Firmstep

Firmstep is a leader in helping local government to build and deliver better services. Over 30% of UK councils rely on the Firmstep Platform to enhance citizen interactions, improve efficiency, and save costs by moving their services online.

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Is the public sector missing out on mobile connectivity advantages?

New research carried out by Vodafone and YouGov has found that, despite greater channel shift and use of mobile devices in the workplace, only 8% of public sector frontline workers are equipped with 4G mobile connectivity.

 Of the 1401 senior decision makers surveyed, 42% lacked knowledge of the benefits of 4G technology, while 30% said that the perceived cost was the one of the main reasons for not adopting it. At the same time, 54% acknowledged that having this faster connectivity for uploading and downloading files and applications was important to their organisation.

 Faster mobile connectivity can help public sector bodies to improve the services they provide to citizens. In particular, frontline workers who deal directly with the public every day, such as police officers, nurses and social workers, can benefit from the ability to send communications and access important information more quickly on the go.

 Public sector organisations need to equip their staff with the tools and skills to be able to access the full benefits of mobile and digital technology. Firmstep customer Scarborough Council, for example, recently launched a handyman service that allows elderly and vulnerable residents to have minor home improvements and repairs carried out for them.  Using Firmstep solutions, the council has created a shared digital workspace for the service that can be accessed by all agencies via a PC, tablet or smartphone. Staff who visit the homes are equipped with tablets and all stages of the delivery process are automated, which has allowed the organisation to action more referrals more quickly while reducing administration costs.

 With the public sector under pressure to become more efficient and customers nowadays expecting instant solutions, organisations need to utilise the technology that is available to improve the way in which staff work and deliver faster and more connected services.

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Harrow Council expands channel shift with Firmstep

Harrow Council is improving its online services and achieving savings with the help of the Firmstep Forms solution.

A long-standing Firmstep customer, the council is building on the success of its online payment and appeals system for penalty charge notices (PCNs), which was launched in 2010 using Forms and now handles 84,000 submissions annually, delivering estimated savings of £90,000 every year. Since then, Harrow Council has introduced around 200 online forms for residents, councillors and staff through its MyHarrow portal, covering a wide range of services across all departments. The ongoing expansion of the council’s digital offering has seen annual increases of 30-40% in the number of submissions through the web portal.

David Miller, Web/GIS Manager at Harrow Council said: “The forms solution makes it easier and quicker for us to track the progress of and deal with the thousands of requests made by residents. As well as giving residents access to services at any time of the day, the solution saves time and money which is important in this current financial climate.”

By moving services online, the council has reduced face-to-face transactions by 71% and generated savings of over £500,000. Harrow was also commended for the success of its channel shift programme at the recent MJ Awards, winning the award for ‘Innovation in Channel Shift’.

Later this year, the council will upgrade to the latest, cloud-based version of our Forms solution, which will facilitate further channel shift and improve the user experience for citizens. You can read more about our work with Harrow Council on Government Computing.

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Creating more integrated local council services

Channel shift is all about creating new operating models and delivering more integrated, connected public services, to increase efficiency and improve the citizen experience. One local authority that has achieved this is Scarborough Council.

The council’s ‘SWITCH’ programme has expanded its online service offering to its 100,000 residents with a new website and self-service portal, using the Firmstep Platform. The portal allows citizens to make and track requests, report problems and make payments 24/7 from any device.

Integration and collaboration have been two fundamental principles behind the ‘SWITCH’ project. As well as bringing together staff from different departments across the organisation – IT, customer service, communications and front-line services – the council has also involved its key partner agencies. This can be seen in the council’s handyperson service, whereby elderly and vulnerable residents can receive home assessments and get help with minor jobs around the home. The council created a shared digital workspace for the service that can be accessed by all partners, which has sped up the referral process (over 50% of referrals are actioned within 48 hours) and significantly reduced administration costs.

For local councils and other public sector organisations to get the optimum benefit from channel shift, it requires buy-in and collaboration across different departments of the organisation as well as partner agencies. Doing so will deliver more integrated and convenient services, and in turn generate greater efficiencies.

You can read more about Scarborough Council’s channel shift programme on PublicNet.

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GDS looking for more consistency in online services

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is looking to create more consistency in service patterns as part of its campaign to build government as a platform and improve public services. A blog post on the GDS website says that the organisation is focusing on making services “unified, cross department journeys” as well as establishing standards for “what good looks like”.

 By developing standards for repeated activities, the GDS hopes to encourage more co-operation between government departments as well as reducing the amount of time and effort required to build and redesign new services. This is not just about giving users a more consistent experience but also making internal processes more consistent and creating common standards for service delivery across the sector.

