// database case study

// the problem

Informanagement is a database of well-researched, well-written tax and business advice that is updated every week. They provide useful content for accountants in the UK and Holland to pass on to their clients in the form of printed newsletters, email newsletters and RSS feeds on their websites.

They are on their way to a top three position in the UK, but were using an unreliable system that had been developed in the Ukraine. They approached Fathom to stabilise it and improve the functionality.

// the solution

We consolidated the system to tidy it up, and hosted it on more stable hardware. Email newsletters are issued weekly direct to the accountants who are clients of Informanagement, and monthly to the individual businesses who are clients of the accountants. The content and the recipients are all database-driven. Different content is selected according to each user, and each newsletter is branded to appear as though it is sent from the individual accountancy practices. Even printed newsletters have bespoke content, according to each individual's requirements – the application automatically 'designs' these on the fly. Accountants can edit and add content as they wish, so each of their clients receives personalised and relevant information.

We also added a unique profiling module to accountant websites so their clients can login securely to update their profile and preferences. What's more, about 80% of accountants in the UK still don't have a website (in Holland it's only 20%). So we offer a white label 'instant' website that includes the latest tax rates, allowances and other relevant information.

// the results

Fathom rebuilt some elements of the application and rectified some of the speed issues. We also made it more stable. From a marketing perspective, accountants have a one-to-one communications strategy with their clients.

With our template website solution, accountants can very easily have an uncluttered website that's live within a week, with a built-in CMS client so they can easily make their own changes.

Accountants are free to generate revenue, as they have a way to give practical advice to their clients, automatically. And Informanagement now have the confidence that the system is running securely, reliably and does what it should.

// informanagement

Informanagement Database Case Study

PROJECT:
Takeover, stabilisation and upgrade of existing system

INDUSTRY SECTOR:
Finance / Information Provision

TIMESCALE:
Ongoing

TECHNOLOGY:
MS SQL, ASP .net, AJAX, SMTP, N-Tier System

CLIENT COMMENT:

"Fathom are great to work with. They are proactive and always looking at ways of improving the functionality and making things work more efficiently. They turn work around very fast. It's great to work with a team who are so quick on the uptake.

They are currently rebuilding the system from scratch in order to take it to the next level, with new functionality and more pleasing aesthetics. It acts as the core of our business, is incredibly reliable and offers a great deal of protection with back-up servers to ensure continuity of service. The new version is due to be rolled out by April 2010 and will give us a solid base to take our business into the future."