build and selection of an appropriate Content Management System.
• Marketing and Promotion Plan – provided an overview of recommended tactics and activities for marketing the site prior to and subsequent to launch.
• Blueprint – final, all-encompassing plan and report with design concepts.

1. Defining CMS feature specifications
2. Drafting and distributing an RFQ
3. Vendor evaluation and scoring
4. Creation of a purchase order
5. Development of an implementation plan
6. Development and set up of a prototype and testing environment
7. Content migration plan development
8. Content conversion oversight through usability and acceptance testing
9. Coordination of staff training
10. Coordination of final release

Results

New ORC website: