Public sector software development
We build case management systems and public services for government bodies and their partners. Public sector software development sets a harder bar than commercial work: the service has to work for everyone, including people who struggle with forms or don't own a smartphone.
Services everyone can complete on any device
Case management, portals and records built to meet accessibility and retention rules.
Systems we build
- Case managementOne record shared across teams and partners
- Service portalsComplete on a phone, save and return
- Records and retentionKept for the right period, disposal recorded
- Identity and verificationChecks that fit the service
- Reporting and returnsFigures produced from case data automatically
- Legacy replacementReplaced in slices until the numbers agree
- Reply within one business day
- You own all code and designs
Public sector software for daily use
Case management
One case record that every team and partner organisation can work from, with each person seeing only what their role allows.
Service portals
Applications and requests people can fill in on a phone, save halfway through and come back to later.
Records and retention
Each document carries its retention period from the day it's filed. When that period ends, it's disposed of and the disposal is logged.
Identity and verification
We check who someone is in proportion to what they're applying for, without asking for documents they may not have.
Reporting and returns
The figures oversight bodies ask for come straight from the case data, so nobody has to piece them together by hand.
Legacy replacement
We replace older systems a piece at a time. Old and new run side by side until their numbers match.
You can't pick who uses a public service
A retailer can focus on the customers it wants. A public service has to serve whoever needs it. So we design for the person with no fixed address or little confidence with forms, and make sure they can get help from a person when going online won't work.
Public records also last far longer. A case note written today could be requested in twenty years, by a court or by the person it's about. That's why we treat retention, disposal and the audit trail as part of the brief from the start.
The legal duties we build in
- Accessibility. We build to WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which many governments require public bodies to meet.
- Records retention. Every record type has a set retention period, and when something is disposed of, the system logs it.
- Freedom of information. Records are stored so staff can find them quickly and, when a request comes in, release them with exempt material taken out.
- No supplier lock in. Another supplier can pick up what we deliver and run it. Nothing depends on us.
- Equality of access. People who can't use the online service get an assisted route, and we design it at the same time as the online one.
Systems we usually connect to
If your case tools, records stores and payment systems already serve the public well, we leave them in place and connect to them. Retiring one is a decision your organisation should make openly and with a plan. A project should never do it by accident. When an old system does have to go, our guide to legacy system modernisation shows how to replace it in stages.
How a public service gets built
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Understand the whole service
We look at the phone line, the front counter and the post, as well as the part that's moving online.
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Test with real users early
We include people who find forms hard, because they're the first to get stuck when a service goes wrong.
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Build a working slice
We build one complete case type, from first contact to closure, and check it for accessibility before adding more.
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Hand over properly
Each release comes with documentation, access and a proper walkthrough, so your team never has to rely on us.
These are the timings we see most often. Procurement stages, accessibility and security reviews, and approval from whoever is accountable for the service can each add weeks. Our project delivery process explains how we plan around them.
What changes for staff and the public
Cases move faster
When every organisation works from the same record, cases stop sitting in an inbox waiting to be passed on.
Fewer failed applications
People who would give up on a long form can save it, come back the next day and finish it.
Disposal that actually happens
Records are cleared on schedule, so you stop holding years of data you no longer need.
What procurement teams want to know
Yes, and we test for it rather than just claiming it. We run automated checks, then test each page with a keyboard and a screen reader. Your accessibility statement is written from those results, including anything we haven't fixed yet.
Yes, and we plan for it from the start. You own the code, the documentation and every account. We avoid tools that only we can run, and we write the handover notes as the project goes rather than in a rush at the end.
In most cases, yes. We move one case type or service across at a time and run the old and new systems together until the figures agree. Then we switch the old path off. It looks slower on paper and is far less likely to fail in front of the public.
Planning a service that works for everyone?
Tell us about the service and where you are in procurement, and we'll outline our approach.