What’s different about MyBCS
Is there any refresh of content as part of this launch? So far, everything seems like UI/UX changes.
This is a platform and UX project, the key aim was to replace the old technology that the Member Secure Area sat on with something that offers an increased amount of flexibility over how services are presented, allowing us to surface content in a much more engaging way, and make the platform capable of improvement in future.We are actively in discussion about how we can improve the content of MyBCS, but this project is purely a UX project.
Is this a rebuild of structure and navigation or are there also new areas?
This is a restructure and redesign. There are some new areas where it made sense to create new things.
General questions
Can a member see a list of past and current events that they've registered for? / Is there a personalised calendar of all the events the user has chosen to attend?
Yes. The events booking system is still the same as before and you can access all the information from that system.
Can member groups maintain their own content under the new structure ?
Not currently, but again this is something we’ve discussed and would like to implement in future.
BCS recruitment does that include international opportunities? In particular NZ.
BCSrecruit is run in partnership with Jobsite, and currently only offers positions in the UK.
Is this new site hosted in-house or are we using a cloud provider?
Our strategy is to host new services in the cloud, and we are using AWS for MyBCS.
Is search only immediate website content or will it search partner sites too?
Search has been improved immensely from the Member Secure Area but it does only search MyBCS, not any partner sites.
Could the URL mybcs.bcs.org be simplified/shortened to my.bcs.org?
Technically, yes. But we’re not going to. We had many a conversation about this during the project and the general feeling, as well as user feedback was that mybcs.bcs.org was more memorable.
Logging in
Will the system remember where I last was when I exited?
No, not at the moment. When you login you’ll either go to the homepage, or if you have a direct link to the place where you’re trying to get to.
Is there any "Remember Me" feature to log me in automatically while the next visit?
Not currently, and technically the login mechanism is out of scope for this particular project. There is a backlog ticket in the main programme of work to review implementing this feature at a future date.
Will you still need to login separately to the other parts of the site e.g. career etc.?
All BCS maintained systems (e.g. Voices, PDP, CMN) are single sign-on, as are some of the third party services (e.g. Springboard). The cost and complexity is invariably higher with third party services but the nature of a unified login is something we’re constantly reviewing. But >80% of the services as SSO enabled.
Does single sign-in mean there is no timeout across signed in services until logout - to allow seamless movement?
There is a timeout mechanism but as long as you’re active in one of the systems you will be able to seamlessly move between those services that are SSO enabled.
Is the login screen the same, or are there more options to login with Facebook, Google, etc?
Not currently. And as above really, it’s a backlog item that will be reviewed in future and implemented if the requirement is strong enough.
Compatibility
Is MyBCS compatible with W3C accessibility guidelines?
Yes, MyBCS has been designed and built to AA standard.
The site is looking great, however, is there a specific set of browsers that supports it well, such as Chrome and Edge? Would a user having an older browser such as IE9 be able to fully utilise the site?
We have tested on all the most popular browsers used on the old Secure Area.
Is it ok to use on a mobile?
Yes. MyBCS is fully mobile responsive.
Do you have any plans to create mobile applications (for Android and iOS) for MyBCS alongside its web-based platform?
No, not at this time. MyBCS is fully responsive and we will look to improve the mobile experience as and where we can. We’ve talked about apps plenty of times in the past, and there needs to be a clear need for the apps to make it useful. Research has shown that around 75% of apps are opened once then never again.
Are the videos/images HTML5 based or does this still use Adobe products?
Nothing in MyBCS uses Flash, it’s all HTML5. Some of the partner sites and services outside of our immediate control may use Flash.
Future development
Can we have a personal "favourites" menu? Places one frequently visits.
Not currently, but this is part of our ambitions for the personalisation aspect of the site.
And will the application part (for upgrading membership) be changed completely?
Yes, this is one of the roadmapped items for the larger programme of work. All of the membership systems will be undergoing an overhaul and revamp.
Is there a location where the RSS feeds are highlighted clearly to enable those who don't regularly visit the website to get proactive notifications and therefore the incentive to visit the site based on interest in the latest topics?
Not currently, but we’re looking into whether we can make that available.
What are the next steps? Is this the end or will it change and develop over time?
We have a programme of work in place to refresh all of the applications around MyBCS, e.g. renewals, upgrades, choosing a branch or specialist group, and we’re in the process of reviewing other systems like the Personal Development Plan (PDP) and Career Mentoring Network (CMN). We’ll also be studying how people use the system and improving it where and when we need to, as well as working on implementing personalisation.
Do you have a roadmap of changes you can publicise?
Not currently. We are looking to refine the roadmap with a view to sharing it externally but with a project of this nature things are liable to change based on a number of variables, therefore we’re not in a position to release a roadmap just yet.
Can you include a feedback button so members can provide improvement suggestions and will such feedback process provide regular feedback to the submitter regarding progress status?
We have included a feedback link at the top of the homepage but are also reviewing tools to include a persistent feedback mechanism.
