0:00:12 > 0:00:17Manchester City Football Club is one of the Premier League's top sides.
0:00:17 > 0:00:23But maintaining the club's successful position isn't just down to the manager and the players.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26IT plays a significant role behind the scenes.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30Gavin and Ed in the performance analysis team constantly use IT.
0:00:30 > 0:00:35Our software is very varied and one of our biggest tasks
0:00:35 > 0:00:38is to research the best of those technologies
0:00:38 > 0:00:41and bring them in-house to match our needs.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46We use a range of products. It can be anything from analysing the team
0:00:46 > 0:00:51through video statistics. We have databases where we collect information season-long.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57We can break down the goals scored or conceded for the opposition teams, as well as our own data.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03Today, the performance analysis team is preparing for Manchester City's upcoming match against Stoke City.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07As a pre-match analyst, it's part of Gavin's job
0:01:07 > 0:01:13to give information to the manager and the players on the opposition's strengths and weaknesses.
0:01:13 > 0:01:19We build up an analysis package of that opposition team, so that we can tailor training that week.
0:01:19 > 0:01:25Gavin is keen to investigate the threat posed by Stoke City's long throw-ins.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29I've identified all of the throw-ins that Stoke City have taken.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33This is where the ball ends when Rory Delap takes a throw-in,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37so if I click on one of these, I think this one led to the goal.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41If you click on the event, it takes you straight to the video.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46We have a partnership with a company where we get 100% coverage of most of the European leagues.
0:01:46 > 0:01:52We can immediately access any stat, any single incidents from a player over the last four seasons.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56This helps when the manager is doing a training session.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00We can say, "When we're defending, you need to set up in these areas."
0:02:00 > 0:02:04The performance analysis team stores the information from these resources
0:02:04 > 0:02:08and records their own data to use in the future.
0:02:08 > 0:02:14We have different databases that we have access to. This one covers all areas of the football club.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18The sports science department use this to house all their information.
0:02:18 > 0:02:24For analysis, we can look at every goal scored and conceded by any club in the Premier League.
0:02:24 > 0:02:31The systems and databases provide you with a lot of opportunity to be really investigative into your work.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35With the game over, Ed deals with the post-match feedback,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39analysing his own players' performance.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44There are eight cameras based around the pitch and they all cover a particular area.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49They can tell us how fast they are running, how much movement they're doing.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53For example, Shaun's goal, what the animation allows you to do
0:02:53 > 0:02:58is to see where he was at any period of time. That can be very powerful,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01especially for work on technique and tactical play.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04We can put up, for example, his speed threshold.
0:03:04 > 0:03:10The closer it is to blue, the more that is to walking. The higher it gets to red, he's in a full sprint,
0:03:10 > 0:03:14so seven metres per second of movement.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18We take that information into the dressing room at half-time.
0:03:18 > 0:03:24IT ensures that the performance analysis results can be fed back to the players quickly and efficiently
0:03:24 > 0:03:26wherever they are.
0:03:26 > 0:03:33This is a little media device we use with our players. You can quickly access the hard drive on the system
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and copy on a video clip here.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Within a couple of seconds, we should have access to the media device.
0:03:40 > 0:03:46The players may be on a plane or a train travelling to a game and quickly you can click on to an event
0:03:46 > 0:03:51and within five or ten seconds, you've got that video clip very accessible to you.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57Nine years ago, when I started, everything was on VHS. Now everything is on DVD.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02The shelves were as recently as five months ago filled with over 4,000 games
0:04:02 > 0:04:05and now that, plus more, is all completely online.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11That's over half a million minutes of video that we're able to get access to.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16I think IT, in our role, specifically as a performance analyst, is vital.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20I think we'd find it very difficult to function without it.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29It's match day at Manchester City Football Club.
