PrimeSafe worked with Frame to redevelop its Licensing Management System (LMS) to modernise the processes and interfaces, and ensure PrimeSafe’s LMS meets user, governance and partner ongoing needs.

PrimeSafe is a statutory authority operating under the Meat Industry Act 1993 and Seafood Safety Act 2003 to regulate the safety of meat, poultry and seafood in Victoria. Its custom-built, web-based LMS handles more than 6,000 licencees. It had been in operation for 9 years, handling hundreds of transactions each month, including payments, and recording audit and non-conformance information.

The LMS was developed using ASP Classic and Microsoft SQL Server, with all maintenance and enhancements contracted to the team that developed the application. The development partner informed PrimeSafe that support for the application had reached end-of-life and that it was required to move to a more complex and expensive platform in order to retain development support.

Although PrimeSafe had received advice from external parties of the need to migrate from its current platform, it remained to be convinced.

Frame was recommended to PrimeSafe and was subsequently approached and commissioned to: 

• produce a high-level process flow and context diagram
• determine the business requirements for the LMS
• research and analyse the options for the technical and information architecture
• recommend the way forward and develop a roadmap to achieve it
• undertake a high-level cost-benefit analysis of the options.

Frame determined that there was no overwhelming need to move to a different platform. It would be more cost-effective for PrimeSafe to update its processes and the functionality of the existing platform in order to address the issues faced by users.
On the basis of Frame’s analysis, proposed approach and roadmap, PrimeSafe chose Frame to redevelop the LMS platform.

Frame’s approach was tailored to minimise risk and to understand as much as possible about the system prior to the build. Frame defined, in detail, the proposed business processes and user interface.

‘The Frame Group provided us with total confidence in its business process modelling approach which analysed the existing ASP Classic application and provided strategic guidance for several options regarding our change in application framework’, said Brian Casey, Chief Executive, PrimeSafe. ‘We were initially amazed when they advised us to remain with ASP Classic as the easiest answer would have been to move to ASP.NET. However, for half the cost of the migration to ASP.NET, they advised us to keep what we had and meet the user’s needs by adding additional functionality.’

Frame redeveloped the website using ASP (Active Server Pages), MYOB and Microsoft SQL Server. The result was a more user-friendly interface and improved site maintainability. The updated functionality included:

• processing of meat transport vehicle fleets
• integration with the organisation’s new accounting system
• introduction of a BPAY facility for payments
• new, random audit checks
• payment, audit and corrective action reversals
• improved search
• user interface streamlining—less clicks, more information
• new reports.

Frame provided a value-for-money solution that expanded existing functionality and minimised the risk of moving to a different application platform. All this, at a fraction of the cost.