June 2020
Project summary
AITOM prepared a complete tender for the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute for the creation of a new website.
It assisted with the management and coordination of a multi-member CHMI team, the so-called web group, in defining the website’s objectives and the priorities of the target groups. This was followed by further steps such as keyword analysis, structural design, wireframing and user testing, design, technical specifications and all other work preceding the implementation of a high-quality website.
| Client: | Czech Hydrometeorological Institute |
| Project launch: | June 2020 |
| Price: | several hundred thousand CZK |
| Sector: | public administration |
| Field: | Meteorology |
| Services: | Feasibility study, UX/UI, technical specifications, user testing of wireframes |
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute
The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute is a state-funded organisation established by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.
It is the central state authority of the Czech Republic for the fields of air quality, meteorology, climatology and hydrology. Among other things, it is responsible for operating the warning service, including, for example, the Smog Warning and Regulation System.
Brief
As the original website was already outdated, the CHMI needed a new concept. We set about creating it with great enthusiasm, as the entire project involved several interesting challenges. The result of our work was to be the complete preparation of the brief for the new www.chmu.cz website, with which the client would launch the subsequent tender process.
The client had several reasons for creating a new website. The original site was confusing and cluttered with diverse content. Above all, however, its technology and structure did not meet the current needs of users. If you needed to know more than whether it would rain at your holiday home over the weekend, finding more specialised information was a long and difficult process.
Given the complexity of the website and the demanding nature of the entire process, the marketing team concluded that they needed specialist partners to undertake the new website project. This was the perfect opportunity for us, as we are in our element when it comes to extensive initial studies.
In the tender, we offered a price 25% lower than the client’s budget. We won the tender and set to work.
Website Objectives
- Preparing the specifications for the development of a new website Primární cíl
- Design a new website concept
- Improve the website’s usability
Solution design and implementation
Such a large-scale project needed to be divided into several phases. We began with our tried-and-tested approach.
Phase 1 We
familiarised the client with our processes and procedures and clarified what we would need from them and when.
Together, we identified 8 target groups for whom we are creating the website:
general users and
people with a deeper interest in the weather (boat owners, skiers, hot-air balloonists, air traffic controllers, healthcare professionals, etc.). We
created the structure.
Phase 2
The next phase lasted several weeks. We helped the client clarify which existing content would need to be transferred to the new site and how it should be categorised. Page by page, we went through the original texts and sorted them according to the new structure.
Another important step was devising a strategy for working with third-party applications that integrate with the website’s functionality.
On the client’s side, many people from various fields who work with the website on a daily basis had input to offer regarding the new site. We therefore adopted an interactive approach to ensure we didn’t overlook anyone or anything.
We met once a week and worked collaboratively. We
involved the client throughout the entire process to create a joint project with which they would be 100% satisfied.
The client set up a so-called web group on their side – comprising specialists in key fields – meteorology, climatology, hydrology, etc. Their task was to ensure that the correct content was created on the new website for their respective specialisations.
Technical specifications of the state’s critical infrastructure: A challenge for the experienced
The CHMI website is part of the state’s critical infrastructure, and the CHMI is also a member of the State Security Council. What does this mean for the website?
high requirements for 24/7 availability
exceptionally high demands on the availability of all applications, including third-party
applications a strong emphasis on load – for example, in the event of floods, everyone who needs up-to-date information must be able to access the website
We therefore drew up two detailed technical specifications for the project: a
technical specification from the perspective of functions and structure,
and a technical specification from the perspective of data flows
The preparatory steps concluded with a complete design for new, modern graphics.
Preparing the client for the tender process
In order for the client to launch a tender for an agency to create the website itself according to our brief, they still needed our help with the final phase of preparations.
We specified the evaluation criteria for the tender process. We
provided an expert estimate of the development complexity and scope of the application. We
provided an expert estimate of the time required for implementation. We
helped prepare the tender documentation in collaboration with the legal department and the public procurement department.
All these documents protect the client from additional costs and delays, which are particularly common in public procurement.
Project results
“The biggest challenge with public IT contracts is that they are often difficult to bring to a successful conclusion. Thanks to our experience and the process we’ve gone through together, the people at the CHMI now know exactly what to ask for and what steps to take. What to expect from a development company, what the costs will be, and what the timeline is. In our experience, this is the key to successfully completing most software projects in the public sector,”
Project highlights
Client reference
