CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL says every service it provides to the community is enabled by investments in technologies, tools and systems. At the same time, the council is cognisant of the shifting level of technological sophistication among citizens.Rapid uptake of tablet devices and smartphones are changing the way people want to interact with the council, how they obtain information and request and pay for services.The shift in the Christchurch community’s media consumption habits means the council must be resourced and ready to change to meet the needs of our community.With these business drivers, the Council, with CIO Gavin Till as activity manager, proposed two key changes in the activity focus of the 200-member ICT team. First is the increased focus on citizen/community engagement and online self service. This is a result of citizens expecting to be able to interact with Council using the channel of their choice, whether it be online, digital and mobile, or more traditional channels such as face-to-face and telephone.Second is to increase the support for 24×7 operations amidst expectations of service delivery continuity from citizens. Thus, the council now operates a 24×7 contact centre, where previously out of hours service was outsourced. Increase of online services requires greater level of system availability, reliability and support, according to the council’s Information Technology Activity Management Long Term Plan 2015–2025. Over the past year, projects in support of this goal include the implementation of virtual desktops and upgrading Office.Till says ICT project numbers and staff will increase in 2016. The range of projects include CRM, integration platform, business intelligence, online services and open data.The council will also invest in technologies around customer experience, collaboration and application modernisation, says Till. Related content BrandPost What’s next for network operations Broadcom: 2023 Tech Trends That Transform IT By Serge Lucio, Vice President and General Manager, Agile Operations Division Mar 20, 2023 8 mins IT Leadership Networking BrandPost Digital transformation obstacles: Stubborn challenges, what to do about them Value Stream Management is an increasingly essential approach to strategic transformation initiatives. To help teams more fully capitalize on the opportunities it presents, Broadcom is holding its third annual VSM Summit. By Marla Schimke, Head of Product and Growth Marketing, Broadcom's Enterprise Software Division Mar 20, 2023 3 mins Devops Software Development Feature CEO directives: Top 5 initiatives for IT leaders As organizations change course with economic gyrations, collaboration between IT and business becomes priority No. 1 for CEOs. By Stacy Collett Mar 20, 2023 7 mins IT Leadership Feature Topgolf Callaway tees up digital transformation for global expansion As Topgolf Callaway Brands transitions from focusing on manufacturing golf equipment to integrating its apparel and technology acquisitions, digital transformation is helping drive its future. By Thor Olavsrud Mar 20, 2023 6 mins Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe