{"id":36136,"date":"2025-07-23T10:18:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T09:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/?p=36136"},"modified":"2025-07-24T11:32:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T10:32:21","slug":"from-sticky-notes-to-seamless-services-what-i-learned-about-medway-councils-digital-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/from-sticky-notes-to-seamless-services-what-i-learned-about-medway-councils-digital-transformation\/","title":{"rendered":"From sticky notes to seamless services: What I learned about Medway Council\u2019s digital transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had the opportunity to attend Medway Council\u2019s Connect Day in May 2025, and the digital team showcased a transformative journey in public service delivery, one that moved from the chaos of sticky notes and scattered, outdated systems to streamlined, scalable digital services using Jadu Connect. The standout session was \u201cService design from the ground up\u201d, led by Vicky Bichard, Lead Service Designer at Medway Council, which showcased how a service design-led approach not only brought clarity and consistency but also delivered measurable efficiencies across departments at the council.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Challenge: too many systems, too little time<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vicky and the digital team at Medway Council shared their journey from a tangled mess of sticky notes, outdated systems, and disconnected workflows to a streamlined, scalable digital setup using Jadu Connect. It wasn\u2019t just about upgrading technology; it was about rethinking how services are designed and delivered.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Like many local authorities, Medway Council grappled with legacy customer relationship management systems (CRMs), disjointed workflows, and a lack of time. With 29 service areas and 72 different workflows, service delivery had become unmanageable and tiresome for both staff and residents, as they attempted to maintain a legacy system while building new forms, which split their focus. Internal customer service officers faced frustration from duplicate reports and mis-assigned cases, while residents were often left confused, faced with unnecessarily complex processes that were difficult to navigate to complete simple tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The foundation: designing for people and process<\/strong><\/p>\n

What impressed me most was how Medway embedded core service design principles into their transformation work, specifically the \u201c5 Ps\u201d: people, processes, policies, platforms, and performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Key activities, such as problem reporting, desk-based triage, on-site investigation, and outcome updates, were found to be common across many services. Recognising these patterns allowed the council to reuse workflows they had already built rather than build from scratch for each case, saving significant time.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The breakthrough: smarter tools, familiar processes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Introducing Jadu Connect proved to be a game-changer for the council. With the ability to reuse and adapt workflows, staff could build services swiftly while maintaining quality and consistency. By using familiar interfaces across a centralised system, teams were able to streamline processes, reduce the need for extensive retraining, and make changes with confidence.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The visibility offered by Jadu Connect made it easy for teams to refine processes, respond to feedback from internal staff and residents, and deliver outcomes more efficiently.<\/span><\/p>\n

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From complexity to clarity<\/h3>\n

One of the highlights of the session for me was seeing the contrast between Medway\u2019s old digital journeys and what they\u2019ve built now. Vicky highlighted the contrast between the digital service journeys since redesigning them via Jadu Connect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before the redesign, the experience was plagued by:<\/span><\/p>\n