eDevelopment - Health Check 2022 - update

The eDevelopment service recently surpassed 1.3 million total submissions received since the launch in 2016. As we work towards a replacement to eDevelopment, we are committed to keeping the service running at a high standard for the remainder of its lifecycle.

In addition to continuing to deliver regular updates, bug fixes and releasing larger development packages to progressively improve the service, we also keep a close eye on the service by conducting 6-monthly Health Checks.

The Health Check functions much the same as an MOT on a car or a check-up with your doctor. They are aimed at identifying issues and potential issues early and help to focus our efforts on effectively supporting and maintaining the service.

What does the Health Check look at?

The Health Check follows a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that monitor how the service is performing. These include a wide range of indicators and trends such as, but not limited to:

• the number of submissions made through the service.
• the number of user sessions each day.
• average page load times.
• the pages with longest load times.
• the number of users that access our fee calculators.
• the suitability of the storage and memory capacities of our databases.

So, what did we find in the Health Check?

The most recent Health Check was undertaken in September 2022. This check identified several issues currently affecting the site and made a number of recommendations to ensure that the service continues to run efficiently and effectively going forward.

These include, amongst others:

• We have recently been receiving a high number of queries relating to account and password issues, and this should be prioritised.
• We are seeing issues with both the Map and Address Search tools on the site.
• Slower page load speeds have been seen for Supporting Documentation pages on the site.
• There is a need to undertake regular Load Testing on the system in the future, particularly if undertaking significant service changes.

So, how are we using this information?

The findings of these Health Checks now form the basis for our Support and Maintenance programme for the service. For example, we have prioritised investigations on issues around accounts and password, and have resolved the Map Search issue.

We will continue to monitor page speeds and other KPIs as well, to identify trends and issues as they emerge, and prioritise actions to ensure that the site remains efficient and effective to use for the remainder of its lifespan.

Staying in touch

If you have any questions at all, or are interested in what we’re doing with eDevelopment, please get in touch with us by email at eDevelopment@gov.scot or DM @eDevelopmentSG on Twitter.