 As we have said before, channel shift works best when it is backed up by a unified and collaborative approach to service delivery, which generates greater efficiencies and puts organisations in better shape to deliver future channel shift. As well as creating consistent service patterns, this approach can be taken to other areas such as sharing data, technology and best practice.

 Firmstep’s solutions can help public sector bodies to meet GDS standards for service delivery. Last year, the Department for Education used Firmstep’s AchieveForms and Self products to automate its many forms as the department migrated to the GOV.UK platform. The deployment has driven efficiencies for the organisation while simplifying and streamlining services for its users. You can read more about our work with the DfE here.

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Councils still wasting time and money through manual processes

The NDL annual National Digital Report has found that many local councils are failing to eliminate manual processes despite adopting more digital services, costing them significant amounts of time and money.

 According to the report, councils are wasting two millions hours every year re-keying data that they receive through online services or CRM systems, while 50% of LAs are re-keying more than half the data that they receive through e-forms – costing them £14m a year. This is predicted to increase, rather than decrease, as councils introduce more online forms without eliminating the manual processes associated with them.

 Despite the technology being available, it seems that a lot of councils are not delivering truly end-to-end, digital services, and are failing to take full advantage of the efficiencies that channel shift offers. Declan Grogan, Managing Director of NDL, claims that the majority of organisations have only implemented digital technology in “sparsely selected areas” and are “papering over the cracks by using manual labour to present allegedly end-to-end services”.

 If councils are to get the full benefit of channel shift, then the process needs to be supported by the right technology to deliver efficient online services. Firmstep customer Warwickshire Direct, for example, is expecting to save around £1m having replaced its old CRM system with Firmstep’s cloud-based system.

 The public sector is striving to transform the way it operates and provide citizens with efficient, user-friendly online services, but these efforts are weakened if councils are duplicating processes. By investing in truly end-to-end digital services, councils will not only improve services but generate substantial cost efficiencies.

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How going digital improved care provision for Scarborough Council

We often talk about the efficiencies that channel shift can deliver and how it can improve citizen engagement, but it also has the power to make a real difference to the lives of people who rely most on council services.

 A good example of this is Scarborough Council, whose ‘SWITCH‘ programme, supported by the Firmstep Platform, has transformed the way that the organisation operates and widened access to online services. As well as offering all 100,000 of its citizens a secure and user-friendly self-service portal where they can make and track service requests, the programme has had particular benefits in terms of care provision.

 A key feature of the ‘SWITCH’ programme has been the council’s wellbeing and handyperson services, improving safety for elderly or disabled residents and enabling them to remain independent in their own home. By integrating different services and establishing collaboration between service providers, the council has created an efficient and shared digital workspace through which assessments and referrals are processed.  All partner agencies can access the system via a PC or mobile device and actions can be sent straight to an operative in the area.

 The new process means that referrals are dealt with far quicker than under the old paper-based system. Over 16% of referrals are actioned on the same day and a further 45% within 48 hours – previously it was a matter of weeks – making a positive difference to the lives of Scarborough’s most vulnerable citizens. The new system has also delivered tremendous efficiencies for the council by cutting out printing and postage costs and reducing the average mileage for each referral.

 You can read more about how Scarborough’s channel shift programme has improved care provision on The Information Daily.

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Public sector not consulting citizens on digital services, survey finds

Although public sector organisations are increasingly adopting digital technology to improve their services and achieve efficiencies, it seems that many of them are not consulting their users during the process. A survey by Deloitte of leaders from local councils, the police, NHS and education found that while 86% agreed that open dialogue is crucial to the success of digital services, only 12% said that they had actively involved citizens in the development of such services.

 It’s important that local and national government bodies do consult citizens when developing new online services – after all, they are the people who are going to be using them. The more an organisation involves its users in the process, the more likely it is to deliver a service that people are happy with and want to use, leading to higher adoption. For example, Firmstep customer Scarborough Council used insight and data from customers’ actual experiences to help with the formation of its new service delivery processes.

 The results of the survey also suggest that a lack of resources and skills could hold organisations back from further embracing digital technology in the future. Only 32% of those surveyed said they were investing more funding in the development of digital services, and around three quarters do not believe that their organisation has the right skills to implement future digital plans and keep up with trends.

 Funding and skills shortages clearly present a challenge to the sector, but digital technology is the way to long-term efficiency and service improvement. By equipping staff with the knowledge and tools to get the most out of digital technology, and by engaging their users in the process, public sector organisations will be well placed for the future.

