Accelerating through digitisation Meaningful interactions, better citizen outcomes

By removing the barriers, enhancing the connections, automating the process, local authorities can transform how they work and reshape communities as a result.

Third in the series – discussion paper: Better outcomes through Knowing, Responding and Accelerating.

Focus effort where it‘s needed most

There was a time when the automated call centre was just about the most vilified contact method known to man. Everybody hated it. The idea of tapping in numbers instead of talking to real people seemed hostile, remote, uncaring. It was mostly viewed as a ruse for big organisations to make a profit by keeping people on the phone as long as possible, or simply to avoid having to get into difficult conversations with often irate callers.

Reducing labour intensive activitiesThe world changed. Technology accelerated the change. The ease of use of self-service web portals and automated call centres is now second nature. It’s far easier to go online and locate the information one needs than it is to make a call or go to an office or have to book an appointment with someone in order to track it down.

How do you get to 5 million people fast?If site visitors can register online for alerts when any fresh news or updated information becomes available on topics that concern them, it takes the worries off their shoulders. It also takes enormous time and effort off the shoulders of the local authority, reducing the costs of providing essential services to the largest number of people. Critical information can be communicated faster. With Fujitsu’s help, the Environment Agency accelerated response times for its flood warning service to serve 5 million people better in flood-risk areas. The agency was able to provide a faster, more consistent and higher quality service. At the same time it was able to reduce operational costs by replacing less efficient systems and labour intensive activities.

Going online to an authority’s website to download a form is a process that can be sorted out over a cup of tea. So, nobody’s unhappy any more: except the very members of society that most need and deserve the help and assistance that local authorities focus on providing.

Knowing – Responding – Accelerating; through Business Intelligence, Mobility, Digitisation. We believe these are the essential qualities and capabilities to help add smarter citizen care and create social value. Visit uk.fuijtsu.com/localgovernment to see how we’ve helped local authorities to improve service provision, save money and optimise receipts.

Third in the series – discussion paper: Better outcomes through Knowing, Responding and Accelerating.

Creating smarter interfaces for the citizen

Help is on its wayIn a digital world the means of response can be closely geared to the nature of the enquiry so that those who can self-help do, and those that can’t, don’t have to. The very process of automation involves taking people out of the equation on the service delivery side of things. The less that staff can be involved with dealing with the repetitive and hardly ever critical nature of day-to-day enquiries and contact, the more they can direct their attention on those who need real help; the very old, or perhaps the very young; adults or children who are at-risk and vulnerable. With this redirection comes a raft of transformative and strategic high value benefits to a local authority.

Paper is on its way out As the move towards automated means of contact gains pace – enabling citizen access to information on services and advice, rights and obligations through digitised channels – the need for paper records and files evaporates. Paper-based systems become less relevant. A mammoth reduction in paperwork, together with the archaic processes involved in generating, storing and retrieving it, will have a significant impact on overheads in the mid to long term. Less storage space will be needed and entire chunks of real estate can be shed. Shifting information and case files into an electronic format also serves the increasing empowerment of the workforce as its agility is driven by more widespread use of hand-held devices, supporting flexible and mobile work practices.

If the resolution to today’s issues entails solid foundations for tomorrow’s on-going improvements, such as the reduction in person-hours on paper shuffling and the attack on costs incurred by the same processes, then authorities can look forward to a brighter future than may be currently imagined.

Removing communication barriers and building better engagement channels enhances direct connections between problems and outcomes, but the discussion continues… Entitled BETTER OUTCOMES THROUGH KNOWING, RESPONDING AND ACCELERATING, Fujitsu’s series of discussion papers examine how to offer a smarter working future and a better-served citizen.

I. Knowing through business intelligenceII. Responding through mobilisationIII. Accelerating through digitisation

Third in the series – discussion paper: Better outcomes through Knowing, Responding and Accelerating.

To find out more about how Fujitsu is reshaping ICT and communitiesplease contact us:

About FujitsuWe work with all kinds of organisations in every sector and we have broadand deep experience in the public sector. In many cases, we have adapted provensolutions from the commercial sector for public sector use significantly saving on discovery, development and testing costs.

We see ourselves as partners committed, trustworthy and responsive.Your success is our livelihood.

We understand the pressures you face and your determination to deal with the challenges. We want to help and make your organisation more efficient, agile and ready for whatever the future brings.

Contact Nick Sawbridge to find out how Fujitsu is reshaping ICT and communities

Tel: +44 (0)7867 825259Email: askfujitsu@uk.fujitsu.comWeb: uk.fujitsu.com/localgovernmentReference number: 3467

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