Digital by Design Strategy

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Digital by Design Strategy

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Since 2007 Eastleigh Borough Council has made a significant investment to ensure it has a fit for purpose technical infrastructure to deliver services to its customers, residents and community. We are now entering the digital age where our service users expect more interaction and engagement with the Council when accessing services and a more powerful voice to influence and change. This is Eastleigh Borough Councils first digital strategy, bringing together technology, information, customer experience and access to services.

Our digital customer portal myeastleigh.gov. uk has seen a significant increase in usage, for example, Parksport saw a 92% shift to the digital channel (on line booking) away from telephone bookings.

The digital age has transformed profoundly how we create, consume, distribute and access information. This revolution requires an equal transformation in the way the public sector interacts with its customers and community.

§ The strategy focuses on actively migrating customers to more cost effective digital channels and promoting digital as the default channel

§ Services will be expected to redesign their services digitally wherever possible, reducing costs and process waste.

§ The creation of a multifunctional agile workforce is fundamental to ensuring economies of scale are maximised and becoming more reactive to customer demands

§ A multi-channel approach to delivering services and customer engagement with a seamless flow across all channels is required

§ Creation of digital Eastleigh, the strategic positioning and promotion of the

Borough as a centre for digital excellence The digital strategy is a key priority within the Future Eastleigh business transformation programme and supports the People strategy, Commercialisation and Cultural change work streams.

Digital is an umbrella term used to

capture a broad base of online or web accessible media, channels, technologies or devices such as websites, portals, social networks, digital signatures, mobile and more…

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The Digital Revolution….

How, Why, When

Access to high speed internet networks and consumerisation is underpinning the surge in digital technology uptake. Wearable technology, “the internet of things” (anything from PCs , printers to heating controls and fridges) and the maturing of social networking are just some of the technologies pushing the barriers to digital transformation.

Customers have moved from static technologies to mobile and multitasking and are becoming increasingly connected but impatient. A recent study conducted by the DVLA as part of their digitisation programme found that younger consumers are too impatient to even complete on line forms and hence are having to find more innovative ways to capture information. Digital customers expect to hold

conversations across a number of channels.

A self-service search can result in a web chat, followed by a mobile call and resulting in an email to confirm. Customers expect a standard and consistent service across all these channels. Again a multitude of devices can be used to engage - tablets, smartphones, PC’s, laptops.

The UK is now the world’s first major economy to spend more on digital advertising than on TV – currently, the internet takes 23% of all advertising spend, compared with 21.9% for TV

Red Ant consultancy 2014

74% of consumers use at least 3 channels when interacting with a company - Ovum study

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Strategic Context

Financially we are in unprecedented times with a move towards self-funding and a more commercial approach to delivering services. The Council as a whole has to identify a further £4.7 million in savings or see an increase in income generation from its commercial services. Organisational agility is becoming more prevalent with decreasing resources and increasing demand. The ability to develop and deliver customer focused, intuitive systems with shorter development timescales will have to be factored into service delivery implementation.

Technology is moving into the digital age with the proliferation of the Internet and ever more intuitive offerings. Individuals are regularly using 2-3 devices to access information and services now. Social media is maturing and becoming a key channel across which conversations are being had. To provide effective customer engagement these channels are being leveraged by the private sector, raising expectations generally across all sectors.

Big data is driving a more complex look at demand led, evidence based service design. Information and data and accessibility to these resources are becoming increasingly important. Mobility and access to

information anytime, anywhere is increasing customer expectations for services that deliver 24*7.

The “Internet of things” is a concept that is widely accepted as the next leading edge technology. Eventually all devices such as , PC’s, fridges, vehicle management systems, sensors, CCTV cameras and heart/blood pressure monitors will be connected to the internet.

Central government has delivered significant savings with its first phase of digital by default programme setting the agenda for local government. Local digital working groups (e.g. DVLA) have shared outcomes from research and pilot projects, developing a collaborative approach to digital design. Leading the way in digital innovation, the private and voluntary sectors are setting high standards in their drive to deliver efficiencies and customer focused services. Customer journey mapping and customer data insight is being used to tailor services and enhance customer engagement. On line retailers are using digital channels effectively to promote and deliver products and services to customers, realising significant savings and improving customer experience. Online tracking and feedback capability has been introduced to maximise customer experience. The banking sector has moved forward with the introduction of intuitive digital payment channels that deliver robust and secure platforms for financial transactions. These business models can be translated to the public sector delivering services more aligned to customer needs.

