Aberdeen embarks on ambitious digital transformation journey

20 September 2016

A major phase of Aberdeen’s digital transformation plans have today (September 20) been given the green light.

Aberdeen City Council has adopted a new digital strategy - Being Digital – which will modernise the local authority’s existing platforms and make improvements to the customer experience.

The strategy, which was approved by members of the Council’s Finance, Policy and Resources Committee, will allow residents of Aberdeen a greater choice of channels to complete council business such as making Council Tax payments or managing bin collections through a new customer experience platform.

New systems will also allow citizens to have one point of contact within the council rather than moving across different departments, ensuring a faster, better service.

Aberdeen City Council’s Finance, Policy and Resources convener Councillor Willie Young said: “The decision today highlights our ambitious plans for the future of Aberdeen. As an organisation we need to show leadership in our use of technology to engage and serve our citizens.

“To do this, we need to put residents at the heart of the organisation by using simple but effective technology which will also open up a range of new opportunities for growth in the digital sector and to drive innovation.

“Changes through the Being Digital strategy will support the work of Community Planning Aberdeen and the Local Outcome Improvement Plan to become a smarter city and improve our ability to meet the needs of residents.

“This includes building intelligent systems and approaches to support vulnerable adults, increase community resilience and community safety and help predict potential risks.

“This plan will also support our work within economic development to attract new investment.

A new digital infrastructure is already being developed which will increase internet speeds and allow greater access to superfast broadband both for communities and for business.