Customer Relationship Management

The request was successful.

Dear Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council,

I am currently conducting research for a Masters Degree in Computing, and kindly request you respond to the questions below, under the Freedom of Information Act.
If you cannot provide an answer to one question, please state so and respond to the others.
Q1. What is the full official name of the Authority?
Q2. How large is the Authority in terms of population?
Q3. How large is the Authority in terms of geographical boundaries?
Q4. How many information systems / databases does the Authority use?
Q4a. How many of those are stand-alone (i.e. do not interact with any other information system)?
Q4b. How many of those interact with at least one other system (e.g. using API calls)?
Q4c. Are the systems mainly centered around Residents or Properties?
Q5. What services are provided to Residents by the Authority (e.g. Taxi Licensing, Waste, Education, Planning Applications, etc.)
Q6a. Does the Authority have an online portal for Residents?
Q6b. If it does, what is the uptake (as a percentage) across the authority?
Q7. What percentage of services in Q4 are accessible to Residents online using Single Sign On (SSO) on the portal?
Q8. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18?
Q9. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18 for software licensing?
Q10. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18 for payroll of employees, agency staff, and contractors?
Q11. Does the Authority use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System?
(if Yes answer Q12 and Q14, if No answer Q13)
Q12. If the Authority has a CRM system:
Q12a. When did the CRM system go Live?
Q12b. How long did the implementation take?
Q12c. What were the main obstacles encountered to the implementation? (See "CRM Challenges" below, please state all that apply)
Q13. If the Authority does not have a CRM system:
Q13a. Has the implementation of a CRM ever been considered?
Q13b. If Yes to Q13a., what were the reasons for not proceeding? (See "CRM Challenges" below, please state all that apply)
Q13c. Has the implementation of a CRM ever been planned or undertaken, but subsequently abandoned?
Q13d. If Yes to Q13c., what were the reasons for the failure of the project? (See "CRM Challenges" below, please state all that apply)
Q14. Are the IT systems centred primarily around Residents or Properties?
CRM Challenges
Integration of different data sources into a single system
Training users to effectively use the solution
Participation of different departments within the authority
Integration with existing back-office applications
Promoting Usage
Funding
Other (please specify)

Yours faithfully,

Baptiste GC

Freedom Of Info, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Baptiste GC

We acknowledge with thanks your request for information held by Bolton
Council received at this office on 08 February 2019.

This request will be considered under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and may take up to 20 working days to be processed (although we will
endeavour to provide the information as quickly as possible).

Please be advised that if an exemption applies to the information that you
have requested, the statutory period may be exceeded in accordance with
the provisions of the act.

Please retain the reference number RFI 002565 for any future enquiries
regarding this matter.

Many thanks

 

Information Governance Team

Room 120, 1^st Floor, Town Hall, Bolton, BL1 1RU
[1]cid:image001.png@01D4B7C8.80F4B510

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Freedom Of Info, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Baptiste GC

 

Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

 

In response to your request for information received at this office on
4^th February 2019, please see the councils response below.

 

You requested:

 

Q1. What is the full official name of the Authority?

Bolton Council

 

Q2. How large is the Authority in terms of population?

Section 17 of the Act provides that when refusing a request, Bolton
Council must provide a notice which (a) states that fact, (b) specifies
the exemption in question, and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be
apparent) why the exemption applies.

 

On its website the Council has a dedicated page dedicated to statistics
and data of the town. This is available via the following link;

[1]https://www.bolton.gov.uk/statistics-data

 

The requested information for this element of your request can be found
here and therefore is exempt from disclosure by virtue of section 21(1) of
the Act applies.  Section 21(1) provides an exemption where the
information is reasonably sought by other means.

 

In accordance with the Act, this constitutes a refusal notice for this
part of your request.

 

Q3. How large is the Authority in terms of geographical boundaries?

139.77sqaure kilometres

 

Q4. How many information systems / databases does the Authority use?

Q4a. How many of those are stand-alone (i.e. do not interact with any
other information system)?

Q4b. How many of those interact with at least one other system (e.g. using
API calls)?

Q4c. Are the systems mainly centered around Residents or Properties?

Authority uses around 400 different IT applications across the full range
of service delivery which are delivered in respect of both Residents and
Properties. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide answers for elements
4a, 4b and 4c as it is not possible to provide the information requested
without further analysis and creation of new information. The Freedom of
Information Act does not require us to create documents, nor to manipulate
data to create new information; therefore the requested information is not
held.

