LinkSpace is currently used to great effect in the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and beyond. One client at the MOJ told us recently, “when we first started using it, we had no idea just how much it could do”. Another said, “it’s been a game-changer”.
In its simplest form, LinkSpace cases are displayed in a table, and the system is often used where one might use a spreadsheet. We find that many of our users have previously been tracking their casework in multiple different spreadsheets.
Each row represents a case, which is edited through a form. The form is completely configurable, and is customised for the information that you need to gather. It can be populated with text boxes, calendars, drop-down menus, multiple choice options and more.
Here are some examples of some of the options of the way the form can be configured.
Some answers can trigger other employees being brought in, perhaps from different teams, or from management to approve something. People can be emailed when an alert comes through, so they know to go into the system and fill in their section of the workflow. The role-based actions can be rigorous, so each employee can only fill in the data fields that are relevant to them. The cases can be set up with alerts too, keeping everyone on track in a group workflow.
A caseload can be split up into a number of different views of the data, in terms of who can see and edit what, depending on staff members’ roles or location. These views are very robust – people will only be able to see the views they have the right clearance for. These views can also be controlled by those with the right admin rights, on a granular level.
Here are some examples of views for a national caseload that includes sensitive information:
Because LinkSpace allows so many different users to work on cases in their own specific way, it enables a huge amount of secure collaboration – between different staff, departments and even different agencies.
We often say a LinkSpace caseload is like a house being built – where electricians, plumbers, and builders each focus on their own trade, working together to finish the house.
How can LinkSpace work for you?
Full Audit History for piece of mind
The “View Chronology” function gives a full list of all changes that have been made, when they were made and by whom. There’s also a time machine function, so no data can be lost.
Flexible views of the data
Each employee only needs to see the data that they need to – in terms of individual cases, or the data fields in a case. This is particularly useful when the information is sensitive, and lots of employees are working on it with different security clearance.
Software bespoke to your needs
Because LinkSpace is a an off-the-shelf package that can be configured, we can tailor a system for you where the workflow processes are designed to be bespoke to your requirement. This system can be fine-tuned and changed over time, and some of our clients even like configuring it themselves.
Specialist knowledge is leveraged
With LinkSpace, managers can build their experience into the questions and answers in workflows, guiding people through their tasks and passing on their knowledge.
Work can be assessed along the way
Managers don’t need to wait for work to be emailed over – LinkSpace is a centralised system where the same, live data can be accessed by everyone (with permission of course), which means they can quickly identify gaps, obstacles and errors as they arise, and work to avoid them.
In addition, people can demonstrate that they have complied with the process, because it is all there in writing. This gives managers and process owners peace of mind and the confidence to engage positively with auditors and inspectors.
Work gets easier over time
All of this guidance can be built on over time, so teams develop knowledge and gain confidence in processes as their experience grows.
A robust collection of your data
LinkSpace can analyse a lot of the data it holds at the touch of a button, and it would then be available for more robust analysis. It can give a complete picture or a view of any subset of data. For example, the MOD could quickly see information about their Defence Engagement activities in each country in the world, or the MoJ could analyse the variation in sentencing regionally in the last year. Having this information available makes it possible to validate or review policy more reliably.
Your data is stored securely
With LinkSpace, all of the data for your process is stored securely on our own private UK cloud. It’s a secure, scalable alternative to spreadsheets and paperwork, underpinned by a robust Information Security Management System certified to ISO 27001 standards, and compliant with UK GDPR Legislation.
Additional Information
Here at Ctrl O, we continue to work with teams on changes over time when required, and to supplement their capacity. There’s no lock-in, it’s easy to get your data out if you feel this isn’t the right system for you as it’s also open source software. “In many tech programmes, such as Microsoft Word, the code is hidden” explains our CEO Andy Beverley. “But in LinkSpace, the code is open, so it can be changed if programmers wish. And it’s worth saying – the code is open, but the data is still private”.
“Ctrl O is the shortcut for Open on the desktop” explains Andy. “And I’ve always been a fan of open source software, since I was about 16”.
If there’s anything else you’d like to know about LinkSpace, do get in touch.
