About WALGA
The entire Local Government sector in Western Australia is represented and supported by WALGA, an independent, member-based, not-for-profit organisation.
WALGA delivers a wide range of products and services by harnessing the collective purchasing power of Local Government. They approached ALYKA with an interest in revamping their website, particularly the Preferred Supplier portal.
We re-designed and rebuilt WALGA’s site, enhancing User Experience (UX), accessibility and functionality.
The challenge
WALGA’s previous site was outdated in its look and feel and failed to meet accessibility requirements. Core modules like the Preferred Supplier Portal had poor UX, making them difficult for users to navigate. WALGA also needed a way to integrate their disconnected systems so they could create a more streamlined and efficient tech stack.
The solution
To overcome these challenges, we used the Kentico CMS to build a modern, responsive and user-friendly website.
Here’s how we did it:
User Research
We conducted in-depth research into user behaviours and preferences via user surveys to better understand the needs of WALGA members, suppliers, and stakeholders. From here, we were able to make informed choices about the new website that would ensure it met the needs of its core users.
Accessibility
We created page templates in Kentico and checked that each one was accessible per the requirements of WCAG 2.1 AA. This meant that we didn’t need to test every single page when the site was complete, making the process incredibly efficient.
View the site
Custom Modules
The site needed a user-friendly Preferred Supplier Directory and training courses module.
The portal includes 1,164 supplier profiles. To make it easy for users to search for suppliers, we implemented a free text search bar and also various category filters that can be used to filter results by the relevant supplier panel and supplier type.
Similarly, users can now easily filter, search and register for training courses. We also built a backend system for CMS administrators to view, filter, and export course registration data effortlessly.
Team Training
After assessing and resolving major issues with WALGA’s pre-existing member portal, we equipped their team with the tools and training necessary to independently manage and update the website and member portal. As a result, we have ensured long-term usability and efficiency for the WALGA team and their new site.
Integrations
WALGA’s member database resides in 365, but the connection between this database and the old website was tenuous, causing data not to be updated. Using Kentico functionality, we provided a robust solution for managing WALGA’s member data. Now, if a supplier edits something or is added or removed, it feeds through all databases via an API interface we created. This ensures that supplier data is always up to date.
We also created form integrations with Mailchimp so that when someone subscribes to a newsletter on the website, the subscription is activated via Mailchimp. Relevant departments are alerted when this occurs so they can track subscription activity.
There are thousands of pages on WALGA’s website. We created an integration where relevant page admins receive an email notification if a page they are responsible for has not been updated for over 180 days, encouraging them to review it and ensure it is up to date.
The results
