It is hoped the project will go live in January 2009 with projected cost savings for the council of £500,000 a year. As well as improvements in efficiencies for council staff, the new system is expected to provide local residents with better services.
This is the first revenues and benefits BPO contract in local government for Steria. The company is head quartered in Paris and employs over 19,000 people across 16 countries. The company reported revenue of €1.4bn in 2007.
As part of the contract, 68 staff from the customer contact centre, ICT, revenues and benefits departments will transfer to Steria to deliver the programme. They will work from what the company calls a centre of excellence in Welwyn Hatfield and will aim to improve the quality and efficiency of the council’s service delivery. It is hoped this will provide customers with more choice, greater accessibility and quicker response times.
Steria hopes to use the centre of excellence as a hub for a future shared service involving other local authorities in Hertfordshire and beyond.
Bob Jewell, chief resources officer at Welwyn Hatfield Council, said: “The council’s key aim is to deliver high quality, value for money services. Steria has a wealth of experience in the sector and really understands the specific needs of a borough council. We‘re glad to be working with them to ensure we continue to provide excellent quality of services for our citizens.”
