As part of a cloud-based digital modernisation program, Manningham Council in Melbourne’s North East has deployed a product line of enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management intelligent business applications to serve both as a lens, delivering clarity about the needs of the community, and a catalyst, for enhanced employee and community experiences through ongoing innovation.
The modernisation has enabled citizens to use Manningham’s Snap Send Solve app to take and submit a photo of something that needs council attention, prompting a workflow on the back end.
Reporting has also been transformed — instead of a council employee developing monthly reports that just revealed bald volumes of activity, the technology and Power BI combine to deliver richer reports in four hours, which cover six separate channels with data updated every night.
The Managing of Citizen Connect for Manningham Council noted that the council receives about 1000 citizen communications every day, approximately 300 of which are recorded in the CRM solution.
Implementing a modern CRM was identified as a critical element in Manningham Council’s plan to prioritise its citizens. The CRM solution was selected as the best platform. While there were some delays due to Melbourne’s COVID-related lockdowns, the council, working with an industry partner, is now live the CRM solution and is exploring additional modules.
The region going through its first phase of implementation and I think the community will start to see some really exciting benefits in their second phase. The official stated that they are already seeing efficiency for the people — it is now much easier for teams to manage customer requests. From entering customer feedback in to the solution to following its journey and then looking at integration opportunities.
Aware that its 550 employees were facing challenges associated with rolling lockdowns, the council crafted a comprehensive change management program to ensure people were able to use the CRM solution as soon as it went live. A team of 30 super users who undertook early training supported other users as they started to learn about the platform, with a proprietary business communication platform developed by an American multinational technology corporation providing support to new users.
As employees have moved across to the new system, much more data has been collected, which has upgraded the reporting process with a granular report available for executives that shows all the metrics about the council’s response to telephone calls, to in-person requests and digital communications.
The Manningham Council’s Project Manager noted that the technology is now established as the foundation for ongoing innovation and workflow automation to drive extra efficiency. The council is currently working on the CRM solution’s Field Service for its Infrastructure & City Projects service unit.
Manningham has different maintenance management systems — but they are silos, and many still involve manual, paper-based processes, she said.
The council plans to digitise with Field Service and integrate with its asset management system. This will introduce mobility for field staff, helping them streamline operations, reduce data duplication and improve customer experiences.
The Manningham Council’s Project Manager also noted that this is a clear example of how the right modern digital platform can provide a clear runway delivering efficiency, enhanced experiences and encouraging ongoing innovation.
