HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAO-15-009 - E-Services
REPORT TO:
Strategic Session of Council
DATE OF MEETING:
February 9, 2014
SUBMITTED BY:
Jana Miller, Executive Director, Office of the CAO; Dan Murray,
Director of Technology Innovation and Services
PREPARED BY:
Jana Miller, Executive Director, Office of the CAO (519-741-2200 ext.
7231); Dan Murray, Director of Technology Innovation and Services
(519-741-2200 ext. 7825) ; Sandy Nickel, Manager, IT Projects and
Planning (519-741-2200 ext. 7037)
WARD(S) INVOLVED:
All
DATE OF REPORT:
January 27, 2014
REPORT NO.:
CAO-15-009
SUBJECT:
CUSTOMER SERVICE/e-SERVICE COMPONENTS PROPOSED IN
2015 BUDGET
___________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
For information.
BACKGROUND:
During the capital budget review during the Finance and Corporate Service committee meeting
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of January 12, 2015, staff were directed to provide further information on the various Customer
Service/e-Services components being proposed for funding through the 2015 budget process.
The 2015 budget requests for new technology are related to the acquisition of Customer
Relationship Management (CRM) software, new public portals and an e-Participation
engagement software and they connect to three key council-approved and inter-related
strategies and action plans, including:
Phase 2 Customer Service Strategy (approved in October 2013) – CRM request
The e-Services Strategy/Roadmap (approved in June 2014) – public portals request
Open Government Action Plan (approved in February 2014) – e-Participation request
Customer Service Strategy:
In October 2013, staff presented to Council an update on the work of Phase 2 of the Corporate
Customer Service Strategy (CSD-13-012) which included work on a detailed analysis of options
to acquire new customer relationship management (CRM) software, a workflow management,
tracking and reporting tool that supports staff across the organization in consistently managing
customer inquiries and requests for service. Staff were directed to develop an acquisition and
implementation plan for the CRM.
Since then, staff has completed the analysis and recommend the implementation of the
Kana/Lagan software used by Waterloo Region’s corporate contact centre leveraging the
software purchase already made by the Region. A capital budget paper, for $1.1 million for the
implementation and ongoing support of the CRM software is under consideration during the
2015 budget process.
e-Services Strategy:
In June 2014, report FCS-14-080 regarding e-Services Strategy and Roadmap as part of the
Phase II of the Corporate Customer Service Strategy was presented to Council. Council
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passed a resolution on June 30 stating:
“That the e-Services Roadmap as a component of the Corporate Customer Service Strategy
Phase 2 be received, as outlined in Finance and Corporate Services report FCS-14-080 and
staff be directed to proceed with the following priority e-Services actions:
Internet website improvements to better promote and improve access to existing e-
Services and mirror PingStreet “Report a Problem” categories to our website e-Service
offerings; and,
Parking systems review to enable parking exemption capabilities and parking complaints
e-Services; and further,
Examine additional e-Services through the existing AMANDA public portal product.”
Work on all three actions has commenced. Ping Street, the City’s first mobile app, was launched
in July 2014 and its “Report a Problem” function has now been mirrored on the City’s website,
providing consistency across channels for customers. Parking complaints reporting is on the
web and work is ongoing to enhance the customer experience online.
Finally, staff has investigated additional e-Services related to the existing Amanda public portal
– which would put more services online for developers, contractors, businesses and
homeowners – and a 2015 budget paper ($187,000 for additional building and planning portals)
has been submitted for consideration during the 2015 budget process.
Open Government Action Plan:
In February, 2014, Council approved the Open Government Action Plan (FCS-14-005) which
outlined three open government principles – Participation, Transparency and Accountability –
and which directed staff to proceed with priority actions for each.
Extensive engagement was undertaken to determine these principles and the subsequent
actions required to achieve progress on them. Key themes from the consultations included:
‐
A public need and desire for improved participation in decisionmaking
High interest in new methods for public engagement particularly online to improve
access
Interest in retaining in-person and various channels of participation
Staff subsequently worked with a consultant to further investigate and develop
recommendations for building an e-Participation initiative for Kitchener. Together, they
developed the e-Participation Executive Summary which was endorsed by Council in
September of 2014.
This report recommended a substantial body of work be undertaken related to developing a
formalized community engagement policy, investigating, and eventually acquiring and
implementing, e-Participation software and creating an online ‘Kitchener Commons’ portal – a
virtual meeting place for citizens that provides them with multiple opportunities to engage with
their fellow citizens and their government. The report also stressed the importance of ensuring
that e-Participation is properly resourced.
An operating budget/capital budget paper ($135,000 for a staff resource, software acquisition
and training/implementation) has been submitted for consideration during the 2015 budget
process. It is important to note that while e-Participation is not under the overall Customer
Service umbrella, there is a connection to it as it would be considered an e-Service. Entry to it
would ideally be provided via the online, one-stop-shop e-Service portal outlined below.