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Harrow Council wins top award for channel shift

Harrow Council has been commended for its integrated digital strategy at the annual MJ Awards, picking up the award for ‘Innovation in Channel Shift’. The MJ Awards are an annual highlight in the local government calendar, and the ‘Innovation in Channel Shift’ category recognises those councils who have led the way in transforming their service delivery to improve the citizen experience and achieve efficiencies.

 A key part of Harrow Council’s online offering is an automated Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) system, which uses Firmstep’s AchieveForms solution. Since 2012, Harrow Council has been able to completely discontinue face-to-face and telephone transactions for parking fines and appeals, using the online solution that was originally developed in 2010.

 Motorists who receive a PCN now simply visit the ‘Parking’ pages of Harrow Council’s website and click through to the online Firmstep form, where they enter the reference number of the PCN and their vehicle registration. The motorist is then offered the opportunity to appeal the PCN by completing the online form, or to pay the penalty. The system is saving the organisation an estimated £90,000 per year, while making it easier and more convenient for residents to pay or appeal parking fines.

 This is a great example of a local authority completely automating a process, saving money and improving customer service in doing so. The service forms part of Harrow Council’s wider channel shift programme, with over 90% of the council’s customer contact now taking place online.

 Click here to read our case study of how our AchiveForms solution helped to automate Harrow’s PCN system.

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Why local authorities must embrace digital - and how they benefit

 A new report from the Society of Information Technology Management (Socitm) has called on local authorities to embrace digital technology because it is crucial to sustaining public services in the future.

 The report, entitled ‘Living with austerity: making hard choices for ICT investment ‘, looks at local government IT across the UK and councils’ approach to digital. It found that many local authorities are yet to fully embrace digital, even though it offers the best method of dealing with budget cuts and modernising council services.

 According to Socitm, the barriers to unlocking the potential of digital technology are often cultural and political rather than technological. ICT managers need to encourage change in organisational cultures and tackle old-fashioned attitudes and technophobia among staff if savings are to be achieved.

 Rather than just being a back office function, CIOs and IT departments are now central to shaping the future of public sector organisations and transforming services to adapt to the digital age. By embracing digital technology, moving services online and instilling cultural change, organisations can make efficiencies while providing convenient, efficient and reliable online services that their citizens expect.  

  One great example of a local council that has embraced digital and transformed itself is Scarborough Council. Its ‘SWITCH’ programme has made the council a more efficient and productive organisation by providing citizens with online self-service, powered by Firmstep solutions, as well as facilitating mobile and remote working for staff. As well as delivering secure and user-friendly online services, the programme is saving hundreds of thousands of pounds – demonstrating how digital can both improve services and generate efficiencies.

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Channel shift journey well under way, but not complete yet

The head of the Government Digital Service (GDS), Mike Bracken, has acknowledged that there is still some way to go on the Government’s channel shift journey. Bracken has been director of the GDS since 2011 and has been a key figure behind the Digital by Default Service Standard and the launch of GOV.UK.

 However, he admitted during a talk at the think tank Policy Exchange that the jury is “still out” on full channel shift, and that the Government still has some way to go before it’s in a position to phase out “non-digital” channels and services. “There’s no way that you can engineer channel shift and move potentially millions of people to a really mature digital service unless you’ve taken them on that journey. And we’re still taking some people on that journey,” he said.

 While many newer public services are entirely conducted online, such as the Apprenticeships and Universal Jobmatch schemes, others like vehicle tax renewal and voter registration can still be accessed via non-digital channels. Although online take-up for these services is high, it is not yet at a level of “maturity” where they can be moved to online only.

 Bracken also said that there is still too much variety in the ways in which users interact with government services, citing the large number of different payment routes that exist. “You’d be surprised if one of the major digital brands or John Lewis or Marks and Spencer made you check out in a different way every time. Why does government do that, at least for some of its services? So I don’t think we’re there yet. But I think we will.”

 We always tell our customers that channel shift is a journey, and one that you have to take your citizens on by providing efficient and convenient online services that they will want to use. It is a long journey, and while much progress has been made in the last few years, there is still some distance to go before the Government achieves the objectives of the Digital by Default programme. However, as long as it continues to streamline and standardise digital services through things like single sign-on platforms, while tackling the issue of digital exclusion, there is no reason why it cannot reach a level of full channel shift.

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UK’s public sector ranked best in EU for mobile-friendly websites

Capgemini’s annual Benchmark Measurement of European eGovernment Services has shown that the UK is leading the way when it comes to providing mobile-friendly government websites and services. The study assessed more than 10,000 websites across Europe, focusing on user experience, and found that overall only one in four public sector websites within the EU was mobile-friendly.

