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Wigan Council x Assisted Automation: Q&A

After identifying a pressing need to drive efficiencies within its revenue collection function, Wigan Council partnered with Mobysoft in February of this year and adopted our Assisted Automation platform to increase performance in this section of the organisation. We caught up with Mike Barlow, business partner (collections) at Wigan Council to see how the social housing provider has been getting on with the product and talk about the successes it has driven…

Mike, how easy would you say it is it to use Mobysoft’s Assisted Automation platform?

MB: The platform is incredibly user-friendly. After a few initial uploads of rich card messages, it becomes second nature. Uploading the information and scheduling it takes less than five minutes, making sending on average 500+ messages per week, scheduled intermittently throughout the week a quick and efficient process. 

What campaigns have proven to be the most effective for Wigan Council using this platform?

MB: One of the most valuable aspects of the platform is its flexibility in addressing staffing challenges. When we have staff absences, we can easily schedule messages to be sent on their specific patches, ensuring that there is outbound contact from the council each week. Additionally, we track customer responses to our campaigns, allowing us to see real-time information on outputs across all automation, something that allows the us to see what messages are working and which need refining to constantly improve outcomes.

What successes have you experienced since adopting Mobysoft’s Assisted Automation platform?

MB: Over the past six months, we’ve achieved significant reductions in our contact recommendations. In April 2023, we had approximately 4,000 recommendations, and now we’re down to 3,300. Part of this success can be attributed to our strategy of sending rich card messages – that allow tenants to self-serve easily at a time that suits – to lower-priority cases, such as tenants with a static balance. This approach has freed up our officers to focus on higher-priority cases, resulting in more cases being completed. We are very proactive in using the data provided from the reports to tailor and improve the effectiveness of messages and doing this has contributed to an 18% reduction in workload in just 6 months. 

What advice would you offer to others who are just starting to use this system?

MB: Firstly, it’s important to vary your messaging to avoid having the same cases flagged for contact every week. This keeps your communication fresh and engaging. Secondly, collaborate with your IT department to ensure a seamless integration of the platform with your existing systems. Consider implementing a notification or “rubber stamp” on the HMS (Housing Management System) when  messaging is issued for better tracking and record-keeping. Lastly, make sure that your residents are aware of the option to receive rich card messaging from your authority. Utilise social media platforms and other communication channels during the implementation phase to prevent customers from mistaking these messages for hoaxes or scams. Building trust is essential for successful engagement. 

Hopefully this Q&A has shed a bit more light on Mobysoft’s Assisted Automation offering an brought to life the real-world tangible results it can bring. We’d like to thank Mike and Wigan Council for sharing their insight with us and look forward to helping them increase performance levels even further in future. If you would like to learn more about Mobysoft Assisted Automation can help your organisation then take a look at the Automation section of our website.

Dean Quinn
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