DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY 2016-2019
2 INTRODUCTION Digital transformation is more than just digital; it s about redesigning our organisation and the services we offer to be agile, innovative and to have the customer at their core. Customer and employee behaviours and expectations are evolving and changing in alignment with the development of new technology. Our digital transformation journey will therefore never stop. The path to any transformation is most often shaped by the person or group leading the initiative. Digital transformation is no exception, and at TVBC we have recognised the value of a cross section of employees bringing a team-based approach to delivering our digital transformation programme. These individuals then act as agents for change, stepping outside of their professional discipline teams and services and collaborating with others in the organisation to foster real change. We believe that such human input is key to pursuing digital transformation. Furthermore, we believe this way of working will ensure that the digital investments we make will not be driven from a purely operational or technological perspective. Alongside these considerations, individuals with strong customer empathy will consider the digital customer experience, others will consider the efficiencies, changes to working practices, cultural implications and the impact on the Council s operating model. Together we will identify and set out a comprehensive roadmap for change. This Digital Transformation Strategy therefore reflects our approach of using collaboration as a successfully proven route to innovation. This approach entirely reflects our culture as a learning organisation. This strategy is produced by the Council s Transformation Board, a cross Council officer working group chaired by a Corporate Director. Transformation Board acts as a dedicated digital transformation team, guiding and supporting transformation initiatives. This strategy sets out our priorities for digital transformation and provides direction and focus for our activities for the period 2016 to 2019. It also outlines the impact we hope to have as a result of our actions. This strategy is underpinned by a programme of digital transformation work (Digital Transformation Action Plan) that will run for the lifetime of this strategy and be updated annually. The action plan will show, in detail, how we intend to make progress by focusing on the specific actions we will be taking forward against each of the priorities. Each of the digital transformation projects has a dedicated project lead and undergoes rigorous debate and scrutiny through the Transformation Board. When endorsed by Transformation Board as ready to proceed, business cases and project initiation documents progress to Management Team for approval. Once approved by Management Team, these projects and initiatives become part of the annual Digital Transformation Action Plan. The Council s Transformation Board then act as the programme board for the projects and in turn will monitor progress against the action plan by having a range of indicators against which progress can be judged.
3 BACKGROUND From mediated contact to self serve and digital first In 2003, TVBC set up a dedicated Customer Services Unit (CSU). At that time, the vast majority of customer contact was by telephone and the Council identified an opportunity to enhance the customer experience by establishing this team to resolve around 80 per cent of queries at first point of contact, with every customer contact being captured within a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM) by a member of the CSU team. Responding to this shift in customer behaviour, the Council has revisited the drivers behind the decision in 2003 and, as a District Council, without responsibility for the delivery of Adult and Children s Services concluded that there is no longer a business case for maintaining a single view of the customer in a CRM system. Instead the Council has invested in cost effective self serve technologies such as our new digital portal, My Test Valley, to sit alongside and complement the TVBC website and other self serve digital facilities. This has already seen a marked increase in digital transactions. In the intervening period an ever increasing number of customers have made the transition to self service online facilities for Council services. One of the main drivers being that this allows the customer to access information and services at a time and place of their choosing. These transactions are not captured in the CRM.
4 STRATEGIC CONTEXT Our operating model describes the way we do business and how we pursue the ambitions in our Corporate Plan Investing in Test Valley. Our operating model focuses on: HAVING A CLEAR BUSINESS CASE BEING OPEN TO ALL OPTIONS Understanding the challenge or issue Taking a full assessment of what s needed and why Assessing the risks and resources required Assessing the potential benefits UNDERTAKING CONTINUOUS REVIEW Ensuring ongoing delivery of efficient and effective services Measuring the right things at the right time through our performance boards Looking at every pound spent in every service against the backdrop of what people need through Corporate Challenge Learning from our successes and failures Not relying on one model of delivery - for example: sharing resources and facilities utilising new technology to make it easier to do business with us initiating enterprising activities to generate income using our skills and resources differently through our organisational agility Focusing on what works and who is best placed to deliver what is needed DELIVERING THE RIGHT RESULTS Being confident that we ll get the best outcomes for our residents Ensuring the right approach at the right price that delivers value for money Our approach to digital transformation set out in this strategy supports our operating model. It focuses on moving more and more customer interactions to more cost effective digital channels with a digital first approach to process and service design. To achieve this. we will adopt our learning organisation team-based approach to transformation. This will result in digital change agents working alongside individuals and teams of professional experts in services, supported by business analysis and IT skills. There will be a programme of review across all service areas with a clear expectation of redesigning services digitally wherever possible to help reduce costs. These efficiencies will be an important contribution to achieving the targets set out in the Council s medium term financial strategy.