0:04:29 > 0:04:36Today, almost 30,000 supporters have bought tickets to watch the game against Stoke City.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41And behind the scenes, IT systems ensure everything runs smoothly.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Danny manages the ticketing team.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Each supporter has their own unique supporter number
0:04:48 > 0:04:54that they use on the website, give over the telephone or use at the ticket office when buying a ticket.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58This number will unlock their profile and their purchase history,
0:04:58 > 0:05:04so members of our team understand clearly which games supporters have or haven't bought for
0:05:04 > 0:05:08and they can use that information to resolve any issues.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12With a stadium holding 48,000 people,
0:05:12 > 0:05:18it's important that the IT systems work seamlessly to avoid any problems on match day.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Andy is the IT manager.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24On a match day, the IT team constantly monitor the networks
0:05:24 > 0:05:26to make sure that the infrastructure
0:05:26 > 0:05:31the turnstiles and access control system rely on is working 100%.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37The screens we look at are colour-coded, so we can see how full each area of the stadium is.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40On the morning of a game, we do a match download
0:05:40 > 0:05:45which downloads all the ticket information to the relevant turnstiles
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and allows the supporter access into the ground.
0:05:48 > 0:05:54If there's a problem with the access card, the stewarding team comes in with its PDA systems.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58You put the card on the PDA. It reads the chip inside it.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02It then tells you what seats have been booked on there
0:06:02 > 0:06:06and whether it is an old card. This is an old card.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11I see that a new card had been created and that's what they should have brought along,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15which is why they couldn't get into the turnstile today.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19If they go off to Supporter Services, we'll re-print them a paper ticket.
0:06:19 > 0:06:24The safety of supporters in the stadium is paramount to the football club.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28We've got to have that in the front of our minds in everything we do.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31IT is key to that, particularly on a match day.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36We need to know that all information has been sent to the turnstiles
0:06:36 > 0:06:40to allow supporters access through the entrances shown on their ticket.
0:06:40 > 0:06:46The IT team watch the flow control, which is the flow of people per minute coming into the stadium.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Green means people have accessed the stadium OK.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Anything that's a red colour means potentially there's been an issue.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58There's a code against that issue, things like "game not purchased, access denied".
0:06:58 > 0:07:03I think the technology allows us to be proactive, rather than reactive,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07so we can see problems generally before they happen.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17Everywhere we go, we're surrounded by the work of architects
0:07:17 > 0:07:22from hospitals and schools to sports stadia and theme parks.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27But how does IT help architects design and create new buildings?
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Gillian is a partner at Penoyre & Prasad.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35In our company, most of our buildings are in the public sector,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38so we build a lot of schools, health centres,
0:07:38 > 0:07:44hospitals, libraries, community buildings, as well as housing and some civic and social buildings.
0:07:44 > 0:07:50One of the new and striking projects that Gillian and her team are working on is the Wren Academy,
0:07:50 > 0:07:54a brand-new school for over 1,000 pupils in North London.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57The Wren Academy is near completion now.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01The first two phases are completed and occupied by the school.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05The last phase will open in the next couple of months.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10Will has been working on the Wren Academy Project for the last two years.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13This is using a Mac with VectorWorks.
0:08:14 > 0:08:19Here I've got the elevations for the Wren Academy North Block.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23We've set out all the information using this grid line.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26Every contractor and every part of the team has this grid
0:08:26 > 0:08:30and all our information is referenced off this.
0:08:30 > 0:08:37The computer program also allows Will to add layers or remove information on his digital drawings.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44There's information that's been sent to us from different parties of the project.
0:08:44 > 0:08:50This is all the furniture, so I can easily turn this layer off and on and send that to the contractor.
0:08:50 > 0:08:57In the design phase, Will uses the programs SketchUp and Photoshop to create images for the client.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59So this is the SketchUp file.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04These 2D lines, the black lines, were originally drawn in VectorWorks
0:09:04 > 0:09:06and that DWG has been exported.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Then from that, you can help draw this model.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13Then we start adding information and people to this.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Without the people, it's difficult to understand the scale of the space.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21The architect's role is to put spaces into a realistic form,
0:09:21 > 0:09:27so it's about showing a client what they think they can get to what they're going to get.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32And IT is used to ensure that the massively complex construction process at Wren Academy
0:09:32 > 0:09:36runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Vince is the project manager.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42The main two tasks obviously are making sure
0:09:42 > 0:09:46that the project is completed on time and within budget.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50I'm using the computer constantly, number one, for communication.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54When I go out on site, I may notice something that I don't think is quite right
0:09:54 > 0:10:00and I want to show to the architect, so I'll take a photograph, bring it back, load it on to the computer,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04email it to the architect and we can have discussions.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08On a building of this nature, there's a sequence that must be carried out.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12Within that sequence, there is what's called a critical path.
