Escendency News
September 2008
BT Chooses Escendency
BT Group have chosen Escendency's web-based SMART System to monitor, manage and report all BT's activities regarding the environment, climate change, sustainability and corporate social responsibility operations globally.
BT join a growing list of Escendency SMART system users which include Local Authorities, Universities, the Northwest Regional Development Agency, a School and a Neighbourhood Management Community Programme.
We are all looking forward to working with BT as the first major corporation to recognise the power, flexibility and cost effectiveness of the Escendency SMART system.
See BT Chooses InfoLab21 Company Escendency.
August 2008
Escendency Raises Third Round of Equity Funding
To accelerate expansion plans Escendency successfully raises a third round of private equity finance.
This latest share offering values the company at over three times what it was in August 2006.
July 2008
System Release 4.1
New Funcionailty
Strategy map searching: Search strategy map for measurable strategy map item and/or target location.
Comment Editing: Allow measurement/validation comment edit facility to user.
Strategy Map Data Tag and Report: Data tags are a way to add qualitative data and information to strategy map items and also performance targets.
Download Release Note (pdf - 421kb)
March 2008
System Release 4.0
The primary purpose of this release is to introduce the new assessment module
The assessment module allows system users to easily perform non-indicator based performance assessments that encompass a range of categories on any type of system item or as a stand alone assessment. It will be possible to perform assessments on a regular basis and to report progress in a number of ways.
Download Release Note (pdf - 767kb)
November 2007
System Release 3.4
New Funcionailty
Action Plan Types: Action plan types allow action plans to be tagged and identified easily in their place in an action plan hierarchy or relationship to a specific project.
Action Plan Graphic Dashboard Display: The Dashboard has been reconfigured to add an action plan graphic display of task progress.
Action Plan Header fields: In order to select the type of action plan a new field needed to be created in the Action Plan header. Based on several client requests a cost field has also been added to the action plan header.
Download Release Note (pdf - 679kb)
April 2007
System Release 3.3
New functionality
Equation List Report: This new report link is situated in the reports list accessed via the reports tab.
Dashboard Counters: The counters enable users to see a quick summary of their due tasks without having to click on their task tab.
Visualisation of the Corporate Performance Overview report: This new report link is named Corporate Performance Explorer and offers a 3D look at the strategy map with zoom in and out features.
Enhancements
Validator’s screen to show more data.
Overdue measurements report to include equation measurements.
Performance Indicator Status report modification.
Ability to edit phase targets.
Ability to change measurer after target creation.
Ability for users with relevant access right to add oversight comments to performance reports.
Export of all reports (not just group reports) to Excel.
Search performance indicator lists.
New Access level ‘Auditor’.
Download Release Note (pdf - 2mb)
12th March 2007
Escendency Sponsor and Present the 2007 Local Government Chronicle People Management Award
Escendency sponsored and presented the 2007 LGC award for People Management to the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham on the glittering stage of the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.
Highly commended were Leicester City Council, London Borough of Newham and Swindon Borough Council.
Shortlisted were Birmingham City Council and Salford City Council.
Rory Bremner hosted the evening.
Photo: Mark Robinson, Founder of Escendency, presenting the award with Rory Bremner
6 - 7th March 2007
Escendency participates in the Local Government Association Annual Improvement Conference in Nottingham
The theme of the conference was driving improvement for people and places.
The conference explored driving improvement through partnerships and Local Area Agreements, the future of inspection and ways in which councils can prepare themselves for a new sector-led performance management framework post- CPA.
Speakers included:
- Rt. Hon. Ruth Kelly MP
- Sir Michael Lyons
- Cllr Sir Simon Milton
- Darra Singh
- Lucy De Groot
5 - 6th February 2007
Escendency participates in the Local Government Association Urban Conference in Newcastle
The theme of the conference was thriving economies, cohesive communities.
Speakers included:
- Cllr Nargis Khan - DCLG Commission on Integration & Cohesion
- David Frost - Director General, British Chambers of Commerce
- Adele Blakebrough MBE - Chief Executive, Community Action Network
- Alan Duncan MP - Shadow Secretary of State for Trade, Industry & Energy
- Cllr Richard Kemp - Deputy Chair LGA
- Dr Adam Marshall - Centre for Cities, Institute for Public Policy Research
- Steve Broomhead - Chief Executive, Northwest Regional Development Agency
- Meg Munn MP - Minister for Women & Equality, Communities and Local Government
- Margaret Fay OBE - Chairman, One North East
11th December 2006
Lord Sainsbury visits InfoLab21 and meets Escendency
Lord Sainsbury visited InfoLab21 to look at the links between Lancaster University and business as part of a government review into how the development and exploitation of scientific research can be improved.
The review's remit included an examination of knowledge transfer between universities and business in the context of globalisation.
Accompanied by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Wellings, he toured both the Lancaster Environment Centre and InfoLab21 and spent some time talking to Escendency.
Photo: Mark Robinson, Founder of Escendency explaining the principles of the system to Lord Sainsbury.