 The UK was praised in particular for replacing Directgov with GOV.UK, which is more responsive to different screen sizes. As a result, mobile usage of online government services increased from 10% to 25% in just a few months after the change, demonstrating clearly the benefits of having mobile-friendly websites that can be accessed through a single sign-on account.  

 With people increasingly accessing online public services on mobile devices, local and national government organisations need to respond by providing mobile-friendly websites that their citizens will want to use. Our experience, and the example of GOV.UK, proves that when they do this, the percentage of visits to public sector websites from mobile devices goes up. When Firmstep customer North Kesteven Council launched an online application and payment service for garden waste collection, almost a quarter of subscribers signed up from a mobile device.  

 The demand for mobile-friendly public sector websites is clearly there, and it’s good to see that the UK is leading the way in meeting this demand. However, Europe as a whole still has some distance to go to take full advantage of mobile technology.

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What are the top technology trends for Government organisations?

Researchers at leading analyst, Gartner recently identified the ten most important government technology trends in 2015 that CIOs and IT leaders in the public sector need to consider when evaluating and planning their IT roadmaps.  Here are the trends identified that we believe are most relevant to channel shift and the Government’s Digital by Default programme.

 Multichannel citizen engagement

Citizens now expect to be able to access council and government services, and interact with organisations, across a range of platforms and devices. Organisations therefore need to deliver customer service that is “connected, consistent, convenient, collaborative, customized, clear and transparent”.  To get citizens to fully embrace and adopt online services, these services should provide the user experience that people expect. Governments across the world also need to address the fact that a large number of citizens, particularly the elderly, do not have the knowledge or tools to access digital channels.

 Citizen e-ID

Citizen electronic identification involves giving citizens a digital identity through which they gain access to online services and applications. A good example of this is the ‘Gov.UK Verify’ scheme, which checks users’ identities against a range of sources (credit checks, bills etc.) and provides them with an ID and password to access services such as self-assessment tax returns. The UK has led the way on this front, and the Gov.UK system differs from similar systems in other countries in that the information is not retained or shared once it’s been checked, improving trust between the government and users.

 Local authorities are increasingly following suit with single sign-on systems that give citizens access to all online services through one account, giving them a more personalised and integrated experience. Our evidence suggests that single sign-on accounts increase adoption of self-service, enabling councils to generate significant savings.

 Hybrid cloud (and IT)

Public sector organisations are increasingly moving applications such as CRM and email to the cloud, encouraged by the Government’s G-Cloud initiative. With the need to improve efficiency in the public sector, cloud solutions are an obvious choice for government organisations as they deliver the best cost effectiveness.  Firmstep’s Platform is completely cloud-based, meaning that we handle all capacity planning, infrastructure and other IT issues, while it also includes easy integration with internal on-premises systems.

 Gartner notes that the trend of hybrid IT and hybrid cloud systems is becoming more prevalent in the public sector, as more organisations combine internal or private cloud systems with external public cloud environments. As Gartner puts it: “Government CIOs will need to reposition IT organisations from being full-service providers of IT services to being their agencies' preferred brokers and managers of services offered predominantly through the cloud.”

 A full overview of the ten trends that Gartner identified can be found on Information Age.

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Housing Association Deploys Firmstep Platform to Improve Online Services

AmicusHorizon, one of the largest housing associations in the South East, has transformed the customer service it provides to residents after deploying Firmstep’s Customer Experience solution.

 Using Firmstep’s Self and Forms solutions, the association is now providing its residents with a personalised online portal where they can access a wide range of customer services through a single sign-on account. Residents can now update their personal details ad communication preferences, check the status of repairs, view rent statements and check their payment history online.

 The solution will also support future channel shift for AmicusHorizon, as the association looks to move additional services online such as applications for shared ownership and garages.  Moving more services online will also provide the association with more data on its residents, which it will be able to use to further improve its customer service.                

 “We were looking for a secure, reliable and user-friendly way to transact with customers online. Firmstep provided the functionality our existing CMS and CRM systems were lacking,” said Suzanne Adams, Programme Manager at AmicusHorizon.

 30% of residents have already signed up to the service which launched earlier this year, with 64% of those returning to use the portal, showing that AmicusHorizon is meeting the growing demand for online services.

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Ipswich Council expands digital offering and improves customer service with Firmstep’s Platform

Ipswich Borough Council is the latest local authority to deploy the Firmstep Platform to enhance its online services and drive channel shift. The organisation has replaced its old CRM system with Firmstep’s multi-channel solution, providing its citizens with self-service and greater access to online functions.

 The council has moved a number of service areas online including housing, tax, waste, environmental health and election services. The move will also generate cost savings and centralise customer data and requests, which will mean that staff can provide a more streamlined and efficient customer service.  

