Council focused on delivering optimum customer service with implementation of EDM & workflow technology Havering Council has appointed Civica, a market leader in software-based solutions that help organisations to improve service delivery and efficiency, to assist an internal team to implement an organisation-wide programme that is designed to drive out efficiency savings. The team will take advantage of the availability of the workflow and electronic document management capabilities of the Civica product to implement the outcomes of their analysis and re-engineering of internal processes. The programme will address service areas across the Council with a view to improving internal processes to allow staff to operate more effectively; enhancing customer services; reducing costs and transforming Havering into a more customer-focused organisation.
The deal was signed in July 2009 and the programme will take approximately three years to complete. As Havering looks to consolidate its network of offices, it is also taking the opportunity to identify ways to improve customer services and reduce the amount of storage space needed for paper files.
The roll out of EDM and workflow technology across the Council, known by the name HIPSteR (Havering Improved Storage and Retrieval) started in October 2009. As well as improving processes it will create a central data repository for all customer data. The benefits of EDM and workflow technology include:
- Offering a quicker service by scanning all paperwork into a database that can be accessed by all relevant departments quickly and easily
- Reducing administration costs through time spent on processing paperwork by hand
- Creating speedier customer service by placing all customer data in one central, secure repository that can be accessed by all applicable staff
- Enabling flexible working options for the Council, making it easier to work from home or from other remote locations
- Saving physical storage space
Sarah Bryant, Assistant Director for Transformation, Havering Council said: "We are determined to improve our services for our customers; the only way to achieve this is to make sure we give our staff the very best tools and environment in which to perform their duties. This provision will have a positive impact on the way in which the whole organisation functions. Operating in the most efficient manner will allow us to provide our customers with a more responsive service."
Val Earle, Director of Transformation Strategy, Civica says:"This is a significant project for both Civica and the London Borough of Havering. By understanding how all processes across the organisation operate, Havering will be able to unlock significant cost savings by removing duplication and inefficiencies in day-to-day operations. The transformation agenda continues to dominate and customer service has become a major focus."