Overview
Our client recognised the need to revamp one of its core systems and decided to invest in its redevelopment. The primary objective was to reinitiate the Competition Administration System (CAS) project and to kickstart this, Antares was engaged for assistance during the project definition phase.
The Challenge
Our client is responsible for organising and managing various events and competitions, that celebrate Australia’s achievements in agriculture. In 2018 they recognised the need to revamp one of its core competition management systems as existing processes were manual and complex, making it difficult to track and administer the competitions effectively.
These competitions spanned various categories, including cheese tasting, wood chopping, sheep judging, and wine judging. The administration of these competitions entailed numerous intricate tasks, such as participant registration, logistics coordination, rule formulation, prize allocation, and financial management.
They had previously attempted to develop a system internally but faced challenges and failed to meet its requirements. They needed a comprehensive, robust, modular and flexible solution that could streamline the entire competition administration process, from creation and tracking capabilities to efficient management of funds and resources.
The Solution
Antares collaborated closely with stakeholders to understand their specific needs and designed a system that was to be built on a technology stack that will not only be supported in 10+ years but is also stable and mature enough that performance is a priority.
The Competition Administration System (CAS) was built as a cloud-based .NET application hosted on Azure. It offered a modular framework that allowed users to create and manage competitions with customised rules and processes. The system ensured end-to-end tracking of each competition, enabling efficient management from participant registration to judging and prize distribution.
To ensure our client could maintain the application independently, Antares adopted a blended team approach, combining their own expertise with in-house developers. This approach empowered our clients’ technical team to handle ongoing support, maintenance, and any necessary modifications to the system, providing them with self-sufficiency.
The Result
The implementation of the Competition Administration System brought several significant benefits. The system provided a centralised platform for managing complex competitions across different shows, as well as the ability to handle the diverse requirements of each competition. By centralising and automating the competition creation and management, our client experienced enhanced efficiency, eliminating manual processes and reducing time-consuming tasks.
The revamped system ensured smooth operations and reduced the manual effort needed by staff. The modular nature of the system allowed users to adapt and create new competition modules each year, accommodating the evolving needs of the shows. The system’s comprehensive functionality covered participant registration, logistics planning, rule customisation, and financial management, streamlining the entire competition administration process.
The transfer of knowledge and technical expertise from Antares Solutions to our clients’ team ensured continuity and long-term sustainability of the system. Our client was now equipped with the necessary skills and resources to provide ongoing support and make enhancements to CAS, ensuring its continued success in managing competitions for years to come.
