Shire of Dardanup, Western Australia, is setting new benchmarks for local government in the application of technology to ensure continuous improvement in service delivery.
Custom-designed computer software is now used to manage customer and work requests from the public.
Fusion is a computer program used by staff to create and track works requests from the community more efficiently.
Manager of Information Services, Peter Stampoultzis, said the new system allowed for the capture of data on requests more efficiently and the ability to track information and outcomes on those requests over time.
“Fusion enables us to ensure that as both our Shire population and our organisation grows, we have the systems in place to manage the increased workload associated with that growth while maintaining the high level of customer service the community has come to expect from us.
“The sophistication of this system goes well beyond similar programs or methods being used by most other local governments in WA to organise work requests.
“Council had the foresight to invest in a technical framework or software platform some time ago which is now being used as the foundation for creating a variety of applications and solutions across the organisation.
“In addition, we have built a team with the appropriate expertise and experience in developing business systems to ensure we get the most out of the initial platform investment.”
Fusion was created by customising a solution using the platform the Shire already had as a starting point.
A significant benefit of the new Fusion system is in its ability to track and analyse over time where the highest levels of demand for services are coming from.
“This provides a tremendous strategic advantage to Council in its future planning and resource allocation.”