
The Ontario Realty Corporation
(merged with
Infrastructure Ontario in 2011) is one of Canada’s largest real estate management companies with a
portfolio of approximately 6,000 properties.
Original ORC website

Need
The ORC required a clear, defined Internet site strategy
(Blueprint) which included:
-
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
Prescient engaged in ten-stage site redevelopment project which
spanned two phases: Assessment and Planning.
Assessment
- 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.
Planning
- 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.
Prescient also conducted a CMS
evaluation/recommendation/implementation phase which involved:
- Defining CMS feature specifications
- Drafting and distributing an RFQ
- Vendor evaluation and scoring
- Creation of a purchase order
- Development of an implementation plan
- Development and set up of a prototype and testing environment
- Content migration plan development
- Content conversion oversight through usability and acceptance
testing
- Coordination of staff training
- Coordination of final release
Results
The ORC’s original Internet site rated a failing grade of 5 out of
10 from users. After the new site was launched on July 22, 2005, users
were polled again and now rate it a tremendously successful 9 out of
10.
New ORC website:

Prescient Digital has now been contracted to continue to apply our
high standards of work with the ORC in achieving the same successful
results with their internal intranet website.