0:10:12 > 0:10:18That is certain activities that are identified that are crucial that happen on time and correctly.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22One of Vince's tasks is to create and monitor a spreadsheet
0:10:22 > 0:10:28which lists and schedules all the activities essential to the completion of the building.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32On the vertical axis, there is a list of all the activities identified
0:10:32 > 0:10:37and looking across horizontally, it will keep the positions
0:10:37 > 0:10:43of the particular activities within the overall sequence and the duration of each activity as well
0:10:43 > 0:10:47and how one activity can impact on to the other
0:10:47 > 0:10:51and really define the sequence of the construction.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56Today, on the roof, we're going to be carrying out the final glazing activity.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01We've previously started this activity and most of the top row is in now,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05but today, weather permitting, we'll get the rest of the units in.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09But rain sets in and the work has to be postponed.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13This will have an inevitable impact on the construction schedule.
0:11:13 > 0:11:19Because of the bad weather, we couldn't do the roofworks which has impacted on the project
0:11:19 > 0:11:21to the tune of four or five weeks.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26He'll have to inform the client via his monthly progress report.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30I will fill in areas where I feel there may be concerns.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34I will do a brief statement where I report on bad weather
0:11:34 > 0:11:37and also back that up with progress photographs.
0:11:37 > 0:11:43Now I need to look at the activities that are up and coming and how I re-sequence them.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47Even at the design stage, factoring in weather conditions
0:11:47 > 0:11:50which may affect the completed building is essential.
0:11:50 > 0:11:56We can use a 3D model of a building and bring that into our environmental software modelling
0:11:56 > 0:11:59and then look at the impact of wind and daylight.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Ivan works with the environmental software.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07The location is quite important. That will have a different weather file
0:12:07 > 0:12:11which has different temperatures, rainfall, wind
0:12:11 > 0:12:14and that has a big impact on the building.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18The nearest weather file is London Weather Centre ten miles away.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22We'll also input what type of building it is.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25We specify the types of room because if it's an office,
0:12:25 > 0:12:29it will have a lot less people per metre squared than a school.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35The classroom is quite packed with 30 or so pupils and we all give off 100 watts of heat just sitting down.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40The software models daylight coming into a building.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45This part of the simulation here is for daylighting. This is one of the art classrooms.
0:12:45 > 0:12:51Here we see that it's quite bright towards the south window because it's getting direct daylight.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55If we found bits of the room were quite dark and dingy,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58we could look at ways of introducing skylights
0:12:58 > 0:13:04or you could reconfigure the depth of the room, so you get light penetrating into the room.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07We couldn't operate without IT
0:13:07 > 0:13:12and if you ever get computer crashes, which can happen, the office has to stop.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17We heavily rely on IT and it's fantastic what it enables us to do.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Farming in the 21st century is changing dramatically.
0:13:30 > 0:13:36With strict standards to maintain, traceability to guarantee and targets to hit,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40farmers spend more and more time in front of computer screens.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44IT plays a big part in the day-to-day running of the farm.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Everything's going over computerised, registering the calves, paying staff.
0:13:49 > 0:13:54Brothers Mike and Chris run Middle Burrow Farm in Devon.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59Most of the companies we deal with now want us to use online technology.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03All the information on the cows is stored on the computer now.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07We can register pedigrees, look at our National Milk Records.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09But Mike and Chris have gone further
0:14:09 > 0:14:15and invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in state-of-the-art technology,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18including computerised milking robots.
