Enfield Council develops ‘Digital by Default’ strategy

Enfield Council has chosen Sungard Availability Services to manage its hybrid IT infrastructure and increase efficiency by 30 per cent.

The London council is a leading authority in digital engagement, with an artificial intelligence (AI) contact centre programme capable of answering citizens’ questions at 60 per cent of the human cost. Enfield is the first council in the country to deploy such technology.

Government funding cuts meant that the council was under increased pressure to continue its great service at a reduced cost. Sungard AS delivered a pay-as-you-go enterprise cloud solution, meaning the council only pays for the cloud services it needs, allowing it to scale capacity up and down, as required.

Partnering with Sungard AS is forecasted to achieve major cost-savings for the council, as well as over 30 per cent efficiency gains. The technology company has further eliminated the IT infrastructure management burden from the council, allowing in-house staff to focus on satisfying the 18 service standard points required by ‘Digital by Default’ status.

Steve Durbin, interim head of IT at the council, said: “Our citizens rely on the council to be there when they need us. We cannot afford even the smallest amount of systems downtime. For example, if there’s no IT service on the day we pay housing benefit, it could mean eviction for some of our citizens. With individuals’ well-being and the council’s efficiency at stake, there really is no room for error. Through partnering with Sungard AS, citizens will always be able to access council services.

“Enfield is a vibrant, multicultural borough where English is not always the first language so being able to access council services via digital platforms, that are available in multiple languages, is essential. Sungard AS provides the robust infrastructure that allows the council to work towards meeting its digital goals, as well as supporting all of our citizens.”