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Our Vision

Eastleigh Borough Council’s vision is to fully embrace

the opportunities that digital technology enables to

provide more customer focussed, efficient services;

to deliver digital by design services in partnership with

our customers and promote Eastleigh economically as

a centre for digital development

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Target Outcomes

A All services have embraced digital technology and the opportunities it provides in service delivery

B All front line services offer multiple channels of delivery including self-service where practical

C High levels of customer satisfaction with the Council’s services and the different routes to access them

D An agile and flexible workforce where staff have the skills to take advantage of digital opportunities in carrying out their role and delivering customer focussed services

E Data is managed and coordinated across the council to help plan for the Borough, design services and meet demand

F Significant financial efficiency savings are achieved in service delivery enabled by digital technology and platforms

G Eastleigh Borough is recognised as centre for digital business

We will achieve this by ;

§ SO1 Actively promote a Digital First approach for all services

§ SO2 Digitally redesign all priority services by 2017

§ SO3 To actively migrate customer interactions to a digital channel and manage customer demand

§ SO4 Transform Eastleigh Borough into a digitally enabled organisation by 2017

§ SO5 Engage with our customers/ suppliers/partners to co-design services and enhance participation in local government

§ SO6 Remove barriers to digital transformation and support our community and staff to learn and grow

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Where are we now?

Eastleigh has invested heavily in its ICT infrastructure; its digital platform has already delivered a number of key services such as Park sport and Residents parking permits. The multi-channel approach has proved highly successful to date, delivering ever more cost effective services via Myeastleigh. Digital maturity varies across units within the authority, some units already engage digitally with their customers/suppliers / partners effectively, whereas others are still experimenting.

§ There is an opportunity to enhance and build upon digital skills within the authority, this should be seen as a core competency during the recruitment process. There are opportunities to maximise potential partnerships/support for learning and skills development (Techub, Barclays digital eagles, IBM),

§ Although superfast broadband is

available across most of Eastleigh, some black spots remain

§ Further corporate investment is required for digital tools and equipment (tablets, laptops etc)

§ Usage of social media channels e.g. Facebook and twitter require review to ensure we are maximising their potential as an engagement tool, overall ownership of the web requires re-emphasising to ensure consistency for customers. Our twitter channel has seen numbers triple over the last two years from 1,151 followers (2012) to 4,025 (2014) with 6,000 + tweets and

retweets. Facebook currently has 337

followers.

§ Local Authority networks require PSN security compliance, which can impact accessibility within units trying to provide leading edge services to their clients/ customers.

§ Sharing information/images/data across the authority requires a framework which is tailored to all units, providing a balance between security and accessibility.

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Digital Eastleigh Economy

Following on from the Culture unit’s digital strategy, which sets out a clear vision of elevating Eastleigh’s reputation for digital development, this strategy builds upon and supports that vision. There is a clear opportunity to build upon the Creative Eastleigh Network brand in promoting and encouraging businesses to invest in Eastleigh.

The culture unit utilises digital technology as part of the creative process developing areas such as green screening, augmented reality and digital sound.

Board support is in place with Solent, Winchester and Portsmouth universities, IBM and digital businesses. Eastleigh

should position itself as a centre for digital development, encouraging investment and supporting the creative industries.

To enable digital development, further investment in high speed digital networks is required. It would be useful to assess business requirement across Eastleigh to ascertain if this is an opportunity that requires further promotion. Further funding opportunities should also be investigated to maximise investment.

This vision should also form part of the Town Centre Regeneration strategy in order to provide a coherent approach to strategic development.

Where do we want to be?

Strategic work streams

The workshop led consultation identified a number of actions which have been developed further into four key work streams

channel. Secondly to embed digital working we would have to transform the way we work as an organisation, better collaboration, building agility in resources and flexible working. Thirdly, there is scope to better

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#1: Transforming our services

This work stream supports strategic

objectives SO1, SO2 and SO3. The Council has already invested in a platform to deliver digital services and is well placed to build further on My Eastleigh. The digital strategy workshop identified further areas where digitisation of services would benefit our customers/partners/businesses.

