Review of ICT strategy

Antrim Borough Council has a committed and enthusiastic workforce and with a rapidly changing public sector environment required a clear focus on the customer. The Council views the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system as pivotal in achieving its vision by embedding the system into the management arrangements. To support this, Council’s website also needs to be focussed and designed around the needs of customers and not around the functions of Council.

Socitm Consulting developed an updated strategy to address the current and future needs of the council with particular emphasis on customer service. The most important aspect of the strategy was the focus on the customer and the vision of Council, not simply on the systems required to achieve that vision. Our recommendations included full configuration of the CRM system to enable interface with other systems, which would then deliver real benefits. The website needed a complete re-design to ensure that it could be used to deliver a fully interactive dialogue with customers, this would include providing ‘e’ forms, integrated payments and the ability to book facilities. Further development of the Intranet would provide greater functionality to support records management. We also recommended a review of ICT and Customer Service staffing and the appointment of section managers who would give clear leadership in these vital roles.

Socitm Consulting outlined clearly how the above recommendations could be cost effectively realised and provided a suggested timeline for the council to work to enabling them to effectively achieve their mission statement.

Catherine McFarland, Director of Corporate Services at Antrim BC commented:  “Socitm provided us with an excellent service from start to finish. There was a clear understanding from the outset of the needs of Council and this understanding was transformed into a realistic ICT strategy through communication and consultation with key staff.”

Project identification
Client organisation: Antrim Borough Council
Client contact: Catherine McFarland, 028 9448 1302, catherine.mcfarland@antrim.gov.uk
Lead consultant: Doug Maclean
Project no: 6310