Local government tips for successful digital transformations

Digital transformation is not just about modernising technology. It's about empowering local governments and their people to embrace change, deliver better services, and achieve long-term sustainability.

Bass Coast Shire Council’s journey, powered by TechnologyOne’s OneCouncil SaaS+ platform, is a prime example of how councils can embrace digital change to make a meaningful impact.

Less than two hours from Melbourne, Bass Coast Shire Council is one of Victoria’s fastest-growing rural municipalities, with a population of more than 40,000.

In 2022, Bass Coast Shire Council partnered with TechnologyOne by implementing OneCouncil, our SaaS+ solution specifically designed for local governments.

The Council completed a major software upgrade with OneCouncil in just four weeks, with minimal disruption to operations and services. This upgrade included rigorous user acceptance testing (UAT).

“The team was excited to unlock improvements for our customers such as simplifying recurring bookings for maintenance and registration processes,” said Keith Ludowyk, Bass Coast Shire Council’s Manager Transformation and Technology.

“A key opportunity was the new Voter’s Roll functionality, enabling Council to meet our legislative requirements going into elections this year.”

“By staying ahead with the latest software updates, we are providing a secure, compliant, and productive environment at Council.”

Top 5 tips for digital transformation success

According to Ben Malpass, TechnologyOne’s local government expert, the most complex part of digital transformations for many organisations is not the technology itself, but empowering and engaging the people involved.

“Bass Coast Shire Council exemplifies that regardless of size, all councils can drive innovation by fostering engagement at every stage of their digital transformation process,” he said.

Drawing from their experience, here are five tips for councils embarking on their own digital transformation journeys.

#1: Align technology with community goals

The Local Government Act 2020 requires all Victorian councils to develop a long-term Community Vision. Bass Coast Shire Council's transformation was partly guided by its Community Vision 2041, which emphasises sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation.

By integrating these goals into their digital strategy, the Council ensured technology investments directly benefited residents.

Tip: Develop a long-term vision that includes technological and social priorities and use it as a foundation for digital initiatives.

#2: Invest in purpose-built solutions

The Council adopted TechnologyOne’s OneCouncil platform, a SaaS+ solution tailored for local governments; this move streamlined operations, reduced manual processes, and improved data accuracy.

Since going live with OneCouncil, six separate legacy systems have been combined into one single source of truth. According to Wayne Mack, General Manager of Business Transformation at Bass Coast Shire Council, this has already made a huge difference.

“The benefits have allowed many disparate systems to be brought together. It’s allowed us to eliminate many manual processes and become more efficient,” he said.

“Our team is doing work that benefits the community rather than pushing paper and entering data into a system that is disparate from others.”

Tip: Choose solutions designed for local government challenges to save time and resources.

#3: Embrace incremental change

Bass Coast Shire Council implemented changes in phases, focusing first on areas like finance and asset management. This approach delivered early benefits and built momentum for further improvements.

Tip: Break down the transformation into manageable phases, starting with areas that offer immediate value.

#4: Foster collaboration

The Council emphasised collaboration across departments and with external partners, stating: “Our people connected the needs of the business and our software requirements and worked with the TechnologyOne team to get the best outcome and a successful implementation.”

Tip: Engage internal teams, technology providers, and community stakeholders to ensure alignment and shared ownership.

#5: Prioritise scalability and security

Transitioning to a SaaS+ platform with TechnologyOne enhanced the Council's data security. It ensured systems could scale with future demands. They highlighted:

“We’re able to support flexible and remote working; people can work anywhere at any time, which better suits their needs.”

“It allows our employees to focus on doing more value-add work for our customers.”

Tip: Invest in platforms that integrate advanced security features and offer flexibility for future growth.

For more information on TechnologyOne’s solutions for local government, visit our OneCouncil page or book a demonstration here.