Switching income management systems

How Newcastle-under-Lyme did it in 12 weeks.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council wanted simpler, joined-up payments for residents, but its old income management system’s integrations and automation couldn’t keep up. It switched to Local Gov IMS and GOV.UK Pay in 12 weeks.

Figures (below) from the first 21 days after go-live, from the council’s work with Local Gov IMS and GOV.UK Pay

12 weeks

start to finish across config, testing, and launch

95%

payment success rate of 2700+ transactions in the first 21 days

150 to 15

daily transactions in suspense, down from 150 to around 15

Watch the case study

Newcastle-under-Lyme’s IT, corporate resources and finance leads discuss the switch

What did the council’s IT lead need?

Sam Clark, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Service Director for IT and Corporate Resources

We wanted to “simplify the process of how we handle payments for our residents, so making things really simple, secure and efficient”.

What wasn’t working?

Other providers “didn’t understand how local government operates”: how councils take transactions and the range of customers they serve.
The team couldn’t shape or export data the way they needed.
Payments weren’t joined up, making things harder for citizens making payments, and for staff processing them.

Why Local Gov IMS?

Local Gov IMS works with the council’s existing online form and GOV.UK Pay. It also lets the council take telephone payments in a way that's smoother for staff and citizens.
Councils shape the roadmap together, and every improvement reaches every council. The council can still tailor the system to the way it works, or in Sam’s words, “Newcastlify” it.
Sam sees the work with Tailwind Digital as a partnership the council will keep developing.

What has changed?

Local Gov IMS and GOV.UK Pay connect to the council’s line of business systems, finance system and website, making payments “really slick and easy” for residents.
The team can follow each payment from start to finish, spot trends and help residents who are struggling to pay.
Payments now work better across service requests and applications and there is a better journey for residents.

What changed for Newcastle-under-Lyme’s finance team?

Helen Morley, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Financial System Supervisor.

Helen makes sure transactions reach the council’s financial systems, so budget managers have what they need and back-office systems stay up to date.

Far fewer transactions landing in suspense

Before 150

Now 15

Daily transactions in suspense, down from 150 to around 15

Before

“Cumbersome is the right word.”

Finding and processing transactions wasn’t straightforward.

Reports were awkward and hard to pull off.

Automated data transfers often failed, and the test system didn’t match the live one.

Setting up rules for incoming payments was difficult.

Now

“My team love it.”

Staff find the system “straightforward and user-friendly”.

Better visibility of transactions, for the finance team and colleagues across the council.

The team can now schedule its automated data transfers to run when it suits them.

Rules are “very straightforward for us to manage” so Helen can share the work across her team.

How did they switch in 12 weeks?

Twelve weeks from start to finish, including testing, migration and sign-off. Here’s how the council and our team did it.

Sam Clark, Service Director for IT and Corporate Resources, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council — “There are a heck of a lot of benefits… we’re already seeing huge improvements in our back office processing, and simplifying the journey for residents. The benefits are there, ready and waiting.”

**Sam Clark**
Service Director for IT and Corporate Resources, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

A tight timescale, but both teams knew their tech was robust.

“Twelve weeks is quick for an income management switch. We knew we could do it because Newcastle’s team knew their systems and the technology is solid”.

Tom Styles, Chief Technology Officer

Regular, open communication was key to the project’s success.

“Keeping a weekly rhythm meant nothing sat unresolved for long. We resolved blockers quickly, and that pace is what kept the go-live on track.”

Seb Dadbin, Chief Delivery Officer, Tailwind Digital

Council and Tailwind Digital staff worked as a single project team throughout.

“I can see it as a one team approach. The separation wasn’t there.”

Helen Morley, Financial System Supervisor

Live ahead of schedule

“We actually got it in earlier than we even anticipated".

Sam Clark, Service Director for IT and Corporate Resources

Could this work for your council?

Tom Styles, our Chief Technology Officer, answers questions about Tailwind Digital, Local Gov IMS, and switching income management systems.

What if we don’t have a developer like at Newcastle-under-Lyme?

Newcastle had someone who could write the integration code. For councils without that, Tailwind Digital’s got a variety of tools that we can use to help make that possible for any council, regardless of the skill set they have.

Will it be difficult to switch?

Local Gov IMS is modern and flexible, meaning it can be quickly configured to suit a wide variety of needs. We'd be with you every step of the way. It took 12 weeks from start to finish at Newcastle and they haven't looked back.

Will it keep up with what we need?

Community Show and Shares every eight weeks weeks let you see what’s new and set the priorities, while deeper feature workshops on reporting, cash-ups and distributions make sure Local Gov IMS meets your needs. Newcastle-under-Lyme asked for changes, and they’re now live for every council.

Considering your options?

A short conversation about your specific situation and timeline so we can give you clarity on what's possible. Or just drop us an email if you prefer.

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