Councillors are considering a seven year contract with a new customer relationship management system, CRM.
The £23,000 agreement for 2012-13 would allow all interactions with residents to be stored so a call handler can easily view the background at one single source.
It will mean callers no longer have to repeat or remember their previous interactions with the council as all the information will be included in a master database, subject to normal confidentiality and data protection protocols.
Similar systems are used by nearly all large organisations to improve interactions with the public, providing an easy to use profile. The contract is initially for seven years but with extensions it could run to 15 years.
The council’s current management system dates back to 2003 and is considerably out of date. It no longer meets the needs of the authority and a replacement is urgently needed.
The new CRM system contract has been procured by Staffordshire Connects Partnership, a joint committee of local authorities in Staffordshire and the partnership acting together results in increased economies of scale for all. The partnership also funds all the initial costs currently estimated at £90,000.
Councillor Olwen Hamer, cabinet member for Transformation and Resources said: “This new system will allow frontline
staff to have access to all the information on a resident who contacts the council.
“It is a fully integrated and efficient use of technology, which correlates with one of the priorities identified in
the Mandate for Change, developing an effective council.
“The CRM will create a single view of previous preferences and will allow a more holistic service when dealing with
enquiries.”
Members of the cabinet are expected to approve signing up to the new CRM system at their next meeting on June 28.
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Notes
The Mandate for Change launched in July last year, is supported by more than 200 businesses across the city. It sets out a
‘red carpet’ approach to attracting and developing businesses in Stoke-on-Trent.
It is based on four ‘pillars’: making Stoke-on-Trent the place to bring business; supporting and developing existing
businesses; working with people to promote independence and healthy lives; and making Stoke-on-Trent a great city to live
in.
For all media enquiries contact Ciara Hill in the Communications Department at Stoke-on-Trent City Council on 01782 232130.