7th December 2006
Escendency reaches the finals of the BIBAs 2007 Awards
Escendency has been short listed to the final four in the Best Use of E-Business category in the BIBAs Be Inspired Business Awards Lancashire 2007.
After further judging the Oscar style awards ceremony takes place at the Empress Ballroom, Winter Gardens, Blackpool 1st March 2007.
26th October 2006
Escendency Sponsors the LGC Conference "Preparing for the 2006-2008 District CPA Framework"
Held at Earls Court, London this conference was dedicated to providing practical guidelines for improving performance using the inspection process
The conference was chaired by James Hehir, Chief Executive of Ipswich Borough Council.
Speakers included:
- Sandra Prail - Local Government Delivery Manager- Audit Commission
- Adrian Barker - Policy Manager - I&DeA
- Christopher Bally - Corporate Performance Manager - Tendring District Council
- NickCave - Head of Policy & Performance - Harlow District Council
- David Petford - Chief Executive - Maidstone Borough Council
- Derek Stevens - Chief Executive - Rother District Council
- Richard Tulej - Head of Corporate Strategy - Lancaster District Council
- Mark Poppy - Deputy Chief Executive - Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
September 2006
System Release 3.2
Ability to subdivide scorecard perspectives into categories.
Ability to link action plans to perspectives.
View associated actions plans in scorecard report.
Download Release Note (pdf - 543kb)
August 2006
Escendency raises second round of equity funding
To accelerate expansion plans in parallel with the recruitment of additional key staff Escendency successfully raises a second round of private equity finance.
July 2006
System Release 3.1
One click exporting of standard system group reports to Excel.
Download Release Note (pdf - 235kb)
22nd June 2006
Escendency Sponsors the LGC Conference "Transforming Performance in District Councils"
Held at Earls Court, London this conference was dedicated to tackling practical performance management challenges in district councils.
The conference was chaired by Ian Orton of Braintree District Council.
Speakers included:
- David Pottruff - Audit Commission
- Ingrid Koehler - I&DeA
- Geoff Bushell - South Oxfordshire District Council
- Tricia Taylor - Watford Borough Council
- Nigel Riglar - Stroud District Council
- Nick Easton - LGA, Guy Mallinson RSe Consulting
- Julie Simmons - Harlow Council
- Katherine Edwards - Tesco
- Ian Salte - South Cambridgeshire District Council
- Alan Balkham - Worthing Borough Council.
14th-15th June 2006
Escendency Sponsors Workshop at the Public Sector People Management Conference "Expo 2006"
Held at the Manchester International Convention Centre over 2 days Escendency sponsored the workshop "People Management & Technology - Delivering the Business Benefits Through E-HR". Mark Robinson, Founder of Escendency spoke alongside Yvonne Skingle - Strategic Human Resources Manager, Essex County Council and National Lead Officer for E-HR issues PPMA (Public Sector People Management Association - formerly SOCPO) and Richard Tulej - Head of Corporate Strategy, Lancaster City Council.
14 July 2006
We're making headlines
Read InfoLab Latest and
Domino at Lancaster University
10 July 2006
Congratulations
Ben Wallace MP for Lancaster & Wyre congratulating Escendency at their InfoLab21 offices on reaching the North West regional finals of the National Business Awards for Business Innovation of the Year.
Photograph by Boswell Photographic
Pictured from right to left:
Ben Wallace MP & Mark Robinson Founder Escendency
June 13th 2006
Escendency article in The Times
"What Worked for Us"
Read the article in www.timesonline.co.uk
Press Release
Web company helps improve public services
A company, based in Lancaster University's InfoLab21, is working in partnership with Lancaster City Council to transform the way in which it manages its performance.
Web company helps improve public services
A company, based in Lancaster University's InfoLab21, is working in partnership with Lancaster City Council to transform the way in which it manages its performance.
Escendency.com - a web-based management systems company - has designed and produced a unique real-time, people-centred, organisational Performance Management System which is improving effectiveness at LCC making it more open, accessible and accountable to local people.
The Escendency System is easy to use and is tailored to the needs of the Public Sector which needs to measure much more than purely financial data.
The Escendency System enables an organisation to translate high-level strategic objectives into measurable targets and provides managers, employees and members of the public with up to date information which is held on one central database rather than dispersed across different departments.
Lancaster City Council employs nearly 1,000 people located at a number of sites throughout the district. With such a widely dispersed workforce, collecting real-time information is a difficult task but this information is vital to enable senior managers and elected council members to plan strategically.
Richard Tulej, Head of Lancaster City Council's Corporate Strategy Service, said:
"We, as an authority, are constantly being challenged to demonstrate that we are able to deliver value for money, customer-focused services, use our resources effectively and at the same time deliver efficiency savings through continuous improvement. It was very clear to me that the Escendency Performance Management System would change the Council's whole approach to monitoring and managing its performance and is exceeding all our expectations."
