Streamlining Community Grants Processing with Low-Code: A Case Study on Newcastle City Council
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Event-Driven Application
- Sensors - Air Pollution Sensors
Applicable Industries
- Automotive
- Cities & Municipalities
Applicable Functions
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Fraud Detection
- Leasing Finance Automation
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The customer in this case study is Newcastle City Council (NCC), the local government authority for the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. NCC is responsible for providing a range of public services to its citizens, including the administration of community grants. The council was seeking a solution to streamline its grant application process, reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and enhance the customer experience. The council also needed to comply with a legal directive to reduce traffic-related pollution levels, which involved providing a simple way for vehicle owners to check eligibility and apply for grants.
The Challenge
Newcastle City Council (NCC), the local government authority for the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne, faced a significant challenge in making community grants more accessible to its citizens. The council needed a digital-first case management solution that could integrate multiple technologies, automate processes, and deliver accurate reporting for compliance. The ultimate goal was to provide a streamlined and transparent end-to-end application process for a range of grants, including the Clear Air Zone (CAZ) grant. The council team was burdened with handling numerous unstructured emails and telephone calls, leading to manual re-keying of customer data and reliance on spreadsheets for payment processing. With limited validation capability, the risk of claim fraud, error, and audit failure was high. Additionally, NCC was legally required to reduce traffic-related pollution levels, necessitating a simple way for owners of specific vehicles to check eligibility and apply for grants.
The Solution
NCC adopted the low-code platform, Liberty Create, to manage multiple application types and processes. This platform provided a single view solution to automate workflows and handle communication and compliance efficiently. The team could easily update the system to meet changing grant application needs, including handling complex applications such as multiple vehicle grants for a fleet. Using a single form, applicants could access the information they needed and apply easily, with in-built form validation checks to support back-office processing. Officers could easily liaise with applicants and trigger bulk emails when needed. Increased automation improved the customer experience and enhanced accuracy, reducing the need for manual workarounds. The platform also facilitated the smooth processing of Clean Air Zone (CAZ) Grants, with data protection compliance assured and complex multi-vehicle grant applications handled with ease.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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