Developing the digital skills and confidence of our workforce and our elected members so they are equipped to productively and proactively use and apply technology to drive better ways of delivering public services. Transforming the Council s workforce so it is digital and mobile by default. 5 OUR PRIORITIES for our Digital Transformation Strategy 2016-19 are: Redesigning existing processes and systems, putting the digital customer s needs and experience at the forefront of our thinking. Using our own employees as digital transformation experts to act as digital change agents within the organisation, working in collaboration with colleagues across the Council to provide innovation and support for our digital first approach. Using data intelligently to sift and route customer interactions to the appropriate individual, team, service or third party organisation and to tailor information to provide a personalised digital portal. Changing the way we design new processes and systems to adopt a digital first thinking to our approach. Identifying and implementing successful strategies to achieve meaningful channel shift to digital transactions. Protecting privacy through effective information management.
How will we make this happen? What s going to happen as a result? 6 REDESIGNING EXISTING PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS putting the digital customer s needs and experience at the forefront of our thinking Complete the redesign of processes currently enabled via the CRM system to ensure we maintain existing self serve facilities. Review all customer interactions being routed via CSU with a view to redesigning them to enable us to promote a digital first approach. Continuity of existing self serve processes following the retirement of CRM. A greater percentage of our customer base self serving rather than being assisted by CSU or other colleagues across the Council. Analyse customer contact across services to identify current levels of activity and channels being used. A programme of work for review and redesign will be drawn up informed by this analysis to determine priority for action. Digital transformation projects will be initiated and implemented by digital transformation teams who will bring with them business analysis skills, digital change expertise, knowledge of their professional discipline and project management skills in accordance with our team-based approach to transformation. New digital self serve processes and systems available and promoted resulting in channel shift and efficiency savings.
How will we make this happen? What s going to happen as a result? 7 CHANGING THE WAY WE DESIGN NEW PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS to adopt digital first thinking to our approach Identify new initiatives or responsibilities and ensuring that our digital first approach is reflected in how we design and deliver solutions. Digital transformation teams, bringing business analysis skills, digital change expertise and project management, will work alongside the relevant professional disciplines in accordance with our team-based approach to transformation. We will take a digital first approach to designing solutions before moving on to consider other more traditional access channels. Those involved in designing solutions will consider the art of the possible and innovation will be encouraged. The digital customer experience will be designed to meet customer expectations and by its ease of use and convenience become the channel of choice. Customers will look to self serve first, only turning to more traditional access channels in the event that they cannot self serve. We will integrate digital channels and back office Council systems to eliminate administrative activities such as re-keying information. Reduction in adminsitrative resources required.
How will we make this happen? What s going to happen as a result? A self perpetuating momentum for change gathers pace and flows through the organisation. 8 USING OUR OWN EMPLOYEES AS DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION EXPERTS TO ACT AS DIGITAL CHANGE AGENTS WITHIN THE ORGANISATION, working in collaboration with colleagues across the Council to provide innovation and support for our digital first approach Colleagues with a successful track record of enabling digital transformation will have their expertise recognised and will be available to work as part of digital change teams, grasping opportunities to completely rethink and redesign processes and customer interactions. Employees from all levels of the organisation are involved in digital transformation and act as positive agents for change with colleagues. Innovation and creative approaches to problem solving are encouraged and complemented by the practicality of a team charged with identifying how a proposed solution will work. Transformation Board will consider the proposals for change and acts as a programme board, considering benefits and impacts and recommending relative priorities to Management Team. The priorities and pace of digital change is planned, monitored and managed so as to be ambitious but achievable.
9 Identifying and implementing successful strategies TO ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL CHANNEL SHIFT to digital transactions How will we make this happen? What s going to happen as a result? Online services can help us to be more responsive than services that are not digital. Review of call handling arrangements to explore options for automation. Having analysed customer contact across services to identify current level of activity and current channels being used, we will undertake research to understand: drivers to customer behaviour what tools and techniques are likely to result in changing that behaviour in terms of channel shift. Extend the range of online services to make it simpler to find information and transact with the Council. Using intelligent data we will, for example, enable a customer report to be directed straight to a TVBC employee working in a particular locality and for that employee to update the customer as soon as the issue has been investigated or resolved. Against a backdrop of channel shift, we will be able to ensure that incoming calls are managed in the most efficient and effective way. A programme of activity to promote channel shift will be implemented. Percentage share of transactions completed via digital channels will increase. Expand the availability of online services to mobile devices and smart phones which have a greater potential reach than other electronic channels. Ensure our online channels are sensitive to the needs of vulnerable groups. We can help ensure their needs are met as we move services online.
