University of Plymouth Application Packaging

University of Plymouth application packaging case study
Application Discovery and Packaging
University of Plymouth

About the University of Plymouth

The University of Plymouth is a civic university in Devon, England, known for its strong focus on marine and maritime studies, research and sustainability. With a history dating back more than 150 years, it has grown into a significant institution with a global presence. The University has over 2,500 staff and 18,000 students. These include undergraduate and postgraduate students on campus, as well as those studying for a Plymouth degree at partner institutions.

The Challenge

((In-house Apps + COTS Apps) × Term Deadlines) × Holidays = Annual Challenge

The internal team handles vulnerability patching efficiently as required. This leaves application feature updates and in-house applications to be updated out of term, creating a recurring cycle of updates that fall due by the end of the summer term. This “bow wave” of work coincides with team holidays and with developers being away just when the University needs them most. It is a challenge common to most of the universities we work with.

Plymouth has the usual mix of technical and engineering applications, including MATLAB, SOLIDWORKS, Ansys, RStudio, Anaconda, ArcGIS, QGIS, Maple and Minitab, all of which need specialist insight to adapt for the University’s own use. Combined with in-house bespoke tools and applications, this places a heavy reliance on sponsors and developers to help the team create application packages for Plymouth.

The Solution

The Discovery team was tasked with evaluating every application to capture its DNA, including:

  • owner details
  • original media
  • licence information
  • each installation step, captured and screenshotted through interviews with the application owner
  • dependencies on other applications
  • test criteria for UAT

The Packaging team then created packages in line with industry best practice. Each finished package included:

  • smoke testing to confirm the application meets the required standards
  • a packaging document detailing any unique changes or scripting needed to ensure functionality
  • a six-month warranty certificate

Outcomes for the University of Plymouth

Discovery and packaging can account for up to 80% of the application lifecycle, from initial request through to retirement. Working with APPtechnology has enabled the Plymouth team to:

  • build the capacity to meet term-time deadlines
  • rely on a flexible engagement that provides support in real time throughout the year
  • operate with easy-to-forecast budgets, thanks to a fixed price per package regardless of complexity
  • retain documentation on every application, reducing downstream time and costs
  • share knowledge of bespoke applications across teams
  • apply the same quality standards across Plymouth and APPtechnology teams

“By freeing up to 80% of my team’s time on application packaging, they can concentrate on bigger projects. Our application estate is now documented, so future updates and patches are a step change, not a fresh challenge every time.”
Head of Support, University of Plymouth

Procurement

Plymouth engaged APPtechnology through the G-Cloud framework, which made for a simple, smooth engagement.

“From the initial conversation to the start of the service, we found APPtechnology understood our challenge, gave us the confidence they had done this many times before and framed a service tailored to our needs. Their fixed-price model gave me the clarity to forecast against other pressing projects.”
Head of IT, University of Plymouth

Services:

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