Innovators rush to the knowledge bank
Date published: 22nd December 2005
A year ago, Gateway2Innovate - a knowledge bank for innovators across the East of England - came to us for a new web site. Established in May 2004, they run a service that helps innovators across the East of England track down the skills and expertise they need to turn their ideas into reality.
"What we wanted A Recipe For Success to do was make our service easier to access," said Louise Rushworth, Gateway2Innovate Helpdesk and Information Manager. They wanted a web site that would be packed with information about networking events and other sources of expertise, and include a comprehensive searchable database of experts and specialists. But what made the project a real challenge was that they wanted it delivered fast - up and running within three weeks.
We based the new site on our e-KIS customer relationship management system, which makes it easy for organisations to track their interactions with clients. We also used our e-KIS content management system to make it easy for Gateway2Innovate to keep the content of their new site up to date.
The result has been a real success. Everything Gateway2Innovate wanted was delivered in time for the planned launch on November 24, 2004, and the site quickly became a 'hit' with businesses across the East of England. More than 2,000 visitors a month now search the knowledge bank directly or use the site's other facilities to build their network of contacts. Between them, they access almost 20,000 pages of information - a lot for a specialist business-to-business web site.
The online CRM system is also used by the Gateway2Innovate team to respond to the hundreds of emails, faxes and phone calls they receive each month.
"The success of the 'serve yourself' system has meant that one member of staff can manage our entire operation," said Peter Button, chief executive of Business Link for Suffolk, one of the organisations behind Gateway2Innovate. "Everything we need is built into the system - the web site, on online CRM system, a supplier matching service and the tools to create and send emails to keep people up to date and tell them about events - and it's really easy to use.
"We've had great feedback on the service, both from businesses looking for help and from those who have skills and expertise to offer. Much is a direct result of the online CRM system A Recipe For Success built for us. It's proved to be exactly what we wanted - a recipe for success for businesses across the East of England."
Clearly, Gateway2Innovate's clients agree. "Starting a new business is a huge challenge on many fronts," said one user of the service. "We had great product ideas and the right software expertise to develop them, but we needed help in other areas. The help we got through Gateway2Innovate has really helped us drive our business forward."
Established in May 2004, the Gateway2Innovate project is run by the six organisations that deliver Business Link services in the East of England and the St John's Innovation Centre in Cambridge.
"What we wanted A Recipe For Success to do was make our service easier to access," said Louise Rushworth, Gateway2Innovate Helpdesk and Information Manager. They wanted a web site that would be packed with information about networking events and other sources of expertise, and include a comprehensive searchable database of experts and specialists. But what made the project a real challenge was that they wanted it delivered fast - up and running within three weeks.
We based the new site on our e-KIS customer relationship management system, which makes it easy for organisations to track their interactions with clients. We also used our e-KIS content management system to make it easy for Gateway2Innovate to keep the content of their new site up to date.
The result has been a real success. Everything Gateway2Innovate wanted was delivered in time for the planned launch on November 24, 2004, and the site quickly became a 'hit' with businesses across the East of England. More than 2,000 visitors a month now search the knowledge bank directly or use the site's other facilities to build their network of contacts. Between them, they access almost 20,000 pages of information - a lot for a specialist business-to-business web site.
The online CRM system is also used by the Gateway2Innovate team to respond to the hundreds of emails, faxes and phone calls they receive each month.
"The success of the 'serve yourself' system has meant that one member of staff can manage our entire operation," said Peter Button, chief executive of Business Link for Suffolk, one of the organisations behind Gateway2Innovate. "Everything we need is built into the system - the web site, on online CRM system, a supplier matching service and the tools to create and send emails to keep people up to date and tell them about events - and it's really easy to use.
"We've had great feedback on the service, both from businesses looking for help and from those who have skills and expertise to offer. Much is a direct result of the online CRM system A Recipe For Success built for us. It's proved to be exactly what we wanted - a recipe for success for businesses across the East of England."
Clearly, Gateway2Innovate's clients agree. "Starting a new business is a huge challenge on many fronts," said one user of the service. "We had great product ideas and the right software expertise to develop them, but we needed help in other areas. The help we got through Gateway2Innovate has really helped us drive our business forward."
Established in May 2004, the Gateway2Innovate project is run by the six organisations that deliver Business Link services in the East of England and the St John's Innovation Centre in Cambridge.
Tel: 0845 8 409933