The Council commissioned Human Engine to deliver a comprehensive customer contact diagnostic and define a future Target Operating Model for customer access. The objectives were to improve access and experience for residents, reduce avoidable demand and cost and create a sustainable, evidence-based model capable of serving both urban and rural communities.

Human Engine delivered a structured, diagnostic-led approach grounded in evidence, engagement and implementation readiness:

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• Customer Diagnostic and Maturity Assessment: We undertook a customer maturity assessment across six themes: strategy, performance, culture and skills, demand management, customer insight and digital capability. Through facilitated workshops with customer services teams, middle-office functions and senior leadership, we benchmarked current capability and identified priority areas for improvement.

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• Demand and Channel Analysis: We analysed almost 3,000 calls into the contact centre, identifying that 59% of all contact was linked to failure demand. Over a quarter of calls came from customers who had attempted to self-serve online but were unable to complete their transaction. We also analysed face-to-face and web contact, creating a cost-per-contact model across all channels to quantify efficiency opportunities and inform future channel strategy.

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• Stakeholder Engagement and Service Deep Dives: We conducted in-depth workshops with Heads of Service, frontline teams and middle-office functions to understand end-to-end journeys, identify pain points and ensure organisational buy-in to the diagnostic findings and future approach.

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• Resident and Community Insight: Resident insight was central to the diagnostic. We engaged directly with residents through face-to-face engagement at customer access sites, community visits to understand rural access challenges, telephone interviews and a resident survey. We also reviewed existing customer feedback and complaints data to identify recurring themes and barriers to access. In line with GDS Service Standard principles, this user-centred approach ensured the future model addressed real, lived experience rather than organisational assumptions.

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• Target Operating Model Design: Working collaboratively with internal teams, we developed a future customer access model with online self-service as the primary channel, supported by face-to-face access where needed and proactive outbound contact to prevent crisis among vulnerable residents. The Target Operating Model addressed people, process, technology and data, supported by a phased transformation roadmap.