0:14:18 > 0:14:25This is a milking robot and we've had it here about 12 months now. We've got two of them.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29We used to do the milking twice a day, but now we've got the situation
0:14:29 > 0:14:33that they milk any time of the day, really, and night.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37And there is no need for a farmer to be there at all during milking.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41When she comes into the stall, the two ends come together,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44so it tells the computer where the cow is
0:14:44 > 0:14:49and so the arm comes out then and picks up the teat cup
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and then comes near to the udder.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56When it gets near to the udder, the two infra-red cross-beams
0:14:56 > 0:14:59pick up where the teat is and then the robot arm
0:14:59 > 0:15:01puts a cup on the teat.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05You see the blue dome hanging down on the collar? That's a transponder.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08The transponder IDs that cow.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11It says this cow is, like that cow there, 124.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15And on the computer, it has all her information, where her teats are,
0:15:15 > 0:15:19when she's calved, how fast she milks, any problems she had.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21It tells you everything.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26Everything that happens in the 24 hours is recorded here.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30The blue means they need to be milked, then it goes yellow,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34which is basically saying they're coming near milking.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37The white ones have all been milked recently.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41As the machine is working 24/7, if there is a problem with the machine,
0:15:41 > 0:15:47it will ring the farmer on his mobile and tell him that there is a problem.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Some things he can put right over the phone or with a laptop computer.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56The milking robot also analyses samples of milk from each cow,
0:15:56 > 0:16:01helping farmers to monitor the health of their cattle.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05It tells you the cell count, the white blood cells of the cow.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09That's how it fights infection in its udder. If you go down here,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12we can see 898 is a cow that's just given birth to a calf
0:16:12 > 0:16:15and when we put it on the graph,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17you can see...
0:16:17 > 0:16:21blood is red and it's showing quite high levels of blood in the milk.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24That will be gone within four days.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Even more information about each cow is recorded
0:16:26 > 0:16:30by an activity meter on each cow's collar.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32If you have a low activity, the cow may be ill,
0:16:32 > 0:16:34something could be wrong with her
0:16:34 > 0:16:36or she could be lame.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38That is picked up by an aerial in the shed
0:16:38 > 0:16:42and is transponded right down into the computer,
0:16:42 > 0:16:43which gives you a graph
0:16:43 > 0:16:47and it plots all points how active she is through the day.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50When the meter records a high level of activity,
0:16:50 > 0:16:51it indicates that a cow
0:16:51 > 0:16:55is ready to be artificially inseminated or served.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59It shows here her activity and you've got
0:16:59 > 0:17:03a peak here when she needed artificially inseminating.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06You see there how it's quite high, the peak there?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10And this point here shows us when she was served.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14A new calf is born on average every two days at the farm.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17The computer database has to be updated each time.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21We've just had a cow calve and she's given birth.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I've got to find her on the computer
0:17:23 > 0:17:26and enter her details, so that she can be milked.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28190 is the one that calved,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30so we click her there and bring her up.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34This is her details.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Her breeding event is that she's calved, which is this one - calving.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40It's started the countdown. Days in milk,
0:17:40 > 0:17:44DIM, it says nought. Her first day to be milked is today.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Basic IT skills are now essential for any farmer.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52IT definitely improves things quite a bit.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55You're not tied to a certain job
0:17:55 > 0:17:58at a certain time seven days a week now.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00In this day and age, farmers have to be very up
0:18:00 > 0:18:04with the IT to keep track of what their animals are doing.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Everything is done over the internet nowadays
0:18:06 > 0:18:09and we like to keep up with it.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16SIREN WAILS
0:18:18 > 0:18:25The use of technology in a fire service is really about maintaining the safety of people we look after,
0:18:25 > 0:18:30the people we serve, but also looking after our own people.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34So IT is a really crucial part of running a modern-day fire service.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39Fire and Rescue. Can I take your postcode, please? What's on fire?
0:18:39 > 0:18:44- All right. Stay well away. - 'We can't afford to make a mistake.'
0:18:44 > 0:18:48The mistakes that we make could be a life. Simple as that.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54From the moment a member of the public reports a fire to Surrey Fire and Rescue Service,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57IT steps in and plays a crucial role.
0:18:57 > 0:19:02The computer systems automatically detect the caller's phone number.
0:19:02 > 0:19:08It's the operator's job to ask for the postcode or find out specific details of where the incident is.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13You put the postcode in and it selects the address for you.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19All the time we're reducing the time it takes to get the machines on the road.
0:19:19 > 0:19:25The computers also tell the team which fire engines are best suited for a particular emergency.
0:19:25 > 0:19:31Depending on the fire call, for example, "road traffic collision, person trapped",
0:19:31 > 0:19:33we need heavy cutting gear.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38If we are sent to fuel spillages or major fires, we need foam.
