{"id":9651,"date":"2025-03-25T14:30:57","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T13:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=9651"},"modified":"2025-03-25T14:31:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T13:31:57","slug":"first-ever-local-authority-digital-transformation-index-furnishes-councils-facing-change-with-critical-data-to-inform-their-future-technology-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gpsj.co.uk\/?p=9651","title":{"rendered":"First ever Local Authority Digital Transformation Index furnishes councils facing change with critical data to inform their future technology plans\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FourNet\u2019s digital channel map uncovers crucial demographic trends and analyses tech usage across every council area in England, Wales and Scotland<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Alan Linter<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The first ever Local Authority Digital Transformation Index (LADiT)<\/a> has been unveiled today by customer experience and digital transformation specialists, FourNet, to assist councils \u2013 many of which are facing reorganisation, budget cuts or shared services – with future investment plans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The LADiT Index analyses census information across every local authority area in England, Wales and Scotland and, combined with expert customer experience (CX) analysis from FourNet, charts a detailed course for councils embarking on future digital transformation journeys.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Index reveals that the top three most digital-savvy populations in the UK, ranked as a percentage of the UK average, are City of London (133%), Tower Hamlets (126%) and Lambeth (122%). These council areas have the fewest elderly residents and the highest ratio of so-called \u201cDigital Natives\u201d – those who are comfortable using digital channels – including Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mapped with FourNet\u2019s expert CX analysis, the Index shows that those three local authorities will need to keep ahead of the digital game when it comes to communicating with local residents – investing in the latest communications tech and considering newer social media platforms like TikTok to engage in future.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The LADiT Index plots the channels which residents are more likely to want to use in each council area – whether landline, mobile phone, chatbot, email or social media – and ranks them with a score for each demographic which will help councils plan for future generations.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the other end of the Index sits North Norfolk, which has the least digital savvy population in the country (77.6%) with more residents from the Greatest Generation, Silent Generation and Baby Boomers than anywhere else in Britain – less likely to use TikTok, Snapchat, or want to engage with chatbots and more likely to use the postal service or in person appointments.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alan Linter, FourNet\u2019s Group Consulting Director of Customer Experience,<\/strong> said: \u201cWhat we\u2019ve designed is a go-to-map for every local authority which is considering next steps in their digital transformation journey. Crucially it comes at a time of council reorganisation, in England, for which many local authorities had to submit proposals to ministers last Friday (21st March). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat our analysis reveals is the make-up of local populations with data which will be critical for councils to take into account when deciding how to invest in tech and designing their services for the future, particularly as some councils need to save money, while others are likely to become single tier authorities.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is a huge difference in the way the majority of people interact with council services from the top of our index to the bottom – and how they will do so in future, and councils ignore that data at their peril.\u201d   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the LADiT Index, 350 councils will be able to measure the \u201cDigital Maturity\u201d of the local population with the percentage of Digital Natives compared to the UK average – enabling better local and regional investment decisions to be taken.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n