Business Partnering
Introduction
These pages provide an overview of the process to implement a new cloud-based software solution, otherwise known as SaaS (Software as a Service) which can be defined as a method of software delivery and licensing in which software is accessed online via a subscription, rather than bought and installed on individual computers.
Please review the following page and then if you require a new cloud service (SaaS) or access to an already approved one please contact Business Partnering by email bp@lboro.ac.uk or phone 01509 225938.

Step 1 – Review your Business Processes
- Before you opt for a new software solution, please review your business processes, if you need help and advice from Change Projects they provide a ‘Guide on the Side’ service.
- Consider all potential stakeholders involved in the process under review and ensure they are kept informed. For example Academic Registry for student related processes, HR for staff etc.
Step 2 - Build your business case and check there are no existing software solutions available
- Create a requirements document listing essential and desirable features
- Check if there is another similar software package already being used at LU which would meet the majority of your requirements. You can contact Business Partnering to review options (see stage 3)
- Review your business case ensuring it is robust enough to justify the University providing another software solution
- Ensure your request has senior management support (Operations Manager or Professional Services Head). They will be asked to approve this request before we can investigate it further.
- Ensure you have budget approval for the purchase, implementation and annual subscription.
- Consider what data will you be sharing with the software supplier. Are you sharing any personal data with the supplier? Why are you sharing this data? Do you have consent to share this data? Have you produced a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)?
- Contact the relevant Data Steward for any potential data sharing
Step 3 – Discuss your request with IT Business Partnering
- Complete a ‘Software as a Service request form’
- A member of the team will review, discuss and validate your request with you.
- Business Partnering will identify and make the case to obtain approval for any addtional IT resources required via the relevant boards and committes.
Data sharing considerations and responsibilities
- Review data sharing requirements with your appropriate Data Co-ordinator and undertake a data risk assessment for approval from the appropriate Data Steward.
Procurement
- You will need to speak to Procurement if the total contract value (or nominal 4 years if contract length unknown) is greater than £50,000 or if you are not following University Procurement Guidelines and the solution will cost more than £10,000.
IT security checks
- Business Partnering will work with ITS colleagues to review the security and architecture of the proposed solution. We will contact the supplier of the SaaS and ask them a number of questions.
Step 4 – Approval
- You will need to ensure:
- The relevant Data Steward(s) have approved your DPIA
- Your Senior Leadership Team representative has approved the proposal and accepting any associated risks
- Procurement have approved your purchasing strategy (if over £10k)
- Business Partnering will seek final approval from IT Services Senior Leadership Team
List of approved SaaS requests
Name of SaaS | Service Description |
Advance HE End Point Assessment for Degree apprentices (Academic Registry) | Assessment management platform |
Analyst by EMSI | Labour market analysis software |
Apex Lockers | Parcel distribution via lockers |
Authorship | Plagiarism detection tool |
Belbin | Team role assessment |
Billetto | Event booking |
Board Intelligence | Board Management software |
ClickUp | Project and task management tool |
Climate Action Control | Sustainability and Carbon footprint tool |
Concierge Hub | Hotel room - Food & drink ordering from own device |
Connect 2 | Loan management system |
Cuttlefish (VLE for SSEHS) | e-learning platform |
Dashboard | Casual staff shift, payment and training management |
Degree Verification (Academic Registry) | Communication management platform |
DMPOnline | Online tool to create, review, and share data management plans |
EFI MarketDrirect StoreFront | Web-to-print online store front |
Essendex | Text message alerting system |
Ethics RM | Workflow system for Research Proposals |
EyeQuant | AI User experience feedback tool |
Fiscal Technologies | Analysis and reporting to: Identify areas of risk and fraud within supplier spend and transactions; |
Flipgrid | Social Media Tool |
Foresight GC2 | Sport research |
Gecko | Improved target marketing |
Gorilla | Specialist online experimental hosting platform |
Gradescope | Grading platform used to grade paper-based, digital & code assignments. |
Health Assured App (OCC Health) | Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) services |
Inkpath | A complete training management system with a built in booking system. |
ILM End Point Assessment for Degree apprentices (Academic Registry) | Contracts management platform |
ImPACT | Online software for research |
Indeemo | Enables students on the UXD MA to conduct a remote diary study. to capture, journal and share in-the-moment thoughts and behaviors with qualitative researchers and brands in real time. |
KoolZone | Temperature monitoring software of freezers |
Kortex | e-Textbook solution: Access to digital copies of Course textbooks to both academic staff and students |
Kukri | Outsourcing the ordering of University sportswear |
LeanKit | Flexible Kanban Board and workflow functionality. |
LibCal | Study Space/Library resource booking system |
LinkedIn Learning (Lynda.com) | Training Online |
MCR Loyalty | ID card, loyalty reward system to replace cash+ |
Monday.com | Project and task management |
Nutritics | Lab software |
OH Referral System | OPAS-G2 is a consolidated, single state-of-the-art, system provided by Civica. It is designed to manage all OH documents including appointment bookings. |
Pavlovia | Professional Development platform |
Pearson end point assessment for Degree apprentices (Academic Registry) | Assessment manageemnt system |
Playwaze | Sports Teams management tool |
Potentially | Personal Best - extra curricular management and reward system |
PowToon | Creating short videos |
Protocols Repository | Research method repository |
PT-X | Payment software |
PwC GITC | Digital tax pathway between HMRC and Agresso |
Qualtrics | Advanced data collection survey software with AI analysis and reporting |
Sensus Access | Converts content (text documents) into accessible material based on the users needs |
SHE software Incident Reporting Tool | Health & Safety software |
Simitive | Workload management |
SmartPay | Credit card Payments |
Sports Office | Performance sport athlete monitoring, analytics and management reporting |
Storetec | Bulk document scanning service |
Student Pad | Advertising platform for accommodation from private landlords |
TM3 | Physiotherapy Clinic Management System, including appointment bookings and billing etc. |
Traction | PwC audit and actions tracking system |
TUCO online | Electronic system for placing catering orders |
Turnitin | Coursework submission software |
Uniwellbeing | It combines social engagement activities, tools and educational content to empower all users to self-help and build positive habits, coping skills and resilience. |
VanillaSoft | Telephony software to support marketing philanthropy campaigns |
Vineup | Alumni / Student mentoring platform |
Warp IT | System for recycling and reusing furniture |
Welovesurveys | External survey tool with analysis of results |
XMA Portal | Portal for IT consumables |
Zoho | Business Partnering engagement tracker and task manager |
Last updated 30/03/2022
How long will this process take?
This process is largely dependant on how long the supplier takes to respond to our security questions. To speed things up, we suggest you consider your data sharing responsibilities at the very start. The average time to obtain approval from the relevant stakeholders of this process is two months.
How do I contact my Data Co-ordinator?
Please visit the link below to find out who your coordinator is:
Does my request need to go to IT Portfolio Board?
Only if it needs to be a project and therefore either needs ITS Resources to implement, is considered hight risk or has a high cost to implement.