Working together is the only way to succeed

Central government appears to have an issue with shared services ­ and at the core of such feelings is inadequate collaboration.

Private companies can unite internally against their competition, focusing efforts on putting customers first. But in the public sector, competition can manifest itself as job-protectionism. And in that context, collaboration is sometimes treated with suspicion.

But negotiating a joint vision of success at the beginning of a project, and uniting to deliver the best possible service, can eliminate resentment.

Lessons can be learned from local authorities. They often have natural collaboration opportunities that central government does not enjoy.

Castle Morpeth Borough and Alnwick District Councils have just gone live with a shared services CRM project that will improve customer service and deliver significant cost savings year on year.

We consulted with all stakeholders alongside integrator partner Optevia, and that input shaped the design of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system.

Each council has a separate, well-defined 10-year strategy. An inclusive development approach was the only way to negotiate differing priorities. Collaboration is at the heart of the initiative and the project shows many critical factors are crucial for effective shared services in central government.

Project managers should identify the business issue and make a case for change. Are customer goals being missed? What are the cost and productivity implications of not addressing such goals?

Missing user feedback at the design stage is foolhardy. Building consensus around a solid business case is the firmest foundation for investment in IT. Collaborative project design, rigorous planning, inclusive development processes and regular reporting will mitigate pitfalls that can surround a shared-service implementation.
Success is never guaranteed, but taking a measured approach will deliver a manageable project.