Digital, Customer and Commercial Services

The DCCS directorate covers four main service areas.

Commercial

Our objective is to identify and market commercial services that generate a material financial contribution to the Council's finances. We achieve this by:

• Identifying services that customers want and are willing to pay a price that covers overheads, direct and variable costs
• Developing a commercial culture. We promote a 'one council' approach to commercial decision making and drive culture change
• Delivering a fit for purpose, relevant and affordable ICT Service and Traded Service (information management) to schools. The Dudley Grid for Learning contract expires on 31 August 2025. We ensure the offer to schools is fit for purpose, relevant and affordable and we support pupils having a safe online environment. We will also work with schools on a contract exit strategy and planning

Procurement

Our objective is to establish robust procurement practices, delivering best value and social value. We achieve this through our work in the following four areas:

• Value for money and efficiency - We ask "why?" and challenge if procurements align with the council’s vision and ambitions; seek to ensure the council gets maximum value from every pound that is spent through best value and innovative procurement practice; adopt a consistent corporate approach to commissioning; adopt a clearly identified savings strategy; and continue a category management approach to procurement
• Governance - We ensure compliance with the Contract Standing Orders, the council's Constitution and public procurement law (including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015) to manage procurement risk and to comply with legal requirements
• Social value - We improve economic, social and environmental wellbeing from our contracts, over and above the delivery of the services directly required, and at no extra cost
• Strategic supplier engagement and contract management - We manage our strategic supplier relationships through continuous engagement with them. We ensure effective management of all contracts from beginning to end to control costs, obtain the quality outcomes and performance levels set out in the contract, and minimise the level of risk

Digital and Customer Services

Our strategic aim is to support the transformation strategy of the Council; improve services; support our communities and staff; and increase efficiency. We will achieve this by:

• Understanding the needs of the directorates/service areas at a strategic and tactical level and working with them to shape business transformation initiatives. We capture user stories and functional requirements to ensure the digital solutions deliver the outcomes
• Delivering a seamless customer service, making it easy and simple for residents, visitors, and businesses to interact with their Council 24/7, 365 days where appropriate. We exploit the opportunity to maximise the channel shift and other changes forced by the pandemic
• Developing a way forward for the digital platform. We will make a strategic recommendation on how to progress and prepare a plan of how we will deliver the ambition of the Council. We continue to pursue opportunities to improve service
• Developing and agreeing 3-year digital roadmap and delivering initiatives as per plan. This includes working with other public sector partners and expanding on our GIS capability

Technology Systems and Services

Our strategic objective is to create a cost-effective technology environment that enables the Council to realise its potential. Integrating technology and the organisation will be key to this and we will engage with colleagues across the Council to achieve this working on:

• Developing, agreeing, and deploying digital and technology governance. This is increasingly important in an environment where cloud-based applications put the power of technology in the hands of non-technology experts
• Developing our cloud strategy, defining our enterprise architecture, and embedding core applications in the cloud
• Enabling the Council to make good use of data and developing digital solutions that meet the outcomes of the council
• Improving operational efficiency in technology and across the Council and reducing technology costs
• Deploying the cyber security programme. We will develop and execute the cyber security program; develop cyber policy and standards and monitor adherence; strengthen security controls/operations and ensures these meet regulatory requirements and compliance; design cyber metrics and dashboards
• Developing the infrastructure borough wide initiatives such as deploying fibre and 5G technology across the borough
• Enabling the workforce and supporting our users and applications
• Increasing income from print, networks and potentially CCTV services

Luisa joined the council as Director of Digital, Customer and Commercial Services in April 2021. Previously Luisa had a 16-year career at the Royal Mail where she played a pivotal role in modernising the service for customers.

During her time as commercial director at Royal Mail, Luisa led the digitisation and the commercial strategy for consumer and business services, which places her in good stead to deliver for Dudley borough.

Alongside her commercial experience, Luisa also has experience of working within the NHS. She served as a non-executive director of Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and is now non-executive director at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

On joining the council Luisa said: "In IT there is so much change and opportunity right now, so it is all about harnessing that technology to deliver a great customer experience for residents and businesses in Dudley, the capital of the Black Country, which has historically led the way in industrial innovation."