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what are the benefits?
- Councils are seen to be using technology to drive down costs and provide the best possible value for money for residents. The 24/7 information availability allows councils to provide accurate, real-time information about council services. It allows councils to meet their commitment to providing high quality customer service - which includes giving residents a choice about how they interact with their council.
- What are the benefits of the new app to residents? It’s a new and innovative way for residents to access council services wherever and whenever they choose. Residents are better informed and have easy access to information they frequently require. They have the ability to report problems directly; empowering them to take ownership of the area they live in – an approach which fits well with the ‘Big Society’ agenda. There are no additional costs for iPhone users. Based on the current iPhone tariffs set by the network operators, data is inclusive as part of the package. This means that cost of submitting and receiving information is cheaper for the residents as it does not impact monthly minutes or sms allowance.
- Smartphones enable a new interactive channel for customers to engage with the council to access and find out about services and receive up to date information such as news, jobs and events.
- The new channel enables customers to report problems more easily and accurately allowing customers to take responsibility and assist the council.
- Smartphone technology provides a rich user experience and has unique technical features, gps, video, music, web-browsing, email as well as specific apps which are available for free or low-cost purchase (e.g. 99p)
- iPhones and Android phones are now available in the UK on all major mobile networks and all come with data tariffs, which means access to services does not impact minutes/sms allowances.
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technology
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We're always improving and developing the application. Everything is changing quickly... the mobile space, Apple, customer requirements. boxsail is on top of it all, releasing new functionality as things change. We are currently developing integration with CRM systems such as SAP and a new Android version of the app is due in Q1 2011.
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Isn’t this a very costly exercise; what are the development costs of the new App? The development for the Trafford application was taken from concept to delivery in just 12 weeks at low cost. There is typically no upfront development fee for organisations instead organisations pay a monthly fixed fee once the application is available for download from the Apple store. This fee covers the ongoing maintenance of the application and support for any individual issues.
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Is there a demand for this type of technology? Within the first month of launching the Trafford iPhone application there was over 1,100 downloads. The average customer rating is 4 out of 5 stars which represents strong approval of the app by those using it.
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Which Smartphone? iPhones and Android·phones outstrip all other mobile devices for mobile data usage, approx 64% of all mobile data usage is from an iPhone.
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frequently asked questions
- Why invest in a new mobile app when public sector budgets have been severely cut?
It is critical to residents that council customer service standards do not drop. Customers now expect the same level of service from their councils as from private sector organisations. It has been proven by SOCITM that true self service delivers financial savings that will mitigate the impact of budget cuts. The Trafford iPhone application has the ability to offer transaction costs for reporting issues, for example, which are far lower than traditional call centres and potentially lower than web transactions.
- Not everyone has an iPhone so won’t usage of the app be limited?
Independent research shows that the number of iPhones in the UK will rise 195% this year to 6.4m. Forecasts also predict that by the end of 2012 one mobile device in every ten used in the UK will be an iPhone [Research MobileSquared, published newmediaage, 6 Aug 10). With such a strong upward trend for smartphone usage, it is appropriate that councils embrace this technology and offer this growing audience a choice of how they interact with their council.
- What are the maintenance/running costs of the new app? Wouldn’t that money be better spent elsewhere?
The maintenance cost of the application is included as part of the fixed monthly fee. It provides a new touch point with the council, enables better engagement with residents and improves the availability of council services. It is a relatively cost-efficient communication channel for a growing number of iPhone users which will enable council staff to re-allocate some internal resource to other areas.
- Who funds the development/maintenance costs of the new app?
The cost and development of the mobile platform are met by Boxsail. The council pays a fixed monthly maintenance charge and uses the application under licence. For Trafford, for example, the app has been funded by Access Trafford - the customer services department of the council - and the pilot is owned and driven by the Transformation Team.
- Will councils have to make cuts elsewhere in order to afford the new app?
No cuts will be made elsewhere. Every council has a duty to its residents to deliver customer service excellence and this includes using technology as an enabler. The cost of the app is very small in relation to the benefits – both financial and non-financial. In purely financial terms, the cost savings offered by the app mean that it can be self-liquidating in just one year.
- Will its introduction require more web staff and so incur further expense?
The initial planning phase requires minimal input from the council to establish required functionality and provide related data which already exists such as News, What’s On and Jobs. The ongoing maintenance is provided by Boxsail.
- Has the introduction of the new Trafford Council app been well received? How can you evaluate its success?
Since its launch at end of September, over 1,100 downloads from the Apple store have been recorded. The average star rating for the app by users is 4 out of 5 stars – demonstrating an overwhelming positive response – and the ‘Report an Issue’ function is also being well used. The app has functionality for users to provide feedback direct to the council which is closely monitored and any questions and issues resolved quickly. Up-to-date analytics are also available showing information on the application’s usage and regularly reviewed.
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customer feedback
- "A great example of how councils/public sector can bring themselves up to date with technology and improve the services to their customers."
- "Love the bin calendar!"
- "Excellent app with all the appropriate uses. Would be good to see this developed further."
- "I think this is brilliant! We are always forgetting when the comedy buzz is on."
- "Very easy to use."
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