DDC Saving Money with NEW shared services director.
- 8 June 2010 17:5255447DDC Information....
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SHARED SERVICES DIRECTOR APPOINTED
Proposals to share services between three councils in East Kent have taken a major step forward, with the appointment of a Shared Services Director.
Donna Reed, currently the Director of Customer Services and Business Transformation at Thanet District Council, was chosen for the role unanimously by the Leaders and Chief Executives of Canterbury City, and Dover and Thanet District Councils. The decision followed a rigorous and intensive interview process.
Donna has worked at Thanet for seven years, initially as Head of the newly formed Customer Service department and more recently as Director of Customer Services and Business Transformation. Previously, Donna has also had senior roles at CIPFA and Kent County Council, where she was their Head of Sales and Marketing in the Commercial Services Directorate.
Dover District Council Chief Executive Nadeem Aziz said: "We have no doubt that Donna will do a superb job in taking forward shared services across East Kent and on behalf of the three councils we all wish her every success in her new role."
Donna said: "I'm delighted to be heading up this ground breaking project. It's a really exciting challenge, bringing together the services of three councils and ensuring that we deliver both value for money and the best possible service to residents. I'm looking forward to working with both old and new faces over the coming months and making shared services in East Kent a real success."
The shared services project, which is set to generate savings of up £3.5 million for the three councils over the next four years, will see a number of different areas being merged. The first services expected to be shared are revenues and benefits, IT, building control and customer services.
Before any service enters the project, a business case will need to be prepared and agreed that shows at least a 10% saving in the first two years and the level of service that customers would get. The decision on which services progress forward will be made by each council.
Donna is expected to start her new role in July and will be based in Canterbury.email: dover7@msn.com - 8 June 2010 17:5555450Im a little bit late with that one above..put it to one side and then unfortunately forgot it what with all the recent excitements in Dover.
But in line with the spirit of these austere times this is a big move at saving quite a considerable amount of money...up to £3.5million over four years. But as has been expressed, is the decision making process moving further away from local people?? But on the upside someone battling to get value for money for the beleagured tax/rate payer could be a good thing.email: dover7@msn.com - 8 June 2010 17:5955454good luck to donna, she will have problems with the empire builders at those councils.
at least our reg will be a bit happier now with this move. - 8 June 2010 18:1955456Thank you Howard , these arrangements have been moving ahead prior to Reg's postings and he knows it.
I think you will find changes will accelerate.
Not to Reg's agenda.
That is, as I have posted earlier and Paul aka Scotchie acknowledges because legislation is required to achieve Reg's objective and no party is prepared to move down that road.
We are doing this because it is right for the public purse. It is done thru co-operation and necessity.
Reflects the trend to Andy's thread.
Watty - 8 June 2010 20:4055507Well, I for one am getting on my pogo stick and bouncing up the hill in the morning. Donna Reed is absolutely gorgeous:
- 9 June 2010 09:3555569Gosh thats a throw back Sid, yes I remember her she seemed to dominate our TV screens one time, when our TV screens delivered a very different sort of thing. Cant remember what the programme was now though.
I wonder if our new Donna Reed Services Director ever gets asked about it although its probably before her time I would guess. But for the moment back to the new Director and her role. I would imagine this appointment was always going to happen, and probably was a long time coming. And with the current economic climate the conditions were right to do it now. The concept would be sure to meet with David Cameron's approval.email: dover7@msn.com - 9 June 2010 09:5355571Shared services are very trendy things these days, and in some cases they actually work too! I implemented one for Motorola awhile back and it led to some interesting conversations.
Take IT for example. Motorola took the same helicopter view that everything must pay for itself through generation of savings or increased revenues. Then, at the first hurdle it all fell over. Why? The beancounters desperately needed a new finance system yet it couldn't be cost justified under the published rules. Sure it made efficiencies possible, but not to the extent required. The project was of course approved thereby driving a coach and horses through the rules of the SSC.
Going a stage further, setting a SSC call centre up is also costly and tricky. Does one go for specialists and call filter where possible, or just throw the calls at the next available handset? Getting this right is critical for the customer experience. We aren't inrterested in growing pains, we want our service right first time, every time.
There is much much more to setting up SSC's as Donna will probably know, but they aren't always the expected panacae, and certainly rarely deliver the hoped for savings and improvements.
So, having been there and got the tee shirt, I wish Donna luck, she may well need it.
