Since its inception in 1985 PRD has always placed great emphasis on software development. Over time we have built knowledge and skills that have resulted in the following unique software systems:
Diablo | Scirocco | Mistral | CriSys | Simucall
Diablo is PRD's method for delivering psychometric tests and similar techniques over the Internet. Diablo is Internet-delivered, but does not depend on maintaining an online connection, rather the candidate downloads a package containing a software engine and test materials, and works offline, connecting to the Internet when require to upload data and accept further downloads. Strong encryption methods are used to maintain security throughout. Diablo has been running live delivering careers guidance for CareerDemon since April 2001, and is now delivering various HR management tools for BT and UK government agencies. Innovative methods for detecting attempts at personation are in active development now, and are expected to be ready for implementation in late 2002.
In its principal form, Scirocco is a natural language generation system, producing fast, compact binary code from an easy-to-learn scripting language, based on notions from graph theory and object-oriented programming. Although it can be used with other languages, and indeed we use a special version for scenario generation for CriSys, it is most at home writing English. Used in CriSys, it can generate documents, such as newspaper articles, and typeset and print them automatically without human intervention; it can drive sound and vision devices to present radio and television news stories.
Scirocco was originally invented to write reports for PROMPT, and now also writes extended careers guidance reports for CareerDemon, as well as reports from other assessment instruments, such as Reed Response.
Mistral is a very flexible authoring language for events delivered using multimedia hardware. Originally created to support a cognitive-style assessment tool using interactive videodisc (anyone remember interactive videodiscs?), it has been adapted to service various kinds of hardware and purposes, and currently serves as one of the core elements of CriSys.
CriSys is a system for running disaster simulators, originally for training senior executives in coporate crisis management, and subsequently also used in a major US/UK military exercise. CriSys takes the place of human directing staff in representing the rest of the world to a crisis management team wrestling with a corporate crisis management plan, developing the plot and generating communications of all kinds. Versions can be made to run on one single PC, or to drive a group of networked PCs either locally or over a wide-area network. CriSys uses Mistral and Scirocco systems interfaced in such a way as to create a crisis and manage its development in line with the interventions and mistakes of the team in training. It has blown up and poisoned towns and villages all around Europe and the Middle East, brought a major clearing bank to its knees, invaded the Middle East with an allied US/UK military task force, and infiltrated pharmaceutical companies' computer systems, putting sensitive data in the hands of animal rights activists.
Simucall is a call-centre simulator for selecting and training call-centre operators. Candidates sit at a PC wearing a headset, and are trained step by step in a carefully structured simulated call-centre system. Gradually they learn to take calls of increasing complexity, and are assessed on their rate of learning, accuracy of keying, decision-making skills and so forth. Careful design ensures complete credibility - the candidate asks for relevant information, and the reply from the simulated customer comes over the headset in a completely natural manner. Versions of the system have been produced for First Direct, HSBC, Barclaycall and Reed Employment.