Nottingham’s migration process to webCAPTURE was straightforward due to the highly regulated and rules-based nature of Revenues and Benefits operations. As domain experts, Govtech helped Nottingham configure and tailor their business rules for optimal automation, making it essentially a configuration project rather than a complex development initiative.
The implementation and testing phases were simple and efficient, with the system going live and delivering return on investment within just six months.
The webCAPTURE solution centred on fully automated online transactions that were seamlessly integrated with Nottingham’s Document Management System (DMS). When citizens completed transactions online, these were automatically processed and archived as complete cases, requiring no manual intervention from staff.
For transactions that couldn’t be fully automated, the system employed intelligent business rules to flag items for review. Even these cases delivered significant savings as they were partially automated, with the system providing clear explanations of what officers needed to do to complete them.
A key component of the solution was transforming Nottingham’s digital service delivery approach:
Online forms enhancement: New webforms were branded to match Nottingham’s website and designed to deliver immediate automation benefits. The forms covered the full range of council services including changes of address, direct debit setup, discount and exemption applications, payment arrangements and landlord engagement.
Channel shift: The team implemented a strategic approach to direct citizens toward online services. When customers contacted the council, staff would identify their needs and direct them to the appropriate online form via direct links to Govtech forms.
Email channel closure: The rapid growth in online adoption allowed Nottingham to confidently switch off their email channel entirely, as citizens were successfully migrating to the more efficient online platform.
In the Benefits department, Nottingham subscribed to Govtech’s UCDS, which provided specialised automation for Universal Credit-related processes. This service enabled significant resource reallocation while maintaining service quality.
The solution included an ongoing improvement framework:
Nottingham worked in partnership with Govtech to continuously refine business rules and automation parameters. For example, they gradually extended backdating periods from three to six months as confidence in the system grew, which improved automation rates.
Regular reviews analysed automation statistics to identify improvements, share best practices from other councils, and explore opportunities to enhance service delivery.
The system allowed for real-time tweaking of parameters to maximise the number of transactions processed as “low risk” automatic completions while ensuring appropriate cases were flagged for manual review.