Mark Robinson, CEO of Escendency.com said:
"The key point of the Escendency System is that it is people-centred. Ultimately it gets everyone directly connected to the organisation's mission which in this case is in improving the general well being of our community and environment. The work we are doing in partnership with Lancaster City Council is forward thinking and pushing new boundaries in the use of technology in meeting the needs of its people."
Escendency.com was formed in Lancaster in 2004 by Mark Robinson and his experienced management team.
The company is now based at Lancaster University's InfoLab21, the North West Centre of Excellence for ICT. InfoLab21 contains a cluster of technology-based companies and provides a wide range of services for ICT companies across the North West. Escendency has had a long term relationship with the University and started out as an Associate of InfoLab21. As the company grew it decided to take up residency in the building to take full advantage of the support available.
The company's customer base has also recently grown significantly with Arun District Council and Bridgnorth District Council taking up the system.
ENDS
For further information please contact Mark Robinson at Escendency on 07932 070691 or mark.robinson@escendency.com
Or Amanda Ross, Marketing Executive, Knowledge Business Centre, InfoLab21, email a.ross@lancaster.ac.uk or call 01524 510451
Notes for Editors
Escendency Company Profile
Escendency is an Application Service Provider (ASP) that has created a web-based, pan-organisational management system. Its use is primarily within the public sector, where it has been used as a catalyst for culture change by Rother District Council and Lancaster City Council. Uniquely, the Escendency system provides a common framework for the whole organisation to help focus the activities and energy of its employees. It simplifies communications, not just internally but also with external stakeholders. The company sees many opportunities for collaboration within InfoLab21 and the wider University to further develop the software and to investigate how people interact with it.
www.escendency.com
InfoLab21
Lancaster University's world-class research, development and business centre in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It is a well equipped, high tech environment for academic research staff, research students and businesses. For more information see www.infolab21.lancs.ac.uk
The £15m InfoLab21 building was made possible with funding from Lancaster University, the Northwest Development Agency (NWDA), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
Project part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund NW Objective 2 Programme 2000-06 NW Knowledge Based Action Plan www.nwua.ac.uk Delivering an Entrepreneurial and Digital Economy in North West Lancs.
The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest and has five key priorities: Business Development, Regeneration, Skills & Employment, Infrastructure and Image.
For further information visit:
www.nwda.co.uk
www.englandsnorthwest.com
April 2006
National Business Awards Regional Finalists
Escendency have made the finals of The National Business Awards North West Regional Programme 2006, sponsored by Orange Acknowledged by The Chancellor of the Exchequer as the UK's Business Oscars, The National Business Awards have been established to reward and recognise the importance of both national and regional business excellence to the success of UK plc. The programme recognises exceptional business, without exception.
April/May 2006
System Release 3.0
Equation builder
Download Release Note (pdf - 270kb)
February 2006
System Release 2.9
Download Release Note (pdf - 433kb)
Dashboard
Risk Scoring
Reporting Enhancements
December 2005
System Release 2.8
Target Editing
Reporting Enhancements
Download Release Note (pdf - 68kb)
September 2005
Escendency Moves to InfoLab21
At the start of September 2005 we expanded our office space and moved into the high-technology environment of InfoLab21 at Lancaster University. Whilst we are a commercial organisation we now also have access to the University's internationally renowned Department of Computing, Department of Communications and the 6 star rated Lancaster University Management School who are working alongside us in our vision of creating the world's best value and standard management system for sustainably thriving organisations and communities.
August 2005
System Release 2.7.1
Enhanced Organisational Views of performance
Download Release Note (pdf - 239kb)
July 2005
System Release 2.7
Staff Appraisals
Measurement Planner
Advanced reporting by category/type/perspective
Download Release Note (pdf - 122kb)
March 2005
System Release 2.6.1
Reporting Enhancements
Download Release Note (pdf - 43kb)
Spring 2005
System Release
Enhanced reporting functionality to enable better historic reporting, along with introduction of user focussed performance reporting.
Autumn/Winter 2004
System Release
Enhancement system administration functionality was introduced, along with a maintenance release for the action planning module.
Autumn 2004
System Release
During late summer/ early autumn 2004 a terminology review was undertaken in order to simplify and improve consistency in the system user interface.
The new terminology was released as version 2.5.
Summer 2004
System Release
Reporting Groups feature added, allowing consistent views of selected performance indicators to be provided to groups of users.
Further usability enhancements were also introduced along with significant enhancements and additions to reporting and graphing capabilities
Spring/Summer 2004
System Release
Release 2.2 of the Escendency system introduced the Action Planning module, a major functionality addition.
In addition improved data export features were added.
Spring 2004
System Release
Initial releases of the Escendency system focussed on addressing known issues in the existing product and re-branding with the Escendency look and feel.
Several usability enhancements were also introduced based on feedback from existing users.
March 2004
Escendency forms Spin-off from Entropy International
Escendency Ltd spin off from Entropy International to focus on organisational performance management. It continues to be a very busy but exciting time for us all here taking on new customers and staff.