Press Releases

View All Press Releases

Hornbill Service Management

03 Mar 2010

Hornbill's Supportworks underpins Freedom of Information requests at Glasgow University

'Ancient' University extends use of service management software to support FOI requests and becomes an example of 'Good Practice' for organisations in Higher Education.

University of Glasgow, the fourth oldest university in the United Kingdom, has extended its use of Hornbill's Supportworks IT help desk software to record and manage requests for information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) and the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs). In a recent assessment carried out by the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, the University was commended for its culture and practice with regard to its obligations under FOISA and EIRs, and was highlighted as an example of good practice for all organisations in the higher education sector.

Supportworks helpdesk software, which is used by the University for IT service management for over 30,000 students and staff, has been adapted to provide a central logging and managing platform for all requests for information received by the University's Data Protection and Freedom of Information Office (DP & FOI Office). Supportworks allocates each request a unique ID number, and all members of the FOI department have access to the system, so that incoming requests can be monitored at all times. The use of Supportworks was highlighted in the assessment report as an area of particular good practice.

Bill Wright, Helpdesk and Training Manager of IT Services at University of Glasgow said "One of the key reasons for originally selecting Hornbill's Supportworks tech support software was its ease of use as well as its ability to be easily customised. This has enabled us to create the new forms and procedures for use by the DP & FOI Office, which have improved workflows and efficiencies within the department, enabling them to comply with strict regulatory requirements."

Johanna King, Head of the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Office at University of Glasgow stated, "This is only the second assessment of an organisation within the Higher Education sector by the Office of the Scottish Information Commissioner, and we are largely happy with the outcome. There is no doubt that Supportworks has contributed to the efficiency of our operations and assisted us in managing and tracking the many requests for information received."

Gerry Sweeney, CEO of Hornbill Systems commented, "Supportworks has been designed to be easily customisable, so that our customers can tailor the software to meet their own requirements. The central Supportworks platform enables large organisations like the University of Glasgow to manage many types of service in parallel, resulting in improved service levels coupled with a lower total cost of ownership. Staff from different departments are able to handle any requests via the intuitive and in many cases familiar interface, with a lower training overhead and a lower support and maintenance requirement."

-ends-

About University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world. Founded in 1451, it has spent the last half-millennium earning an international reputation for research innovation, making connections with experts in global business, and inspiring thinkers, from eminent scientist Lord Kelvin to the father of economics, Adam Smith. Building on such vast experience, it's no surprise that Glasgow is in the top 1% of the world's universities today (Times Higher Education Supplement World Rankings).

Ranked in the top ten in the UK for research, and a member of the elite Russell Group of 20 major research universities, Glasgow provides an education that inspires respect from employers and satisfaction from students. Welcoming more than 15,000 undergraduates, 4,900 postgraduates and around 5,000 adult learners each year, it attracts students from Iceland to India, from Cardiff to Korea and from South America to the south of England. Finding community within diversity, the University's students come from more than 120 countries around the world to build friendships and networks that last a lifetime.

For more information, please visit: www.glasgow.ac.uk