REPORT:
The following image is a mock-up of a potential e-Service portal that is similar to that envisioned
by the e-Services strategy. The goal of the e-Services portal is to gather all of the services that
are available for our customers and present them in a manner that makes sense to them. The
complexity of City departments and divisions and the underlying software systems that support
the delivery of those services are not evident to the customer. In reality, the e-services listed in
this mock-up are delivered by a number of software systems in use by the City.
The e-Service portal will be provisioned by the Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
system’s customer facing web interface. The CRM will serve as the master repository for
service information for the City. Regardless of whether the service is being delivered at a
counter, service kiosk, over the phone or through the web, the CRM will contain all the correct
information on how to access the service and what information is required to engage that
service. The information in the CRM will be used by both City staff and online self-service
customers to ensure service channel consistency. The online web-access portion of the CRM
product will form the primary e-Service portal for the City of Kitchener. The “Report a Problem”
functionality will also be directly delivered through the CRM system as will generic inquiries
received through various entry points in the City such as the Corporate Contact Centre, the
Welcome Centre at City Hall, the Mayor’s Office and as an e-service.
The City operates a number of unique lines of business and therefore has a number of software
systems to help deliver and manage the services which it provides. Some of these existing
software systems have a web-enabled front end for online customer service. The City has
implemented a number of these as e-services over the years. These systems continue to
provide web enabled functionality that is quite specific to the service being offered by the
particular system.
e-Services which are either currently being deployed or that will have budget impacts in 2015
are described below.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
– The acquisition and installation of
the CRM software is a foundational component of the overall customer service strategy as
described above. The details of the implementation costs are highlighted in CAP 04 –
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software issue paper (page CAP-117 in the 2015
Capital Budget package). The CRM will be used by internal staff and will also have a web
enabled front end that customers can use to access City services online.
Customer Service Benefits
CRM will be a key enabler of many of the guiding principles for customer service
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– channel availability, integration, and interaction.
Increased e-Service capability
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Improved reporting capability on service delivery and service demand (including
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service request reporting by ward)
Improved request status reporting to resident
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Potential Efficiencies / Savings
CRM will enable customer requests to flow into the City’s software systems and
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be dispatched directly to field workers through mobile technology.
Reduced staff training time required on customer service processes
o
Online Tax and Utility Account Self-Service
– as a result of the modernization of the City’s
tax and utility billing system with the SAP system, a web based service will be provided to allow
customers to access their account information online. Customers will be able to see their
current account balances, view utility consumption information, and to access their tax and utility
bills online. The system will also notify them of a new tax or utility bill being issued. This project
is funded and has no additional budget considerations for 2015.
Customer Service Benefits
Adds a new 24x7 service channel for tax and utility inquiries
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Potential Efficiencies / Savings
Reduction in calls to Revenue staff for simple inquires (account balances,
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change bill delivery method)
Reduction of mailing costs through the promotion and adoption of online bill
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access
AMANDA Public Portal Enhancements
- The AMANDA public portal was launched a couple
years ago in a limited manner to allow people to apply for and manage building permits online.
The AMANDA system is used in a number of divisions within the city including Planning,
Engineering, Building, Fire, Bylaw and Business Licensing. There are considerable
opportunities to web enable a number of existing city services that are currently managed
through the AMANDA system. Funding of $187,000 was proposed in the 2015 budget to
upgrade the existing AMANDA public portal and continue to enhance this e-service offering.
Customer Service Benefits
Adds a new 24x7 service channel for a number of services that currently only
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available through counter service at City Hall
Reduction in the time it takes to apply, get approvals and obtain permits
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Ability of customer to track request/approval status throughout process
o
Potential Efficiencies / Savings
Reduction in walk-in counter customers will free up service staff for other tasks.
o
Reduction of in-person paper based approvals will allow for more efficient
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processing of requests
eParticipation Platform
– In February 2014 Council approved an Open Government Action
Plan and key priorities aligned to the three principles of Participation, Transparency and
Accountability. The Action Plan included the research of approaches to online participation to
enhance public engagement in 2014. An adequately resourced eParticipation community
engagement program will enhance decision making, service delivery and build trust with
citizens. It will also respond to calls from citizens for increased electronic engagement. Council
approved the recommendations of the e-Participation summary report in principle and directed
staff to bring forward the associated funding recommendations through the 2015 budget
process. The details of the associated costs were included in the SI 03 – E-Participation as Part
of Open Government issue paper (Page OP-114 in Operating Budget)
Customer Service Benefits
Introduces a new electronic channel for engagement with the City
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The ability to process large amounts of public feedback quickly and accurately
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will allow the City to improve levels of engagement and seek more public input on
more issues of interest to the public
Potential Efficiencies / Savings
While a staff resource has been requested for this initiative, having a dedicated
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person to perform these duties as a corporate function will relieve individual
divisions from having to perform outreach activities freeing staff time for other
functions.
