Issue - meetings

Report DM001 from the Deployment Manager

(Enclosure)

Decision:

1)              Cabinet approves the commencement of a procurement process for the customer relationship, document management, website and intranet systems as detailed in report DM001.

2)              The decision to award subsequent contracts following the completion of procurement processes to be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Governance and Communication through the non-key decision process.

Considerations/reasons for decision:

1)              Report DM001 from the Deployment Manager.

2)              Investment was required in a range of contact and communication systems to deliver the Customer Access Strategy ambitions and become a more flexible organisation.

3)              Replacement and standardisation of existing systems would provide a platform to deliver an enhanced and more sustainable customer offer across the wide range of services delivered by the Council.

4)              The introduction of a new Customer Relationship Management System would enable a single view of customers and would facilitate and increase transactions that could be completed online.

5)              An improved website would help with increasing online interactions.

6)              A document management system would reduce space, ongoing support charges and enable both customers and employees to securely access documents on line.

7)              Funding for the project implementation would be resourced from the Housing Revenue Account and the General Fund to support the transformation and improvement services.

8)              The return on investment would be over a three year period.

9)              Comments and amendments made by the Portfolio Holder Governance and Communications to the recommendations.

10)           Comments made by other Members at the meeting.

Other Options considered:

1)              The authority could remain as it was, utilising existing technologies and delivering services via the existing website, telephone and in a face to face environment. Savings could be generated through vacancy management, however this would not provide opportunities to enhance the Council’s service offer to people who had the ability and expectation to be able to transact in a place and at times which were convenient to them.

2)              A further option available to the organisation was to invest in a CRM and website only. This would see the Council investing in a replacement CRM solution, but not rationalising its ICT systems and hardware in relation to document management or improving the quality of its website. This option would improve access to services online however the opportunity to generate the full benefits of a flexible workforce and a reduced property footprint would not be available.