A recent partnership between Business Disability Forum and Totally shows how the growing adoption of Agile project management is continuing to improve web development and enhance user experience for online businesses.
In March 2013, the Business Disability Forum, a not-for-profit organisation that makes it easier for companies to do business with and employ disabled people, commissioned Totally to add increased functionality to its pioneering Disability Standard tool – which is designed to help organisations measure their ability to be disability-smart.
The online tool was first updated by Totally in 2010, enabling the Forum’s member organisations to measure their business performance on disability. With a principle aim to provide companies with a framework to help them align ways of working, change behaviour and improve organisation-wide decision-making, ensuring accessibility and usability for all members was a primary requirement of the build. In addition, the tool needed to meet the AA standard of W3 Web Accessibility Guidelines and be successfully tested with a panel of disabled people.
Totally takes an iterative approach to the development of digital tools – using Agile methodology to ensure iterations are tested and critiqued by key user groups, with evaluations used to inform the next phases of development. This approach helps companies to mitigate the risk of project failure, reduces costs and accelerates speed to market. Moreover, it helps organisations ensure that final iterations are built around the robust alignment of business, IT and customer needs.
“Totally’s use of the Agile methodology has really worked for us,” says Vanessa Hardy, Digital Communications Manager, Business Disability Forum. “The iterative nature of the approach means that work is developed in chunks – so we constantly feel like we are making progress. An iteration is delivered, it’s tested and then it’s developed again – it’s a great way of working, and it really helps keep a tight control over development costs.”
Following the success of the original project, Business Disability Forum returned to Totally earlier this year with an objective to increase the tool’s functionality and allow members to access a wider range of resources to help them understand how to become disability-smart. This followed a major 2012 initiative that saw Business Disability Forum re-branded from Employers’ Forum on Disability – and updates to its brochure site. “Our old site had included a lot of member-only content, and members were telling us they missed this content and considered it a valuable member offer,” says Vanessa. “We decided that re-aligning these member resources with our Disability Standard would help inform and support members through the assessment process and raise general awareness of the Disability Standard tool.”
Business Disability Forum anticipates that the new functionality will strengthen its member offer and encourage more organisations to join and benefit from the wide range of learning and resources to support them in delivering disability across all areas of business functions.
About Business Disability Forum
Business Disability Forum is a not-for-profit member organisation that makes it easier and more rewarding to do business with and employ disabled people. Formerly called the Employers’ Forum on Disability, the company has more than twenty years experience of working with public and private sector organisations. Business Disability Forum Members employ almost 20% of the UK workforce and, together, seek to remove the barriers between public and private organisations and disabled people. The organisation is a key stakeholder for both business and government. You can visit their website here.
About Totally Totally is a London based software development company with over 20 years experience under its belt building exceptional digital products and bespoke software ranging from web applications and CRMs to eCommerce platforms, mobile applications and WordPress websites. We are also providing unmatched API development and integration services and have extensive experience creating software solutions for charities.
