Smart Assessor eportfolio software - Client Case Studies

The following clients have embraced the Smart Assessor

e-portfolio software.  If you would like to get in touch with any please let us know,

we will be delighted to arrange this for you. Client Case Studies are below the table.

Case Study 1:   
Organisation: Quality Education & Development Ltd
Website: www.qedcoaching.co.uk
Location: Brighton


About Quality Education & Development

Quality Education & Development Ltd (QED) provides a wide range of training, consultancy, coaching and assessment services to businesses across the UK and is an accredited qualification centre with both City & Guilds and the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). QED is made up of a team of professional trainers, coaches, consultants and assessors who deliver high quality services.

Project Details

QED had tried other e-portfolio systems in the past but the company was looking for a more cost-effective solution that was able to integrate more effectively with its business. Smart Assessor is 25% more cost effective than other e-portfolios and this was one of the reasons why QED choose the system.

Julia Miles, Managing Director of QED commented: “I believe e-portfolios are the way forward and I have found Smart Assessor’s system to be more comprehensive and cost effective in comparison to other systems available on the market. Budgets are tight at the moment and Smart Assessor has been instrumental in helping us keep our costs low whilst also improving the learning experience. Smart Assessor’s service level is much better than other providers, the team is very responsive and accommodating and I would have no hesitation in recommending them.”

In addition to the cost saving benefits, Julia was also impressed with the level of communication, service delivery and the stability, security and usability of the system.

Case Study 2:

Organisation: South Staffordshire College
Website: www.southstaffs.ac.uk
Location: Lichfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Rodbaston

About the College

South Staffordshire College was created in 2009 by merging 4 established colleges: Lichfield, Cannock, Tamworth and Rodbaston. The college has approximately 1,000 staff and the 4 campuses can accommodate up to 20,000 full and part-time students. Students can choose from a wide range of more than 200 courses, the majority of which are vocational.

Project Details

South Staffordshire College was already using an e-portfolio system and the college wasn’t looking for a new system when an Internal Verifier became aware of Smart Assessor and its claims of being 25% more cost effective than other e-portfolio systems.

Niki Tomlinson, Workforce Development Lead Internal Verifier at the college commented: “Smart Assessor’s e-portfolio system is easy to use for both Assessor and Learner and an added advantage for us was that Smart Assessor upload each qualification and inputs each student in to the system at no additional cost.

“In particular, Smart Rooms are very impressive and are a major cost saving benefit. They also enable our Assessors to interact more often with Learners on a one-to-one basis and the learning experience is enhanced through live group sessions where multiple Learners are able to interact and share information in real time.

“We like the fact that the licence is per learner and not per qualification which again makes it cost effective. We would certainly recommend for other colleges to try it, even if they are currently using an e-portfolio system.”

South Staffordshire College was also impressed with the professional training and comprehensive after sales support. “Smart Assessor worked closely with each team member and ensured everyone was fully trained before the e-portfolio went live with Learners”, said Niki.

South Staffordshire College has planned for all apprenticeship learners to use the Smart Assessor e-portfolio system.

Case Study 3:

Organisation: More Training Ltd
Website: www.moretraining.co.uk
Location: Pontypridd

About the Company

Through its accredited advisors, More Training plan, design and deliver training to meet strategic business objectives for a variety of sectors including manufacturing, automotive, engineering, business servicesand charities. The company’s focus is on developing key skills and knowledge to improve individual, team and business performance via work-based learning solutions. Training offered includesbusiness administration, customer service, management development, environmentaland health and safety.

Project Details

Smart Assessor assisted More Training launch a market leading web-based training service that offers candidates much greater flexibility and a more personalised learning experience.

The web-based service was developed with help from the Welsh Government’s Regional Centre Service, who also assisted with securing funding from the Rhondda Cynon Taf CBC Local Investment Fund. The funding was used to upgrade More Training’s IT systems and for marketing the web-based training offering.

More Training Managing Director Kevin Morgan said: “Smart Assessor has been key for us in developing our unique selling point and our competitive advantage over other training providers.

“The e-portfolio solution offered by Smart Assessor is one of the best on the market. It does everything that many other solutions offer but better, plus Smart Assessor has extra features like Smart Rooms that allow us to interact with our learners more often in a virtual classroom between onsite visits. Smart Rooms also offer a convenient way for employers, assessors and verifiers to check that the learning is being delivered in the best possible way and that the learner is on track.”

Smart Assessor is also helping More Training reduce the cost of course delivery through reducing the amount of time spent on traveling to onsite visits and in administering paperwork.

Case Study 4:

Organisation: Star Training Limited
Website: www.startrainingltd.co.uk
Location: Egham, Surrey

About the Training Provider

Star Training is a family run professional training provider that focuses on delivering Quality over Quantity. The company delivers Training, Apprenticeships and the Qualifications & Credit Framework (QCF) in a variety of areas including Care, Customer Services and Glass & Glazing.