How will we make this happen? What s going to happen as a result? 10 USING DATA INTELLIGENTLY to sift and route customer interactions to the appropriate individual, team, service or third party organisation and to tailor information to provide a personalised digital portal Ensure that up to date, accurate information relating to land ownership is used at the point of contact to either accept the request or report from the customer or to inform them that this is not a matter for the Council. Customers will be informed at the earliest opportunity whether this is a matter that the Council can help with. Where possible, rather than simply reject the request/report as a matter not for the Council, instead redirect the customer to the relevant third party organisation such as Hampshire County Council, relevant Housing Association, etc. Customers will be redirected to third parties who may be able to assist. We will use data and information rather than employees to route and sift service requests to determine whether they are a matter for TVBC and informing the customer accordingly. These resources will be quantified and offered as efficiency savings. We will use our digital portal to present information such as elected members, planning applications, traffic regulation orders etc by location. Council resources will be used more efficiently as only customer enquiries relating to TVBC will be routed to an individual, team or service. Customers will be able to see an overview of relevant information for their locality. Use feedback from our customers to continuously improve their digital customer experience.
How will we make this happen? What s going to happen as a result? 11 PROTECTING PRIVACY through effective information management As we move services online we will be vigilant in the management of information and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. We will ensure our approach to information sharing is robust and keeps pace with Data Protection requirements. Residents can be confident that in transacting digitally with the Council their data will be managed with care and will trust and use the Council s online services. The review of the Information Retention Policy and associated service schedules will include a review of digital information. As the amount of digital traffic increases, the information gathered, processed and stored will be managed in accordance with our data retention policy.
DEVELOPING THE DIGITAL SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE OF OUR WORKFORCE AND ELECTED MEMBERS so they are equipped to productively and proactively use and apply technology to drive better ways of delivering public services How will we make this happen? What s going to happen as a result? 12 Establish relevant core competency levels for job roles and ensure that relevant training and support is in place for all employees to achieve the required level of competency. Review these core competency levels so that as the digital skills required to do job roles evolve with technology, attention is paid to ensuring the workforce upskilled accordingly. Share innovation and developments across services to encourage the emergence of new ideas and to talk about the art of the possible. As part of the development of our networked Councillor establish relevant core competency levels for elected members and ensure that relevant training and support is in place to assist both existing and newly elected members to fulfil their role. Our workforce will have the appropriate digital skills and knowledge to undertake their roles effectively and efficiently. Our workforce will be confident in the use of new tools and equipment and TVBC will realise the efficiencies set out for the project/business change. Digital change in one team or service area will spark the idea for change in another. Our elected members will have the appropriate digital skills and knowledge to undertake their roles effectively. Review the arrangements for provision of information and services to elected members, adopting our digital first approach to redesigning these arrangements. The means of providing information and services to elected members will be redesigned in time for the 2019 newly elected Council.
How will we make this happen? What s going to happen as a result? 13 TRANSFORMING THE COUNCIL S WORKFORCE so it is digital and mobile by default Establish a menu of approved devices appropriate for the various roles within the Council ensuring that employees get the device that is going to maximise their effectiveness. Enabling the use of digital information whenever possible. Appropriate technology available to support different ways of working. We will achieve a reduction in paper consumed and stored on site and reducing the need to transport paper (including potentially sensitive documents) off site. Share our stories of digital transformation as a learning organisation. Encourage our employees to share their fears, issues that arise through implementing digital change (anticipated or not), creating a new business as usual following digital change. In this way we will learn lessons, foster connections between teams and increase organisational confidence that the challenges that arise from digital change can be overcome. High levels of organisational confidence as we approach digital change projects. Employees will be able to learn from one another and get involved in digital transformation teams, supporting colleagues in other teams. Move to digital data will in most cases replace paper records. Mobile working will enable employees to work collaboratively from different locations and on the move. Employees will be able to access information electronically from any location and not need to travel to the location of the paper records. Valuable office accommodation will also not be taken up by storage. More agile, efficient and effective working arrangements can be identified and agreed.