Northgate development success delivers benefits to local authority staff

Published by Danny Calogero for Fellows Associates in Local Government and also in Bill Payments, Central Government, Communities, Housing

An ambitious, user-led programme to re-develop Northgate Public Services’ revenues and benefits system has been a resounding success, the organisation says today.

Following consultation with local authority staff, Northgate embarked upon a process of re-development to move from traditional to browser-based forms with the aim of increasing customer satisfaction. This involved migrating 1500 Oracle forms using Oracle’s Application Express (Apex) in what was, at the time, the largest project of its kind.

The project has now become a flagship for the Apex community and was the subject of a recent Northgate presentation at the Dutch Oracle User Group’s Apex Day in March.

All 170 authorities using Northgate’s revenues and benefits system have now been working on the updated version for over a year. It provides a fully transactional, HTML based front-end creating a more user-friendly interface for staff. This has lead to an increase in the speed with which enquiries are handled and an improved service for citizens.

The news comes as Northgate announces that 100 per cent of the authorities using its revenues and benefits software have completed their annual billing for Council Tax and Business Rates within the deadlines they had set.

Sue Holloway, Director of Local Government, Northgate Public Services said today: "We are constantly seeking to innovate and develop the support we offer to local authorities further. Engaging with users is a key step in this process. At a time when all organisations are attempting to do better for less, it's great news to see positive results which benefit authorities, their staff and the wider community."

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For more information
Fellows’ Associates
Danny Calogero +44(0)20 3174 1016; +44(0)7534 189235　

Notes to editors

1.  Northgate Public Services is an innovative provider of transformation and improvement services to the public sector. It is committed to high quality public services that place individuals and their communities at their heart. Its knowledge and understanding of people’s needs are core to its business, as too, is its depth and breadth across public services.
2. Northgate’s task is to enhance public value through the intelligent use of people and technology; to understand why and what change is necessary; to provide new thinking leading to improved performance; and to link company rewards with positive outcomes for the communities for whom it works. It supports transformation through sustainable performance partnerships.
   
3. In the UK, Northgate works with ninety five per cent of local authorities, every police force, and a large number of health organisations, housing associations, utilities and transport companies. Founded in 1969, the company has more than 12,000 employees.