0:19:38 > 0:19:45Every appliance has a piece of equipment that is useful to us. We have to send the right one.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50ALARM RINGS
0:19:50 > 0:19:53There's the alarm going off now.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58The printer's telling us where to go and it's come up on the screen.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03I've now pressed that button so Control know we've mobilised. Off we go.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09When we mobilise to an incident, the first thing to come up is the alert on the screen
0:20:09 > 0:20:14which we touch to acknowledge. That tells Control we're mobilised.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18As the crew is on the move, the computer gives instant access
0:20:18 > 0:20:21to an immense amount of relevant information.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25It allows us to look at the route to travel.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29It can bring us up house plans, building layouts.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33If we're attending an incident, if it's a school or hospital
0:20:33 > 0:20:37we can bring up the design plans of the building,
0:20:37 > 0:20:43which gives us information on the location of stairwells, gas, water mains.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48It also gives vehicle information for a road traffic incident.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53It will show us hazards that might be related to that vehicle.
0:20:53 > 0:20:59But it will also start showing us where things are on the vehicle that we'll need to activate -
0:20:59 > 0:21:03battery isolations, the location of air bags.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08If we need to remove parts of the vehicle, it shows high-risk areas.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11The computer also offers language information.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14It gives a scrolling pattern of countries' names.
0:21:14 > 0:21:21It gives me lists of standard questions which we would ask anybody involved in the incidents.
0:21:21 > 0:21:28"What is your name?" "Do you speak English?" "Where is the fire?" "Is anybody else in the building?"
0:21:28 > 0:21:32The information we hold comes from a variety of different sources.
0:21:32 > 0:21:39We have specialist people that go out and inspect buildings and collate information on risks.
0:21:39 > 0:21:46We also get information from local councils, the Environment Agency, from the National Trust.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49All that information is collated to go into one system.
0:21:49 > 0:21:55The IT team is responsible for gathering the vast amount of information available to crews.
0:21:55 > 0:22:02Today, Julia is updating the system with a house survey completed by a firefighter.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06The crew gathered all the data likely to be dangerous.
0:22:06 > 0:22:12We take it into this office and then create the files.
0:22:12 > 0:22:20They can see it on their map. They click on that and the information comes up in a document.
0:22:20 > 0:22:27- Is this one completed, Gordon? - It is. We're looking at plans of a local hospital.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32We've got all the electrical and gas entry points on and hazard points.
0:22:32 > 0:22:39It's our responsibility to put the symbols correctly on the plans from information we've been given.
0:22:39 > 0:22:47How do the onboard computers on the fire engines receive the information the team are updating?
0:22:47 > 0:22:53When vehicles drive into the appliance bay, it synchronises with the wireless network
0:22:53 > 0:22:57and checks to see if there are any updates it needs to download.
0:22:57 > 0:23:05We also run an actual private network and it allows us to push information out to the vehicle wherever it is.
0:23:07 > 0:23:14Even when the fire engine is on its way to the emergency, the job of the control centre staff isn't over.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17They manage the situation remotely.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22We stay in contact with the machines until the job is finished.
0:23:22 > 0:23:26Whatever they require, we will get for them.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31We've got action plans to follow, depending on what the incident is.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35If it's animals, it will prompt us to contact the RSPCA.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40If it's chemicals, it will prompt us to contact the Environment Agency.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Since the introduction of IT,
0:23:42 > 0:23:48the input of data has been a lot more efficient. A lot easier, less paperwork.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51IT is a very important aspect of the job
0:23:51 > 0:23:58and training and being skilled is paramount. We can't risk mistakes. It's reducing risks at all times.
0:24:04 > 0:24:11Created in 1759, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16Over 650 people work behind the scenes.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21In the Princess of Wales Conservatory, Mike, a horticulturist, is the manager.
0:24:21 > 0:24:27Part of his job is to make sure conditions in each of the climatic zones in the conservatory
0:24:27 > 0:24:30are maintained correctly.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33We're in the Arid Zone, Zone 3.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37We have the cacti and succulents and some of the island flora.
