Issue - meetings

This report advises Members of the Committee of the additional functionality through the Customer Contact system to enable automated webchat as an enhancement to our current facility.  It is recommended that the licences to enable automated webchat are purchased and funded from the Transformation Reserve.

(Joint Report of Director of Central Services and Director of Finance and Transformation)

Consideration was given to a proposal to enable automated webchat as an enhancement to the current Customer Contact system. The licences to enable this function could be funded from the Transformation Reserve.

Due regard was given to a detailed evaluation of the Anywhere365 Webchat and Bot Integration Project as set out in Annex 1.

It was anticipated that the enhanced facility would support the increasing expectations of customers for services ‘out of hours’ and free up staff time to deal with more complex calls from potentially more vulnerable and older residents.

In addition, it was recognised that there was potential for efficiency savings following the initial settling in period and further consolidation of other service areas into the centralised Contact Centre under the “One Council” ethos.

Following consideration by the Finance, Regeneration and Property Scrutiny Select Committee, the Cabinet Member for Finance and Housing resolved that:

(1)             the automated webchat functionality be enabled through the Customer Contact system; and

(2)             the cost of £9,408 for the additional Anywhere365 licences (until the end of the Anywhere365 contract) be funded from the Transformation Reserve.

(Decision Notice D240095MEM)

Consideration was given to a proposal to enable automated webchat as an enhancement to the current Customer Contact system. The licences to enable this function could be funded from the Transformation Reserve.

Due regard was given to a detailed evaluation of the Anywhere365 Webchat and Bot Integration Project as set out in Annex 1.

It was anticipated that the enhanced facility would support the increasing expectations of customers for services ‘out of hours’ and free up staff time to deal with more complex calls from potentially more vulnerable and older residents.

In addition, it was recognised that there was potential for efficiency savings following the initial settling in period and further consolidation of other service areas into the centralised Contact Centre under the “One Council” ethos.

Members recognised that the introduction of automated webchat was an enhancement to the existing service and was not intended as a replacement to an in-person service.  It was also noted that the webchat functionality would be accessed through the Borough Council’s website that was built on Microsoft Azure secure-by-design infrastructure.

*RECOMMENDED: That

(1)             the automated webchat functionality be enabled through the Customer Contact system; and

(2)             the cost of £9,408 for the additional Anywhere365 licences (until the end of the Anywhere365 contract) be funded from the Transformation Reserve.

*Decision of Cabinet Member for Finance and Housing