 This is the first stage in Ipswich Council’s channel shift programme, but the new platform is already improving response times and generating efficiencies by reducing the number of phone calls that customer service staff receive. “Firmstep offered a tried and tested solution that met all our criteria for our long-term digital strategy. Their proactive approach has enabled us to complete the first phase of the project very quickly and we have been impressed with the initial results,” said Paul Farrer, Operations Manager at Ipswich Borough Council.

 Going forward, the council is planning to automate all its services and introduce a single sign-on portal, MyIpswich.gov. This will enable citizens to access all their details and applications from one account, generating further efficiencies and enhancing customer experience.

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Firmstep Helps The Highland Council Enhance Customer Service, Drive Channel Shift

Highland Council is aiming for at least 40% of its transactions with citizens to be carried out online by 2017, following its deployment of Firmstep’s Self and Forms solutions.  

 The council, which covers the largest geographical area of any UK local authority, recently launched its new customer portal where citizens can make payments, applications, requests and report faults. It expects the channel shift project to generate £1.3m in savings over four years by cutting down on telephone and in-person interactions as a result of providing more efficient and user-friendly online services.

 A key feature of the new platform, and one of the reasons why Highland Council chose the Firmstep solution, is that it’s mobile-friendly, enabling citizens to access online services on their mobile devices and facilitating further channel shift. David Moreton, Project Manager at Highland Council, said: “The ease of use, and opportunity for quicker development of additional online services, means we will be able to dedicate more time and effort to dealing with requests from residents and responding to them in an efficient manner.”

 The project has been supported by the Scottish Improvement Service, which works with public sector organisations in Scotland to help them move services online and improve the quality and efficiency of their services. As such, the new portal is integrated with the Improvement Service’s myaccount single sign-on facility, giving Scottish residents secure access to all online public services through just one account.

 Click here to read more about our work with The Highland Council.  

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Three channel shift priorities for the new Government’s term

With the general election over and the new Government starting work, the drive for greater efficiency in the public sector and further digitisation of public services is certain to continue.  Much progress has been made over the past five years in the transformation of public service delivery through digital technology, but there are still challenges that lie ahead.  Here are three IT priorities for the new Government:

 1.       Moving more services online – According to recent research, only a quarter of UK authorities currently offer the majority of their main customer services online. However, the number of services going online is likely to increase sharply over the next few years due to budgetary constraints, demand from citizens and the growth in people accessing council services on mobile devices. The Government has an important role to play in providing public sector organisations with the right skills and resources to ensure that these services are switched over smoothly and that they meet the required standards.

2.       Personalised self-service – Delivering a more personalised, user-friendly, ‘Amazon-like’ experience for citizens will be crucial to improving adoption of online services, generating further efficiencies and fully realising the benefits of channel shift. A number of councils that we have worked with have already created single customer accounts, through which users can access all online services, and we expect more public sector organisations to follow this trend.

3.       Greater collaboration – We’ve seen a number of moves recently towards enhanced collaboration between public sector organisations – for example, Socitm launching an online platform where members can interact and share knowledge. The Government has also pledged to increase the sharing of technology and data between central government and local councils, creating common standards and facilitating further efficiency savings. Sharing best practice and establishing a more unified, holistic approach to public service delivery will be a fundamental element of digital strategy for the next five years.

 By following these three priorities, councils and local authorities can help to drive further service transformation, and deliver services that citizen will prefer to use – realising efficiencies and savings.

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More public services shifting to the cloud for efficiency, cost savings

A survey by Socitm has shown that the public sector is increasingly adopting cloud technology, with seven in ten organisations using it in some form.

 66% of the 103 councils, local public services and voluntary organisations surveyed said that they have some applications in the cloud and are looking into migrating others, while 4% said they are “highly invested” in cloud technology.  Only 4% said that they have rejected cloud.

 However, the survey suggests that doubts over security are still holding public sector organisations back from completely embracing cloud technology. 70% of respondents named data protection regulations as an influencing factor, and half said they would not use a cloud-based solution for certain core applications such as those involving personal data or mission-critical services.

 Nevertheless cloud technology clearly offer real benefits to the public sector. With the drive to improve efficiency and drive channel shift, moving to the cloud is an ideal way to reduce costs and streamline operations. Cloud also offers greater flexibility, capacity and scalability for organisations.

 With Firmstep’s secure, cloud-based platform, we handle all your IT issues and you only pay for what you use. If you’re a public sector organisation looking to implement channel shift and move services online, read about how Warwickshire Direct Partnership benefited from cost savings and scalable flexibility with Firmstep’s cloud-based CRM system.