Confirmation and Clearing 2013
Contents
 Approach to Confirmation and Clearing (C&C)
 Operational strategy
 Capacity management
 Delivery assurance
 Changes to IT
 Applications
 Infrastructure
 Process changes
 Communications
 Questions
Approach to C&C
Operational Strategy
 Critical national infrastructure
 Customer centric design
 Stabilise existing systems
 Focus on whole IT capability
Strategy
Capacity
Capacity
 Demand unknown
 Over-supply of operational capacity
Assurance
Delivery assurance
 Extensive systems testing
 Dress rehearsals
 ‘Mob’ testing
Changes to IT
Design principles
Resilience
 Minimised points for failure
 All core products autonomous (failure
in one does not impact others)
Scalability
 Move core systems to supported
software and hardware
 “Always on” core systems (no need to
“switch over”)
 All systems designed to scale to meet
demand
Performance
Changes to IT
System Changes
 IT architecture in the ‘cloud’
 Go-live end of June
 Extended contingency/DR capability
 Link products optimised
 New version of Track
 Go-live early July
 Capability augmentation
 Enhanced monitoring
 Clearing vacancies via Search tool
High
Technology
performance
Strategy
systems
Core activities on results day 2012
Core activities on results day 2013
End to End (High Level)
Apply
Onyx
Topaz On-Premise
Amazon Web Services
– EC2
Tribal/SAP/etc.
(also Weblink)
UCAS @ Rosehill
Apply
HEI
s
Onyx
Internet
Disaster Recovery
Track
AZURE
Track
AZURE
Microsoft Cloud
Services
Call Centre
Applicants for
Track
Scenario: HEI confirmation decision
Apply
Onyx
Topaz On-Premise
Amazon Web Services
– EC2
UCAS @ Rosehill
Apply
HEI
s
Onyx
Internet
Disaster Recovery
TOPAZ
Decision
HEI
Applicant
makes
replicates
transferred
receives
decision
publishes
decision
onto
TOPAZ
(via
(via
application
decision
TRACK)
to
Weblink)
TRACK
Tribal/SAP/etc.
(also Weblink)
Track
AZURE
Track
AZURE
Microsoft Cloud
Services
Call Centre
Applicants for
Track
Scenario: Applicant Clearing Choice
Apply
Onyx
Topaz On-Premise
Amazon Web Services
– EC2
Tribal/SAP/etc.
(also Weblink)
UCAS @ Rosehill
Apply
Onyx
Internet
Disaster Recovery
Applicant
logs
Applicant
TOPAZ
Choice
makes
in to track
replicates
clearing
transferred
choice
choice
to
TOPAZ
HEI
HEI
s
Track
AZURE
Track
AZURE
Microsoft Cloud
Services
Call Centre
Applicants for
Track
Changes to IT
Extensive IT testing through:
 Application testing
 Business event testing
 ABL
 Confirmation
 Results days
 Clearing
 Dress rehearsals
 ‘Mob’ test – 10 July
Technology
Testing
Strategy
Changes to IT
 Redeveloped for performance
 One system not two
 Cloud-based
 New user interface
 Fantastic feedback
 New branding
 Comms throughout June
 Screen shots to members soon
Technology
Track
Strategy
Track screen shots
Track screen shots
Track screen shots
Track screen shots
Process changes
Results day timings
 2012 timings worked well
 Minimal changes for 2013
 Clearing vacancies published
 18:00 P Day-1
 Track go-live on A Level day
 07:00
Technology
Timings
Strategy
Scottish clearing
Results
2012
Tues 07
Wed 08
Results
2013
Tues 06
Wed 07
Thu 08
Fri 09
Embargo process
• Information
pack sent by
UCAS.
Contains
letter,
agreement
and
examples of
good practice
Step 1
By 17 May 2013
Step 2
• Members
sign and
return
agreement
• Plan and
implement
any process
changes
By 14 June 2013
• UCAS chase
non returns
Step 3
17 June-05 July 2013
Communications
 Transparency with members
Applicants
 C&C briefings
 Daily log – regular updates
 Multi-media approach for summaries
 SMS ‘urgent’ channel
Members
 Social media to reach applicants
 Social media to scan the environment
 Escalation mechanism for issues
Stakeholders
Questions
Philip Blaker
Head of Admissions Services
p.blaker@ucas.ac.uk