However to ensure we maximise efficiencies and promote digital channels each

service should undergo a digital re-design exercise with an emphasis on end to end process re-design. The approach should be led by service managers responsible for overseeing the design, delivery and ongoing management of each service. Building digital capability and expertise at all levels within the Council will future proof services and embed a digital first culture. Services could be prioritised based on set criteria such as volumes of transactions and/or maximum impact on customer service. The re-design should be supported by agile software development, ensuring proof of concept/pilot models are delivered quickly with a view to an iterative customer focused process being implemented. Services need to consider mapping the customer’s journey to fully understand the implications of service change on the customer. Where the service is being delivered at a remote location, access to information should be fully available via suitable devices and information capture should be automated. Payments for services should be digitally

This work stream will have a significant impact on administrative processes, leading to a reduction in admin resource across the Council. The digital strategy will deliver year on year revenue savings across all services. Managing customer contact and interactions via one channel will enhance the service we provide to our customers. Currently the CRM system is being used by the majority of frontline services but has not been implemented across all services. This would allow a single verification of customers and provide a single point for managing customer records.

Wherever possible, customers should be encouraged to liaise with the Council via digital routes. Enquires, registration/ verification, payments, tracking and feedback should be via digital routes. Digital design principals

§ Digital by default

§ Keep it simple

§ Customer focused

§ Create a social community for focus, feedback and testing phase

§ Iterative and prototyping – learn from the journey

§ Use customer segmentation profiles to tailor services

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#2: Transforming the way we work

This work stream supports strategic objective SO4. In order to take full advantage of the digital technology available now, we have to transform the way we work. Creating a digital savvy organisation will require enhanced digital skills and a clear understanding of what our customer expectations are. Working within a rapidly changing digital environment will require a more agile approach to system and process design.

Sharing data across units and collaborative working will ensure we can provide

customers with the information they require and support staff productivity. Making data and information more transparent and accessible will be key to delivering an organisation which is agile, flexible

and reactive to demand. Single data entry and verification will enhance the customer experience and allow for a more efficient, streamlined service.

Agile development supports an iterative, customer focused approach to systems design, delivering faster and better results for our customers. Adopting the agile development methodology will quicken the pace of change and ensure processes are underpinned by effective systems.

With limited resources and financial

pressures a multi-functional agile workforce could lead to more productive services, fulfilling a number of functions whilst within the community. With the right technology mobile staff could deliver a range of services.

Collaborative working - Multi-functional mobile workforce - Access to electronic information and data

#3: Transforming how we engage

This work stream supports strategic objective SO5. Digital communication is by far the

partners in the relationship and to “be like them”, responding quickly and appropriately

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Digital communication - Multi- channel strategy - B2B It no longer matters to a customer which

channel they use to communicate with an organisation. Conversations can take place across a range of channels, with the customer expecting a seamless service across any of those channels.

Greater emphasis needs to be given to our website, whilst the infrastructure is still up to date, the design requires updating and refreshing. A new intuitive customer focused style is required to ensure customers can find relevant information quickly and interact with the Council in an effective manner. Our website could be used to raise awareness and support community education

e.g. recycling - the story from start to finish. Connecting partners, suppliers, customers and key stakeholders with information and services via digital channels can streamline services and also increase engagement and awareness. Business to business interaction can be enhanced further if access to systems and information is automated and accessible e.g. Invoice tracking for our suppliers can reduce the number of queries generated. Customer feedback/insight is vital to the decision making process and digital engagement is a cost effective way of providing this to support decision making.

#4: Breaking down barriers to

digital transformation

This work stream supports strategic

objective SO4 and SO6. Sharing data and information across the Council is one of the key barriers to digital transformation. It not only diminishes the service we provide to our customers but increases the cost of service. The quality of data and information is also paramount and creating strong data ownership within services is central to effective information governance.

System integration and managing supplier

Internal cultural change and effective leadership will be required to drive digital transformation internally. Services will need to identify processes which are suitable for digitising and drive implementation forward. Cultural change supported by digital skills enhancement will future proof the Council and its services.

Digital inclusion is paramount to delivering digital transformation. Services should be simple and easy to use and designed around

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with the Council. It is important the Council caters for this section by encouraging and developing skills possibly by using partner organisations or the voluntary sector. (Barclay’s digital eagles program)

Staff should have access to up to date technology suitable for their job function. Access to information and data should be available from any location at any time.

