Boroondara Council set to spend $129 million on customer service
An inner Melbourne council that spent millions of dollars on a website redesign is now planning to spend $129 million on a program to “transform” the way it interacts with ratepayers. So what will the “customer first” program include?
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Boroondara Council is planning to splash out $129 million on a customer service revamp but are yet to reveal exact details of the pricey project.
It has earmarked the spend over 15 years and said it was to ensure “convenience and ease” for people dealing with the council.
Mayor Jane Addis said the ‘The Boroondara Customer First Program’ would “transform” the way the council interacted with customers.
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“Be it using our services, accessing information or making transactions online, we want to provide our community with the means to interact with us in their preferred way; anytime,
anywhere, using any device,” Cr Addis said.
However, the council has not given details on exactly how the money would be spent.
Cr Addis said the business case for the program identified $182 million of benefits for the community “from an investment of $129 million over the next 15 years” and said the money was 3.2% of the councils total budget over that time.
The council said $73.3m will go to program implementation costs and ongoing system provider licensing and support will cost $55.6m.
The funds have been allocated in the 2019-20 draft budget which is now out for community consultation.
Last year Boroondara Council signed off on spending at least $11.7 million on its website redesign.
Consulting giant Deloitte was hired for what the council said was “a move from a website which was simply a place for information to creating a self-service delivery platform”.
Cr Addis said Deloitte was paid $3.2 million for the implementation of the new website amd the rest was spent on “digital transformation work” including an expansion of online self-service, converting to eforms and developing services such as the Over 55’s Hub and an interactive “planning and building tool”.
If approved phase one of the Customer First Program is due to be ready by 2022.
A council fact sheet says the first phase would deliver a secure payment channel, increased “self-service capability”, faster processing of payments and requests, easy access to programs and consultations and the ability to interact with the council “anywhere, anytime using any device”.
Boroondara Residents Action Group acting president Mary Drost said the program was “excellent.”
“It will improve services dramatically. It’s over a long period of time and will pay for itself in no time.”
However, ratepayer Ian Hundley said he didn’t “really like being called a customer”.
“They are my council and I am a resident, or an elector,” he said.
“(The) council has a different relationship to us than KFC or Woolworths does.”
See the draft budget at boroondara.vic.gov.au
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