Citizens Advice Scotland

Citizens Advice Scotland are a hugely important, long term client of Pulsion dating back to the design and implementation of the original CASTLE system in 2005. Initially designed as a Case Recording and Management system. Following the successful completion and launch of the CASTLE system, Pulsion have worked with CAS to further enhance and support the application in a number of key areas. These include the Spiffy Link database integration in 2009 and the Pension Wise initiative in 2015, as well as infrastructure, SQL Server and Microsoft .NET Framework upgrades to improve the underlying operational hardware and technologies upon which the CASTLE system was built. 

This new project allowed CAS to: 

• Take advantage of the latest technologies (.NET MVC 5.2, Bootstrap, Google Material Design, Semantic UI, AngularJS, ReactJS etc.) to ensure the new User Interface is future proofed and could fully support new features, enhancements or changes 

• Improve the usability of the system and the speed of data capture 

• Provide any required new functionality without being constrained by any existing functionality 

• Integrate the redevelopment with the new Money Advice system being developed in parallel 

• Implement a responsive design to ensure full compatibility with mobile devices 

The full redevelopment, redesign and rebranding is currently being delivered using an Agile approach using the Scrum framework. This approach allows Pulsion to provide regular iterative releases of functionality for review by CAS and the relevant stakeholders (Bureaux, Advisors, etc). 

This approach helps to support engagement from the Bureaux (or subset of Bureaux) involved in the process. Additionally, it facilitates supporting and responding rapidly to changes, as well as ensuring that the new user interface meets the needs of both the existing user base and the potential additional users from Bureaux who do not currently use CASTLE.