Shared Workspace Experiment

Working Together Open Forum

IR Wales Auditorium - 4 November 2004

Derek Hughes

South Wales Area

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What are the aims of the presentation ?What are the aims of the presentation ?

• To briefly remind you of the Shared Workspace To briefly remind you of the Shared Workspace Experiment, you may have forgotten….Experiment, you may have forgotten….

• To update you on our progress since March 2004To update you on our progress since March 2004

• To let you know the findings of our evaluationTo let you know the findings of our evaluation

• To advise you of how we plan to move forwardTo advise you of how we plan to move forward

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What exactly is the Shared What exactly is the Shared Workspace Experiment ?Workspace Experiment ?

• A web-based system accessed through the internet

• Enables agents and Revenue staff to correspond andand work collaboratively during the enquiry process

• An e-room environment for which each agent has a ‘homepage’ showing their clients with IR enquiries

• Provides the security assurances for all stakeholders

• Basically, it does away with the postal system to Basically, it does away with the postal system to communicate, but it is much more than that...communicate, but it is much more than that...

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What services are provided by the What services are provided by the Shared Workspace ?Shared Workspace ?

• Agents ‘homepage’ lists compliance enquiries but also has links to IR Internet, WT, Enquiry Manual etc.

• Any file can be added i.e. Word, Excel, PDF etc.

• Immediate e-mail notification of new items added

• Instant viewing of all documents by all parties

• Documents can be revised and version tracked

• IR Forms can be provided electronically / IR Internet

• Provides a collaborative and better way of workingProvides a collaborative and better way of working

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What does it look like ?What does it look like ?‘Agent Homepage’‘Agent Homepage’

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What does it look like ?What does it look like ?‘List of clients / enquiries’‘List of clients / enquiries’

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What progress have we made ?What progress have we made ?

• The Shared Workspace went live in April 2004

• Six local agents are participating in the experiment

• Agents were provided with training at their offices

• An agent training package was produced & on-line

• The system has proved robust, reliable and flexible

• We started with ITSA Business Full enquiries only

• 25 enquiries have / being worked through the system

• We held an evaluation workshop September 2004We held an evaluation workshop September 2004

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What the agents said….What the agents said….• Syn Ex.1 - System Functionality

• Syn Ex.2 - Impact on Working Practices

• Syn Ex.3 - Agents Conclusions

• 89% thought the functionality and user friendliness of the system was satisfactory or better

• 100% thought system integration / collaborative way of working was satisfactory or better

• 78% thought that other agents / firms would benefit from using the Shared Workspace

• At the same time,what improvements could we makeAt the same time,what improvements could we make

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Original folder structure….Original folder structure….

L e tte rs S ta tu to ryN o tices

R e ven u e /C u s to m erC o rre spo n de n ce

L e tte rs N o tes o fP h o n e C a lls

R e ve nu e/A ge ntC o rre spo n de n ce

A ge nd as N o tes o fM e etin gs

M e e tin g N o tes

G e ne ra lC o m p u ta tio ns

T a xC a lcu la tio ns

C o m p u ta tio n s/C a lcu la tio ns

E n q u iry C a se

With the benefit of hindsight, what do you think?

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The new folder structure….The new folder structure….

S ta tu to ry N o ticesL e tte rs

T e le ph o n e C a llsC o u n te r C a lls

R e ven u e /C u s to m erC o rre spo n de n ce

L e tte rsT e le ph o n e C a lls

A ge nd asN o tes o f M e etin gs

R e ve nu e /A ge ntC o rre spo n de n ce

A n a lysesC a lcu la tio ns

C o m p u ta tio nsB re a kd o w ns

C o m p u ta tio n s/C a lcu la tio ns

E n q u iry C a se

Fewer folders and a simpler / quicker format

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How about entering the ‘date How about entering the ‘date response required by’ ?response required by’ ?

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Will you show agents the ‘date Will you show agents the ‘date response required by’ ?response required by’ ?

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Will you remind agents the date Will you remind agents the date ‘response required by’ ?‘response required by’ ?Any guesses which WT representative asked for this facility??

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What are our conclusions ?What are our conclusions ?

• The system provides an effective and flexible form of e-contact between agents and the IR

• The potential capability of the system is even wider

• In October 2004 the Inland Revenue approved continuation of the Shared Workspace Experiment

• David Varney Exec Chairman of HMRC to see demonstration of Shared Workspace - November 04

• Contributing the Inland Revenue’s wider e-strategy

• We have only begun, we now need to extend the We have only begun, we now need to extend the experiment on a wider scale - led by Terri Clementsexperiment on a wider scale - led by Terri Clements

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How we are planning to extend the How we are planning to extend the Shared Workspace?Shared Workspace?

• The expansion will involve:

–Recruiting new agents

– Involving other IR staff

– Including other types of compliance activities i.e. CT Full, CT Aspect etc.

• We intend to contact local agents in the near future and invite them to participate

• Success will be dependent on agents involvementSuccess will be dependent on agents involvement

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Acknowledgements….Acknowledgements….

• Firstly, acknowledge what we have achieved

• From no blue print, we have developed an e-system unique within the accountancy profession and the Inland Revenue

• What’s more it works and the six participating agents have been pivotal to that achievement

• We want a system that meets your needs as you play an integral role in the delivery of IR business

• By ‘Working Together’ we continue to keep IR By ‘Working Together’ we continue to keep IR Wales and South Wales Area at the cutting edgeWales and South Wales Area at the cutting edge

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Before I leave you, a few facts and Before I leave you, a few facts and figures….figures….

• IR Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 04

• United Kingdom Compliance Assurance

• 45,872=CT Full & Aspect Enquiries

• 78,844=SA Full & Aspect Enquiries

• 142,603=Personal Return Enquiries

• 31,500=Employer Reviews

• 298,819=Total - That’s a lot of paper and files!

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Shared Workspace can take us fromShared Workspace can take us from

THIS to THISTHIS to THIS

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Shared Workspace ExperimentShared Workspace Experiment

AnyAny

Questions ?Questions ?

Bringing Compliance ‘On-line’Bringing Compliance ‘On-line’

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