House of Kensington

		Information Centre

 

	Information Centre aims to make the accessing of information easier and more powerful. It gives unified storage and management of all the organisation's professional information resources (whether in electronic, word-processor or book/hard copy form). It has been specifically designed for the flexible way in which professionals (including lawyers and accountants) use and tailor information for differing client transactions. However, it will also be of use to any organisation that has documentation that staff need to access.
	Designed for achievement of strategic business benefits A professional organisation can achieve very important tangible and strategic business benefits by developing and managing the information resources which are available to its professional staff. These benefits include:
	l	maximising profitability by avoiding duplication and enabling more work to be safely delegated to more junior staff,
	l	a greater return on investment by ensuring that the information resources purchased or generated by the organisation are being put to use and "recycled" as extensively and effectively as possible,
	l	enhancing the quality, efficiency and consistency of service to clients,
	l	the generation of specialist expertise which helps the organisation win and retain work by demonstrating strength in depth relative to its competitors, and
	l	more effective risk management by reducing the chance of damaging mistakes being made.
	These business objectives can be attained by having a cohesive information resources plan and implementing it by investing in the appropriate staff, internal procedures and information technology systems. We believe that, if carefully planned, the value of the benefits gained by the organisation should quickly exceed the investment cost (possibly even within six months to a year). Back to top

	Single program instead of several One of the principal aims of InfoCentre is to allow professionals to learn and use only one program for tasks that are usually carried out by many programs.
	For example, InfoCentre can be used to manage all information within your organisation regardless of form in which it is available (i.e. book/hard copy, word processor document or other electronic form). If the information is internet or intranet form, it can be viewed and browsed within InfoCentre. If it is in word processor form, InfoCentre will cause the information to be viewed in the word-processor. Back to top
	Employs modern internet/intranet technology Documents and information are displayed on screen by InfoCentre using the technology which is widely used for viewing internet and intranet documents (i.e. Hypertext Mark-Up language or "HTML" and Hypertext Transport Protocol or "HTTP"). Apart from offering a high-quality, familiar and modern on-screen look, this means that InfoCentre can also be used for navigating your organisation's intranet and online internet resources. Back to top
	Emphasis on doing work Our software is designed around the everyday practical use of information in professional practice as this is where genuine business advantages are more likely to be achieved. In particular InfoCentre tries to avoid putting up barriers between professionals and the available information. Back to top
	Ease of use/intuitive InfoCentre has been carefully designed to look and operate in a manner which is familiar to professionals. We have included several features to ensure that professionals do not lose their orientation while browsing through documents within the system. Back to top
	Includes management of paper resources Unlike many software products, InfoCentre recognises a continuing important role for the organisation's stock of paper/hard copy information and appreciates that the gradual greater reliance of information technology is a transitional process. This includes indicating the availability of information in paper/hard copy form, dealing with signing-out and return of books and documents and tracking their current location. Back to top
	Unique risk management features If a change occurs, such as part of document becoming out of date, all references to that superseded part can be automatically flagged in any other document being viewed within the system. This should avoid professionals inadvertently relying on information resources which are out of date and makes the process of "weeding out" much easier. Back to top
	Automatic linking of resources When a document is displayed on screen, InfoCentre can automatically include hypertext links to all other documents within the system which refer to the document on screen. This allows professionals to see what connected information is available and to jump to it. Back to top
	Workbook feature InfoCentre also includes a "Workbook" screen which gives professionals tremendous flexibility to keep track of, organise, revisit and add notes to information as he/she goes along. Workbooks can also be used by professionals as a means of collecting together useful resources on a particular topic and/or type of transaction for future reference. Back to top
	Design and build quality The software operates in accordance with normal Windows and internet conventions. It is highly customisable to suit the each professional's taste and preferred way of working. InfoCentre uses a system of inputting and storing information which gives a much better return (in terms of flexibility and power) for the effort involved in comparison to other systems. In short, the same amount of effort generates greater benefits. It has been designed from the perspective of how the information is to be used and reflects the electronic medium. Furthermore, we believe that the ongoing maintenance of information using InfoCentre is far simpler than other approaches (such as using an intranet only solution). Back to top
	Integration with core office programs As well as making information resources simple to consult, InfoCentre allows information to be easily extracted and used for matters - usually into one of the leading word processing programs. Back to top
	Long term vision Care has been taken in the design of InfoCentre to allow other very useful functions to be added and to adapt to changes in technology. We have many ideas for the future development of the software. Back to top
	High quality professional supplier Our team has an excellent track record of developing well thought out high quality software for professionals. We have a genuinely professional approach to our business. For example, members of our team have several years experience practising law and accountancy in major City organisations. We strive to be articulate and to discuss technology in understandable terms. In particular we are committed to finding ways in which information technology can be employed most cost effectively in practical contexts. Back to top