Customer Service Strategy Alignment
The strategies, software, portals and technology referred to within this report all combine to
support the City’s customer service vision of providing ‘a seamless customer service
experience’ – no matter how customers may choose to request information or services. Each
component is important to achieving progress, and ultimate success, on the vision and each
component is aligned with one or more of the four approved guiding principles of our Customer
Service Strategy, including:
Channel Availability
– Ensuring customers are able to easily access municipal staff
and services through a variety of channels based on their individual preference.
Alignment with new technology:
Public Portals, e-Participation, CRM
o
Benefits
: Ease of access for customers, increased customer satisfaction, greater
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choice in channels customers can use to request information or services, faster,
better-quality service delivery that is consistent across channels, comprehensive
integrated, customer-first approach to customer service.
Channel Integration
– Ensuring that the City is able to integrate customer
communications across all available channels so that an inquiry or service request
(regardless of what channel it comes through) can be followed up from where it was last
left off.
Alignment with new technology:
Customer Relationship Management software
o
Benefits:
Puts single interface on a number of back-end software systems;
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faster response times, cut down on call times, reduce staff training time,
customers experience better, faster, seamless service.
Customer Interactions:
Customers find it easy to interact with the City and access their
municipal services. They are satisfied with their first point of contact (regardless of the
channel they use) as a result of a streamlined and standardized process; knowledgeable
and well-supported staff and documented service levels that provide them certainty
around response times.
Alignment with new technology:
Customer Relationship Management
o
software, public portals, e-Participation
Benefits:
Increased customer satisfaction with first point of contact – fewer
o
transfers, faster response times, ability for customers to check status of their
inquiry or request, more consistent and predictable level of service, more
complete responses for customers.
Efficiency and Effectiveness
: The City takes a corporate-wide approach to customer
service performance (monitoring, measuring and reporting) and utilizing data from
across the organization to identify areas for potential improvement and to help ensure
services are being delivered as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Alignment with new technology
: Customer Relationship Management software
o
Benefits
: Partnership with the Region saves purchase costs and on annual
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licensing fees, less training required for customer service staff due to a single
interface, ability to obtain rich reporting data that can be used to improve
customer service in the future, potential to deploy CRM in other parts of the
organization so that citizens can receive the same service anywhere they go in
person. (eg. community centres)
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN
The Corporate Customer Service Strategy – Phase 2 supports the efficient and effective
operations of the municipality as identified in the City of Kitchener’s strategic plan.
Specific strategic directions supported by the e-Services strategy and roadmap include:
Enhance Customer Service:
improve the services provided by the city to its customer by
using technology to harmonize processes across departments and expand online services.
e-Engagement and e-Service are here to stay:
continue to strengthen the city’s online
presence by increasing opportunities for stakeholders to provide input into municipal
decisions and to access the city services online.
Good customer service is everyone’s job:
continue to build and strengthen a culture of
customer service within the corporation that responds to the changing needs and
expectations of stakeholders.
Specific strategic directions supported by the Open Government Action Plan include:
Promote informed decisions that last.
Build citizen capacity through real community
engagement using a framework that includes clear information and dialogue,
opportunities for learning and action, roles for local leaders and opportunities to make a
difference.
Make it easy to get involved.
If diversity is a way of doing business, so too should be
the diversity of opportunities to get information, provide input and take part in the action.
e-Engagement is here to stay.
New technologies emerge daily; ensure multiple ways
to get information to and from community members.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The three initiatives that have specific budget impacts for 2015 are highlighted below:
Initiative Budget Impact
CRM Acquisition and
$1,102,000 included in 10 year capital forecast
Implementation
Anticipate $195,000 in operating budget increase in 2017
and beyond for staffing for ongoing support and
development of the system (added to forecast but not part
of 2015 budget)
Amanda Public Portal
$187,000 added to capital budget for 2015 (split 80% tax
Enhancements
and 20% building enterprise)
e-Participation
$135,000 total ($75,000 operating, $60,000 capital)
The financial implications of each of the proposed initiatives are further explained in the
respective 2015 budget packages.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Consult, Collaborate and Inform: Substantial engagement of the community and/or a wide range
of community groups, advisory committees and other municipalities was undertaken in the
development of the Customer Service Strategy, e-Services Strategy and Open Government
Action Plan.
Community engagement efforts to consult, collaborate or inform will continue as the respective
e-Services initiatives in the e-Services strategy and roadmap are carried out and related to the
development of the ‘Kitchener Commons’ e-Participation concept should it be supported by
Council in the 2015 budget process.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Jeff Willmer, CAO