 

Q5. What services are provided to Residents by the Authority (e.g. Taxi
Licensing, Waste, Education, Planning Applications, etc.)

 

On its website the Council’s publishes a lists of services available to
residents. This is available using the following link;
[2]www.bolton.gov.uk

 

The requested information can be found here and therefore is exempt from
disclosure by virtue of section 21(1) of the Act applies.  Section 21(1)
provides an exemption where the information is reasonably sought by other
means.

 

In accordance with the Act, this constitutes a refusal notice for this
part of your request.

 

Q6a. Does the Authority have an online portal for Residents?

Yes

Q6b. If it does, what is the uptake (as a percentage) across the
authority?

Capita’s Advantage Digital. Accounts have been created by 34% of total
council tax bills

 

Q7. What percentage of services in Q4 are accessible to Residents online
using Single Sign On (SSO) on the portal?

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide an answer for this element of your
request as it is not possible to provide the information requested without
further analysis and creation of new information. The Freedom of
Information Act does not require us to create documents, nor to manipulate
data to create new information; therefore the requested information is not
held.

 

Q8. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18?

On its website the council publishes its statement of accounts annually
from the financial year 2004/05 onwards. The information you require in
regards of annual spend is contained within these documents:

[3]https://www.bolton.gov.uk/finance-spendi...

 

By navigating to the [4]Statement of accounts downloads on the right hand
side of the page the accounts for the financial year you require can be
accessed.

 

Accordingly, we feel this information is reasonably accessible by other
means, therefore making the application of section 21(1) appropriate in
this case. Section 21(1) provides an exemption where the information is
reasonably sought by other means. 

 

In accordance with the Act, this constitutes a refusal notice for this
part of your request.

 

Q9. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18 for software
licensing?

£1,201k

 

Q10. What was the Authority’s annual spend for 2017-18 for payroll of
employees, agency staff, and contractors?

The Office of National Statistics publishes revenue outturn figures on its
website. These are accessed using the documents contained in the following
link;

[5]https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics...

 

Accordingly, we feel this information is reasonably accessible by other
means, therefore making the application of section 21(1) appropriate in
this case. Section 21(1) provides an exemption where the information is
reasonably sought by other means. 

 

In accordance with the Act, this constitutes a refusal notice for this
part of your request.

 

Q11. Does the Authority use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
System?

Yes

(if Yes answer Q12 and Q14, if No answer Q13)

Q12. If the Authority has a CRM system:

Q12a. When did the CRM system go Live?

February 2008

Q12b. How long did the implementation take?

36 months

Q12c. What were the main obstacles encountered to the implementation? (See
"CRM Challenges" below, please state all that apply)

Integrations of Customer data, integration with back office systems and
participation of different council departments

 

Q13. If the Authority does not have a CRM system:

Q13a. Has the implementation of a CRM ever been considered?

Q13b. If Yes to Q13a., what were the reasons for not proceeding? (See "CRM
Challenges" below, please state all that apply) Q13c. Has the
implementation of a CRM ever been planned or undertaken, but subsequently
abandoned?

Q13d. If Yes to Q13c., what were the reasons for the failure of the
project? (See "CRM Challenges" below, please state all that apply)

Q13 - 13d above n/a

 

Q14. Are the IT systems centred primarily around Residents or Properties?

Please see response to Question 4 above

 

CRM Challenges

Integration of different data sources into a single system Training users
to effectively use the solution Participation of different departments
within the authority Integration with existing back-office applications
Promoting Usage Funding Other (please specify)

 

As per the Information Commissioners Office’s Freedom of Information Code
of Practice, should you disagree with our decision, you may appeal within
40 working days of this email to:

 

The Borough Solicitor, Bolton Council, Town Hall, Bolton, BL1 1RU

Email: [6][email address]

 

Should you further disagree with the decision following the appeal you may
wish to contact the Information Commissioner:

 

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
Cheshire SK9 5AF

[7]www.ico.gov.uk

Tel: 01625 545700, Fax: 01625 524510

 

Should you have any other queries regarding this please contact
[8][email address]

 

Yours sincerely

 

The Information Governance Team

Town Hall, Bolton, BL1 1RU

[9]cid:image001.png@01D4B7C8.80F4B510

 

 

 

 

 

 

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