To measure the success of the strategy key performance indicators, outlined below have been identified. These represent the four work streams above and are based on existing

performance data. Further KPI’s for individual projects will be ascertained at project

initiation stage.

Key performance indicators

#1: Transforming our services

Indicator/objective

Measure

Target

KPI 1. Channel shift

Channel shift from telephony to digital Channel shift from face

to face to telephony Channel shift from face to face to digital

Solidus stats/

CRM stats _{50% of total telephony calls} 40%

30% KPI 2. Digital Payments – reduction of

cash and cheque payments CRM/Finance system 90% year 1, 100% year 2

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#2: Transforming the way we work

Indicator/objective

Measure

Target

KPI 1. Increase customer transactions delivered across services via single CRM channel

CRM system Increase by 50% - Year 1

KPI 2. Increase in corporate scanning IDOX 95% of mail to be directly scanned (exc junk mail) KPI 3. Increase digital skills across the

organisation HR undergo training90% of staff

#3: Transforming how we engage

KPI 1. Increase social media

participation on quarterly basis Website/tools Increase number of followers by 15% each quarter KPI 2. Increase number of retweets

and shares Website/tools 10% increase

KPI 3. Increase engagement - Page likes Website/tools 20% increase

#4: Breaking down barriers to digital transformation

KPI 1. Number of customers/residents

receiving training via partners Manual 120 customers per year KPI 2. Cultural shift towards digital Surveymonkey 60% of staff understand

digital and its application within the public sector.

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How do we get there?

To ensure we can deliver the strategy a number of key areas have to be considered; Resources, do we have sufficient resource to deliver the strategy over the next two years? The investment summary below indicates additional resources and finance which will need to be in place for successful delivery. Governance will shift from a technology focus to a business focus with the Digital programme board replacing the ICT programme board. Communications with our customers/residents is imperative to maximise digital uptake, specific campaigns will be promoted to migrate customers to digital channels.

Governance

Currently the ICT Programme board governs all IT related projects and administers the project register. However the digital strategy is more focused towards how the Council operates as a business and how it engages with customers and partners.

Therefore it is recommended the digital programme board replaces the ICT programme board to govern the digital agenda with representatives from key service areas. This will also facilitate the digital re-design project where services themselves will lead the process and engage with the board. Individual projects will present their business cases to the board for approval where required.

The board will comprise of; Portfolio lead – Ann Winstanley , Programme Sponsor – Alex Parmley

Finance lead , HR Lead , Communications Lead ,Technology lead , Service Leads – various

Investment

Future Eastleigh will act as the mechanism for delivering the benefits associated with this strategy. The strategy aims to contribute to the £4.7 million financial savings identified by the efficiency board. Financial benefits realised from the programme will be accounted for within the Future Eastleigh business case. The digital strategy will require capital resource to ensure project deliverables and benefits can be realised. Existing members of the IT team are being re-focused and formed as a separate (Digital solutions) team to drive the programme forward, however to ensure the programme is delivered within a two year timescale it may be necessary to acquire additional IT/ Analysis resource. Additional resource will be required within service units to ensure ownership of processes whilst re-designing services.

A report will be presented to February Cabinet for approval, outlining costs associated with delivering the strategy.

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Communications plan

The plan below outlines the

communication required to engage and raise awareness of the strategy and to create ownership across the Council.

The need for quarterly updates to maintain communications around strategy progress is important to ensure the strategy retains a high profile.

Communications plan for launching the strategy

Activity

Responsibility/

_Timescales

Audience

Set up of steering group JC/ 14th November

2014 Service reps

Intranet update JC / 17th November

2014 All staff /Councillors Presentation of draft strategy JC / 27th November

2014 Senior managers

Identify digital champions December All staff Presentation to Mgt team January 2015 Management team Management Liaison & Cabinet January & February

2015

Councillors Key summary EBC Connect February 2015 All staff Key summary points - newsletter February 2015 Councillors Borough news – digital campaign March /April 2015 Customers and partners

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High level delivery plan

2015 2016 2017 2018

Agile/rapid systems

development Digital inclusion Channel Migration Service re-design

Shared information and data usage

Digital customer engagement Communications and engagement strategy

Agile workforce

Digital by Design Strategy