On the move Newham’s experience

Russell Moffatt

LB Newham

Slide 2

Introduction

• Russell Moffatt, Team Manger/EHP – housing specialist

• Many local authorities do mobile working better

• Honest recollection of our mobile working experience

• Manger perspective• Good, bad and the ugly

Introduction

Slide 3

Where we started

• Private sector working this way for at least 10 years – for good reasons

• Environmental health work requires mobility

• Move fully into the digital age • Selected “early adopters” to

pilot mobile working in Jan 2008

• The pilot helped ease the process

• Soon after I personally went mobile – inside view

Slide 4

The business case - costs

• £1500 a laptop + extra for phone etc

• Change management cost– Managers time – Officer time– ICT time – Frustration!

• Systems/processes required complete review and remodelling

Slide 5

The business case - benefit

• Reduced officer space – desk and storage

• Enhanced communication • Flexibility • Reduced travel time • Reduce carbon • Improved efficiency – less

double inputting• Improved performance• Reduce paper use• New office dynamic – more

innovation – challenge tradition• Migrate to a single main office

Slide 6

The hardware

Slide 7

The hardware

Slide 8

The software

• ICT support

• TEAM CULTURE!!!!!– Feelings– Emotional at time

• Systems & process integration– databases– case handover– notice serving etc– Complex

Slide 9

Location

Mobile working Flexible working

Paperless office

IT Systems

SU

Management

Officers

ICT

IDOX

Performance

Slide 10

After 1 year

• Everyone uses equipment differently

• Pilot – highlighted ICT support problems

• Lots of figuring out the new norms – working from home?

• Mobile working means significant changes to processes, systems etc???

• Some technical issues• Started full roll out 3>27

Slide 11

After 2 years

• Sickness reduced• Most adapted well, some

resisted• Improved performance –

mostly due to extra flexibility• Managers need to change

approach – outputs > outcomes

• Officers achieved better work life balance

• Reluctance to use kit in the field

• Computer issues still present• Still working on systems and

processes integration

Slide 12

After 3 years

• Most officers now dependent on kit

• New systems and procedures starting to work

• Mobile working normalised• Most officers work from home

50% of week• Failed to get officers to use kit

in the field • One officer handed kit back • Most computer software issues

dealt with….• Performance still improving• Sickness remains very low

Slide 13

New management approach

• Need to adjust as much as field officers

• Moved to outcome focused targets

• Based on trust• Auditing of work became much

more important• Laptops used by most

managers

Slide 14

Conclusions

• It was worth it – but tough• Saved some money and

improved performance• Officers have a better work/life

balance • System changes/process

changes reguired• We failed to get officers using

kit regularly in the field • It didn’t work for everyone

Slide 15

The future

• More to be done• Officers are becoming more IT

literate• Customers expect access via –

Skype, facebook etc• Kit in field next step for us• Getting it fit with 24 hr

economy, information analysis• Mobile technology is the future

– important keep up with fast changing world

Slide 16

Questions?