UK Council Saves £55K via Service Design
Medway Council in the UK detailed how it used service design principles for its digital transformation in a recent webinar. By migrating forms and streamlining workflows, the council saved £55,000 annually. The project was also credited with fostering a more user-centered culture within the organization.
- The £55,000 annual saving was achieved in six months by consolidating 80 separate forms into 32 and streamlining 72 associated workflows, a project led by Lead Service Designer Vicky Bichard. - This initiative is part of a wider "Medway 2.0" transformation program designed to redesign services from a resident's perspective and move away from legacy ICT systems. - In a separate project, Medway’s transition to a new education management system, Synergy, shifted 98% of school applications online, significantly reducing paper-based processes. - Medway Council is also part of the Open Digital Planning community, where a new "Report a Breach" service has reduced the need to request additional information from users by 23%. - The council's approach is aligned with the UK Government Digital Service (GDS) principles, which prioritize starting with user needs, designing with data, and iterating to improve services. - This type of digital transformation in UK local government has yielded significant savings elsewhere; for instance, Bradford Council aims to save £1.6 million through automation, and Cornwall Council saved £2 million by moving 1.5 million transactions online. - The Local Government Association (LGA) has funded 68 similar projects involving 100 councils, with estimated collective savings exceeding £4.5 million. - A key goal for Medway is to enhance digital inclusion and skills, as a 2021 report noted that only 7.7% of the area had gigabit-capable broadband, significantly below the UK national average of 40.3%.
