Civica Digital, a division within the Civica Group which provides organisations with end-to-end digital solutions, has been awarded a significant new two-year partnership with South Gloucestershire Council. The partnership will see Civica Digital build a digital customer platform that will not only enable the council to provide a better user experience for residents, but also deliver future cost and efficiency savings.
The council selected Civica Digital to support its ambitious digital transformation journey, which will help improve customer experience, enabling residents to quickly report issues and carry out routine transactions online, and be kept informed about progress with their requests.
The investment will also deliver efficiencies, helping the council to make best use of technology to improve services whilst giving employees the right tools to do their jobs.
The first project in the partnership is a new customer platform which will sit at the core of South Gloucestershire Council’s digital transformation programme. The platform will streamline everyday customer interactions, and lay a solid foundation for a single sign-on customer portal. It will also enable the council to create a more seamless service experience by connecting all customer service employees to real-time information.
The council has hosted a number of focus groups to gather feedback from residents and employees about their priorities, to ensure what is built is designed around their needs.
Speaking about the new partnership, Cllr Matthew Riddle, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council said: “We use our mobile phones, tablets or home computers to order a weekly shop or renew our vehicle tax online, so it makes sense that people are also able to interact with council services at times and in ways which are convenient for them. Ensuring that our services are accessible and customer-centric is something we’re passionate about improving for the benefit of all residents in South Gloucestershire.
“As we embark on our digital journey, we of course recognise that not everyone is digitally orientated, nor does everyone have direct access to a computer or mobile and we will ensure their needs continue to be catered for by providing options to complete transactions either offline or through advocates.”
Civica Digital is drawing upon its capabilities across user experience, workplace productivity, change management and insights and analytics to support South Gloucestershire Council throughout the transformation process. Once the initial customer platform is fully implemented, Civica Digital will help the council explore how Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and predictive analytics can further improve future services and better manage resident demand.
Chris Doutney, Executive Director, Civica Digital, comments: “It’s clear that South Gloucestershire Council is a forward-thinking, digital-first council. Not only are they looking for immediate technology solutions, but the council is also thinking ahead to create an exemplary service for residents and local businesses, as well as its own employees. We look forward to working together to achieve these ambitious plans for the future.”
