Digital Services

Search View all results Filter by Type Select all Pages Blog posts Case studies Books News Articles Events Challenge To improve data and reduce false alarms the MCA needed a simple way for beacon owners to register and update information. Approach Through user research we created a simple, efficient digital service for beacon owners and rescue teams. Result Beacon owners can now self-serve, register quickly and update info - improving data accuracy and a reliable emergency response. Challenge A 406 MHz beacon supports people using boats and aircrafts to alert Coastguard rescue services in crisis situations. To help Search and Rescue in an emergency, it’s important that this beacon is registered with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). This vital service is essential in saving lives when emergencies happen on land, air or sea. So it’s important that beacons are registered, and that owners’ information is kept up to date. The MCA decided to build a new online digital service to replace their beacons registration database. The registration information is important in resolving false alarms, which make up 95% of all beacon activations. These can be costly if rescue services are dispatched. The aim was to provide a quick and easy way for beacon owners to register and update their information, improving data quality, decreasing the cost of false alarms, and ultimately saving lives. Our approach Working as one team, MCA and We did extensive user research to understand the types of people that use this service and their different needs. This meant building and iterating a simple digital service that was quick and easy for beacon owners to use, in line with the government Service Standard. It also meant understanding the needs of the back-of-house teams at MCA, including coastguard rescue services. Rescue services need to access essential information quickly, while having confidence it’s correct. It’s vital that details like a beacon’s unique ID number and its associated vehicle’s identifying information is readily accessible. The project team migrated existing data into this new service. Through further research and iteration, we made sure all essential information was clear, accessible and searchable. Results we achieved together Now, beacon owners can self-serve entirely, whether registering a new beacon in minutes or updating their information. All registered information is now immediately available to search and rescue services. Existing beacon owners can now register for the digital service to confirm that their existing information is correct and up-to-date. Building a more convenient service improved the integrity of the data. This means the MCA and HM Coastguard are in the best position to help should a beacon owner need emergency support, or to quickly resolve a false alarm. Digi­tal serv­ice delivery We support you at every point in the delivery lifecycle, right from defining the problem right through to the live services that solve them. National security and public safety In the need to do more with less, organisations are turning to technology to help them fight crime, respond to emergencies and keep people safe. Speak with an expert Tags Digital service delivery Public safety and national security Stay in the loop Get expert insights delivered monthly Case Study Enhancing resilience to overcome website downtime during severe weather events Collaborating with the Met Office on the challenge of the National Severe Weather Warning Service’ website downtime, caused by spikes in internet traffic during severe weather events. Case Study Homes for Ukraine Designing, building and iterating the Homes for Ukraine service in 2 weeks. 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