Birmingham to "enrich lives" through tech

Birmingham City Council's technology transformation project is being driven by the need to improve the services that citizens receive across the city.

Speaking in Birmingham, deputy council leader, Councillor Paul Tilsley said the transformation project is essential in turning the city's public services around.

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The council says it's on course to save around £2.1bn through efficiencies generated by the 10-year project which is due for completion in 2016.

Before the council embarked on the project Tilsley said the council's service levels left a lot to be desired although this is now changing.

He said: "I realised that doing nothing was not an option. Business transformation was obviously the way forwards."

Through the project the council aims to raise its customer satisfaction rating from the current 59 per cent to 85 per cent by 2016.

Tilsley said: "[The project] allows us to have consistent standards of dealing with customers and this will improve. It has the ability to enrich lives."

He added: "It opens up a whole host of opportunities for us as far as communications are concerned."

Tilsley has been the main sponsor of the technology transformation since its inception. When asked what advice he had for getting this kind of project approved he said: "You've got to have a champion in any organisation to push things through."

The council's corporate director of business change, Glyn Evans, added the project is about "making sure we are red hot as a local authority".

He said: "It's about becoming a much more customer focused and joined up organisation."

Chris Leggett, corporate development director of the Service Birmingham joint venture created for the project, added: "Our vision is to create a world class ICT service."