The Shift Towards Bright Systems

Local authorities are undergoing a significant transformation in their approach to customer service. The conventional model, characterized by rigid and time-consuming interactions, is giving way to more flexible and intelligent systems. These systems are designed to better understand and respond to the evolving needs of citizens.

Will Blench, CEO of AnywhereNow, a cloud-based dialog management and contact centre platform built on Microsoft Teams, explains: local authorities are experiencing a significant shift in how they approach customer service. The traditional model of rigid, time-consuming interactions is being replaced by flexible, intelligent systems that understand and respond to citizen needs more effectively.

Intelligent Routing and Complex Queries

AI systems are now capable of determining the context of citizen queries, verifying initial information, and directing these queries to the most appropriate department or agent. this intelligent routing is notably beneficial for addressing complex citizen queries that traditionally required extensive human intervention.

Blench notes the importance of workforce adaptability: We’re seeing councils that want to provide flexibility for their workforce, enabling remote work and more dynamic service delivery. This highlights the dual benefit of AI in enhancing both citizen service and employee satisfaction.

Breaking Down Barriers with Multilingual Support and Sentiment Analysis

The technology is designed to overcome traditional dialogue barriers. It supports multiple languages, provides automatic translation, and offers sentiment analysis to better understand citizen needs. This ensures inclusivity and responsiveness in service delivery.

Jurgen Hekkink,AnywhereNow’s head of product marketing,emphasizes the balance between automation and human interaction: What’s particularly exciting is how AI can automate front-end interactions while maintaining a human touch. It’s not about replacing human agents, but giving them superpowers to serve citizens more effectively.

practical Applications and Real-World Impact

the implementation of AI aims to free up human agents to handle more complex and nuanced citizen interactions while automating standard processes. This approach not only improves service quality but also reduces operational costs.

Hekkink highlights the financial benefits: AI allows public sector organisations to balance service delivery with budget constraints. You can increase service quality while concurrently reducing operational expenses.

Human-AI Collaboration: The Core Principle

The emphasis is on collaboration between humans and AI, rather than replacement. The goal is to provide public sector workers with tools to perform their jobs more effectively and with greater job satisfaction.

The goal is to support human agents, not replace them.We’re giving public sector workers tools to do their jobs more effectively and with greater job satisfaction.
Jurgen Hekkink, AnywhereNow

Real-World Implementation: Leicestershire city Council

AnywhereNow has already implemented solutions with several local authorities, including a notable project with Leicestershire City Council.This demonstrates the practical applicability and success of AI in transforming local government services.

For more information on the Leicestershire City Council project,visit: AnywhereNow – Leicestershire City Council

The Future of Public Services: An AI Transformation

The integration of AI is poised to revolutionize public services, optimizing processes and enhancing citizen experiences across the board.

Blench concludes: We’re entering an AI transformation period. Every public service process will be touched and optimised by intelligent technology.