The Swedish Working Dog Association’s tail-wagging transformation

The Swedish Working Dog Association (Svenska Brukshundklubben in Swedish) is dedicated to promoting and fostering the training and development of working dogs. Working dogs are specifically bred and trained for tasks that are useful to society, such as search and rescue, police work, military tasks, assistance for people with disabilities, and more.

The association trains dogs to perform such tasks efficiently and effectively, ensuring they meet certain standards of behavior, obedience, and skill. Also, the association often hosts tests and competitions where working dogs can showcase their skills and abilities.

Call for a digital facelift

Facing an outdated online interface and growing user demand, the association recognized the need for a digital overhaul. Their existing website struggled to keep pace with evolving technological expectations and there was a need for a seamless experience for the many stakeholders using the website.

The Swedish Working Dog Association is comprised of around 300 local associations operating voluntarily. The challenge lay in creating a unified, user-friendly platform catering to these local associations, each with distinct needs and content requirements. It also required a robust authorization system to govern specific parts of the online platform.

The need was clear – a comprehensive digital transformation to uplift their online presence and better serve their dog-loving community.

Best friend in content management

Sogeti joined forces with the Swedish Working Dog Association to develop a cutting-edge external website. Their vision was centered on achieving two goals. Firstly, to provide a consistent, user-friendly website for local associations, ensuring a unified appearance and functionality.

Secondly, to establish a centralized digital hub, with access to all applications through a single login, connected to the association’s membership system. This also involved merging two distinct applications into a single ‘test and competition’ system, streamlining administrative processes when running dog competitions.

From leash to link

There was a significant focus on effectively managing content. This was achieved through an editorial process which ensured editors had access to specific segments of the external website.

The website was built on the Umbraco Content Management System (CMS), offering editors flexibility within predefined frameworks featuring reusable functionalities and a dedicated interface for their respective associations.

The ‘test and competition’ part of the site was seamlessly integrated into Umbraco, embedded as a vital component of the external website. This integration facilitated the reuse of existing functionalities, resulting in cost and time savings for the project.

Furthermore, the dog competitions which the association held required offline access to the website. This was due to events being held in locations without reliable internet connectivity. To address this, a Progressive Web App was implemented, ensuring uninterrupted functionality, enhancing the overall user experience.

Additionally, extensive efforts were invested in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to enhance online visibility and engage a broader audience.

Barking results

A year following the launch of the new external website, the results were impressive.

Seamless integration with the customer’s membership system streamlined the presentation and management of various elements, all from a centralized platform.

The innovative ‘test and competition’ functionality not only simplified administrative tasks but also broadened its utility to a larger audience, enhancing overall user-friendliness.

Website traffic more than doubled, thanks to the diligent SEO efforts.

Additionally, the revamped website provided an invaluable opportunity for the organization as a whole, allowing each association to manage its content while maintaining a unified visual identity.

Furthermore, as the association has plans to further develop the website, Sogeti constructed a dynamic solution, easily expandable to accommodate evolving needs.

Leaving a mark

The Swedish Working Dog Association’s digital transformation not only elevated its online presence but also united a community of passionate dog enthusiasts like never before. This remarkable collaboration between the association and Sogeti stands as a testament to the transformative power of technology, showcasing how it can enhance and future-proof organizations, one paw at a time.