Project Details

Using an e-portfolio system was a requirement for Star Training in delivering their courses. After much research the company opted for Smart Assessor. Since coming onboard as a client Star Training has embraced e-portfolio technology and is using it to their advantage. In particular they are using Smart Training and Assessment Rooms to save time via group sessions and workshop deliveries.

Lee Brabrook-Cherry of Star Training commented: “Smart Training and Assessment Rooms are a major benefit to us and by utilizing them we are saving a considerable amount of time and expense by reducing the need to travel and the amount of repetition through holding group sessions. Plus, we have found it to be far easier to organise group sessions through a virtual training room.”

Smart Rooms have proven to be so useful to Star Training that they are currently producing new group workshops which will be rolled out through the system by the end of 2012.

Even at an early stage, the feedback from learners was very positive with each learner starting to use the system with ease and unlike other systems which Star Training tested, learners found Smart Assessor’s e-portfolio to be flexible and user-friendly.

Smart Assessor is 25% more cost effective than other e-portfolios and because Star Training is a new centre this cost saving was an important consideration, however it was not the main reason for using Smart Assessor – its overall functionality was what appealed the most.

Case Study 5:

Organisation: Plumpton College
Website: www.plumpton.ac.uk
Location: Plumpton, Netherfield, Robertsbridge, Flimwell,
Stanmer Park, Brighton

About the College

Plumpton College specialises in providing a wide range of land-based courses covering Agriculture, Horticulture, Floristry, Greenkeeping, Hard Landscaping, Equine, Agricultural and Horticultural Machinery, Metalsmithing, Animal Care and Veterinary Nursing, Countryside Management, Forestry and Arboriculture, Sports (Outdoor Education), Wine and Viticulture, and Rural Business Management.

Project Details

Plumpton College decided to look at using an e-portfolio system as they wanted to be able to effectively monitor learner progress across all aspects of their frameworks, calculate guided learning hours against the requirements and equip Learners and Assessors with tools to enable them to upload evidence through a variety of paper and electronic means.

Diana Freestone, Work Based Learning Manager at Plumpton College commented: “Cost played a crucial part in our decision making process, so with Smart Assessor being 25% more cost effective than other e-portfolios made it the obvious choice as the pricing enabled us to roll it out across the provision.”

Initially the college focused on training the Assessors and Verifiers who then filtered down the system to the Learners who have all given very positive feed back regarding the learning experience. In addition to the cost savings, Plumpton College choose Smart Assessor over other providers because of the simplicity of use, the training provision and flexibility and speed with which the e-portfolio was able to be integrated and launched. The training provided was noted as being one of the key reasons for the successful implementation. In particular the flexibility and ability to book slots for training to suit individual diaries was very beneficial to fit around their Assessors’ and Verifiers’ other commitments.

Diana concluded: “Going forward I see Smart Assessor improving achievements as Learners, Assessors and Programme Leaders can visually see progress against every part of their framework which has huge benefits when assessing holistically. I am delighted with the system and I have recommended Smart Assessor to a number of colleagues in other colleges.”

Case Study 7:

Organisation: Solihull College
Website: www.solihull.ac.uk
Location: Solihull

About the College

Solihull College offers an extensive range of academic and vocational qualifications from entry to degree level. The college is also one of the leading business training and management training providers in the West Midlands delivering training across multiple sectors for clients in Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Coventry and further afield.

Project Details

Solihull College continually seeks to improve upon the “Learner Journey” and as such its team members are always on the lookout for new and innovative services and resources to help improve the journey.

Maurice Fordy, Head of Curriculum at Solihull College decided to look at Smart Assessor’s e-portfolio solution after reading about it on the Internet. “I saw Smart Assessor on a website and sought further information. I had an online demonstration which clearly demonstrated how the e-portfolio could improve upon the Learner Journey. In particular, the concept of Smart Training and Assessment Rooms seemed like an excellent idea, and right from the demonstration I could see how they could positively enhance and add value to what we do,” said Maurice.

Learners have always been at the forefront of what Solihull College does. QCF and Apprenticeships have driven the need for change and Smart Assessor has enabled their Learners to have a greater and more positive participation in their own development and learning. Solihull College feel it is important that Learners and Employers are able to see real-time progress through the course, which Smart Assessor has allowed them to achieve.

Solihull College chose Smart Assessor over other providers based on the quality of the product and the flexibility available. Commenting on this Maurice said: “We have been able to tailor Smart Assessor to our needs. The dashboards and progress facilities are excellent for our Learners to measure their achievement as they progress. The feedback from Employers on the quality of information accessible to them has also been very positive.”

Solihull College initially implemented Smart Assessor within one area, but after positive testing and feedback is now rolling it out through the whole college.

About Smart Assessor

Smart Assessor is a user-friendly web based e-portfolio solution which complies with all Ofqual standards and the apprenticeship framework. It helps training providers and colleges improve the delivery of vocational and apprenticeship courses, through reducing costs by eliminating unnecessary travel and by increasing meaningful interaction between learners and assessors. 

If you would like to speak with any of our clients please get in touch and we will be delighted to arrange this for you.