0:24:37 > 0:24:43In each zone of the conservatory, the environmental variables are different.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47We have different temperatures, humidity levels and ventilations.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51These variables are controlled by a computer program.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54On this screen here you can see all the ten zones.
0:24:54 > 0:25:00Each zone in the conservatory has a sensor for humidification, and for temperature.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04These are updating the computers every four minutes.
0:25:04 > 0:25:10Each zone is given the minimum and maximum humidity level, relative humidity,
0:25:10 > 0:25:16and they stay in those parameters. Once it gets below, say, 70% relative humidity,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18the misting will come on.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23Sometimes Mike has to change the parameters on the computer.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27As it's getting sunnier now, we want to increase humidity levels.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30We go into Settings and Misting.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35And then we increase the minimum humidity level to 60%.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38And the maximum humidity levels to 70%.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43By setting them higher, that increases the misting levels.
0:25:43 > 0:25:49How were climatic variables like ventilation, temperature and humidity controlled
0:25:49 > 0:25:51before computers arrived?
0:25:51 > 0:25:55In the older glasshouses, the vents were opened by ropes and pulleys.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00The heating would be controlled by motorised valves.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Now it's all done by computer.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08Another one of Mike's tasks is to update the plant database
0:26:08 > 0:26:12which holds information about every plant in Kew Gardens.
0:26:12 > 0:26:19The database is used throughout the gardens and covers all the plants in the gardens
0:26:19 > 0:26:22so that each plant with an accession number
0:26:22 > 0:26:24can be looked up on the database.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28So today we've got an agave flowering in the Arid Zone
0:26:28 > 0:26:30which needs updating.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33You click on January and save that information.
0:26:33 > 0:26:39I'll also need to put in a note here to collect seed off the plant.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43The job of updating and keeping the records is ongoing.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46It's changing all the time.
0:26:46 > 0:26:52If we're sending a plant to another botanic garden, for instance, we can pint off the database notes
0:26:52 > 0:26:58so they've got a close record of how the plant was collected, its country of origin, et cetera.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02There's another database being compiled at Kew Gardens,
0:27:02 > 0:27:09not of living plants, but the huge collection of preserved plant specimens from all over the world
0:27:09 > 0:27:12which are stored in the Herbarium.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17We're in the Herbarium at Kew. In the cupboards are specimens.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21The Herbarium you could think of as a library of plants.
0:27:21 > 0:27:26The specimens are the pressed plants with their stems, leaves, petals.
0:27:26 > 0:27:33The Global Plants Initiative is an international collaborative project between
0:27:33 > 0:27:38over 147 herbaria in over 52 countries.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Many of the plant specimens date back to the 1800s, 1820s.
0:27:42 > 0:27:48The project as a whole is aiming to digitise two million plant specimens.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52These are being brought together in one online environment.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Today Aisleyne from the Global Plants Initiative team
0:27:56 > 0:28:00is creating a digital record of another preserved plant.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04She's off to the Herbarium to find her specimen.
0:28:04 > 0:28:10I've just collected a type specimen. It's a barberi species,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12which we will take to database and scan.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16It involves putting a colour chart and ruler on.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20The colour chart is so we can compare the true colours.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23The scanners that we have are upside down
0:28:23 > 0:28:30so the specimen can face upwards and we don't have to turn it upside down, as it's quite fragile.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34It's quite a high resolution. It takes about three minutes to scan.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37And we make a record of this in the spreadsheet
0:28:37 > 0:28:40where we put the barcode
0:28:40 > 0:28:42and then the date we scanned it on.
0:28:42 > 0:28:48And we also put the resolution that we scanned the image - 600 dots per inch.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52Once the Herbarium specimen has been databased and imaged,
0:28:52 > 0:28:56it can be found here. If we look up a specimen,
0:28:56 > 0:29:00this is called Stapelia hirsuta.
0:29:00 > 0:29:05This website brings together several resources on plant science.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09It includes paintings, floras, maps, illustrations.
0:29:09 > 0:29:15And we can zoom in and see the fine detail of the hairs on a petal.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19We can also measure the length of the petal.
0:29:20 > 0:29:26We have already imaged 140,000 specimens, so you need to have large databases
0:29:26 > 0:29:30to be able to manipulate the data accurately.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk