As communities come to expect more from their local government, particularly when it comes to digital services, Australian councils are under increasing pressure to do more with less. 

Having to compete with the customer experiences available for their community in the private sector, councils are struggling to keep pace with digital innovation, often having to balance their communities’ needs with budget constraints and staffing. 

ReadyTech’s Customer Centricity Report 2024, based on surveys of both local governments in Australia and the community members they serve, highlighted that the biggest challenges local governments face in delivering effective digital customer service and engagement are lack of financial and/or human resources (47% net); limitations and age of software systems/ICT (31% net); and lack of staff skills or expertise (26% net). 

Doing more with less is no easy task, but with the advancements in technology, which can automate and streamline manual processes, it is possible to deliver a high-quality and seamless customer experience without blowing the budget. 

What councils should be focusing their budget on 

In the Customer Centricity Report 2024 members of the community determined that property rates payment, council payment processing, and an online portal for all interactions with council as the most important online services they wanted from their local governments. 

Furthermore, when asked which of those services should be the focus of their council’s expenditure in the next 2-3 years, respondents chose property rates payment, their own personal page or portal, and an online portal for all interactions as their top three preferences. 

Let’s take a look at these a bit closer: 

Property rates – 80% of respondents said property rates payment was the most important specific council service online. Furthermore, 46% of respondents said councils should focus their expenditure on this service over the next 2-3 years. 

Council payment processing – 72% of respondents said they considered this to be the most important feature for a council, with 32% believing it should be a focus of their budget in the next 2-3 years. 

Online customer portal – 69% of respondents said having a customer portal and/or page was the most important specific council service online, with 43% saying it should be council’s focus over the coming years. 

How can councils do more with less? 

The Customer Centricity Report 2024 has essentially provided councils with a complete guideline of what the community truly want. But how can councils fulfill their community's needs with tight budgets and limited and/or untrained staff? 

Enter ReadyTech, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software as a Service (SaaS) technology provider devoted to helping communities thrive. Built specifically for local governments, Ready Community is an end-to-end solution that delivers choice. 

Whether a council wants to implement the full product suite – which encompasses Financials, Property and Rating, HR & Payroll, Asset Management, Licensing & Compliance, Customer Experience, Business Intelligence, Procurement and more – or if they would prefer to implement specific products or modules into their existing ecosystem, Ready Community can change and evolve as councils do. 

This flexibility allows councils to implement what they need to enhance their service to the community – whether it’s a single module or the full ERP suite – and keep within the constraints of their budget. 

Furthermore, our team will be readily available to provide training for your staff, ensuring they fully understand how to use our product. We will guide them through key features and best practices, helping them maximise its efficiency and effectiveness. Our ongoing support will ensure your team is confident and well-equipped to leverage the platform to its fullest potential. 

If you would like to learn more about ReadyTech’s offering, you can request a call from our friendly team here.