Gateshead remodels service delivery with IT-enabled process improvement led by Civica

Workflow and document management system to drive more efficient service delivery including new online service channels for 190,000 residents April 11, 2011, London - Gateshead Council has extended its existing contract with Civica (www.civica.co.uk) a market leader in specialist systems and business process services that help organisations to achieve a more cost-efficient way of working, by agreeing a four-year programme to further implement its corporate electronic workflow and document management programme together with its suite of web-based MyService products. The agreement will help the council to streamline and join up key departmental processes as part of a council-wide drive called Fit for Future that will promote more flexible working and enhance customer service for the towns 190,000 residents. Based on Civicas widely-used workflow and EDM technology, the programme will help Gateshead to realise its Fit for Future vision of remodeled services, which integrate front line customer focused services with efficient back office operations. The project is designed to streamline service delivery, reduce Gatesheads overall operational and individual transaction costs and enable the rationalisation of existing office space. Civicas contract draws on previous success with Gateshead, whereby its workflow and EDM software has already been implemented in a number of service areas including Revenues & Benefits and Payroll and its MyService web-based platform has been implemented in the Planning department. In the latest programme, Civica will deploy its workflow and EDM software across the remaining service areas. Civicas MyService web-based platform will initially be deployed in Revenues & Benefits and in Payroll / HR, and is likely to be deployed in other areas in due course. This first phase will see the re-engineering and automation of core business processes. The resulting process improvement across different departments will enable busy teams to better manage workloads, avoid duplication of activity such as data entry and reduce operational costs. It also provides the platform that will enable the council to deliver lower cost online services to citizens in the future. Roy Sheehan, Head of ICT at Gateshead Council, commented: "Our Fit for Future strategy will change the way that Gateshead provides services. The Civica programme is a big part of this because it will enable us to streamline, automate and connect business processes across the council. Bill Loughrey, local government managing director at Civica, said: We are committed to helping Gateshead move to a new and more responsive way of working across all its departments, helping the authority to streamline the delivery of essential services. This will include a new generation of flexible self-service channels using MyService, which will give residents the option to manage activities via easy-to-use, standardised forms underpinned by automated workflow processes.
About Civica The Civica Group (www.civica.co.uk) is an international market leader in specialist IT systems and business process services for the public sector. Through experienced people who understand service delivery, the Group applies software, managed services and outsourcing to help customers streamline

their activities. Civica supplies more than 2,000 organisations in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and the USA, including more than 90% of the UKs local authorities. For further information, please contact: Mark Walker/Lucy Houghton/Paul Crouch, Chameleon PR, Tel: 0207 680 5500