The Finance Perspective

Under intense pressure to drive down costs and deliver exceptional value, the Public Sector is looking for new ideas, breakthroughs, and better ways of working. Documents, Forms and other types of communications are used across every Local and Central Government Department. So whether your perspective concerns the management of government finances including receipts and expenditure, or more local issues such as council tax and non-domestic rates, we have ways to help you achieve more for less.

The Public Sector is not alone in seeking to reduce the costs of customer correspondence: with the preparation, checking, correction, print and distribution costs of customer letters, invoices, forms, etc typically approaching £7 each document for a largely manual process and £2-£3 for a semi-automated process. It is clear that reducing such costs by 50%-75%, or even more to a few pence, could be a significant contribution to communications savings, as well as a vital consideration in any major service cost analysis.

Transforming the cost base of public service communications inevitably means delivering more electronically, whether online or by other means. The growth of e-government and electronic information for related agencies will help to not only save money but if done correctly can empower people and improve services to the public. We have implemented advanced systems for the Social Security system of Switzerland, many leading businesses and can assist your challenges in identifying how to recognise and introduce cutting edge e-services.

Challenges

It is, regrettably, too often the case that the end to end costs of servicing customer/user correspondence is too poorly understood and, whilst equipment, software, media, staffing, postage, and other associated costs may be discretely identifiable, it is often difficult to fully capture the potential savings which a rationalised customer communications process may realise.

Additionally, with the increasing demand for interactive multi-media channel delivery of correspondence for service consumers from within and outside organisations, defining the right strategic direction is challenging.

Identifying candidates for cost savings across the fragmented, budgetary interpretations of a large, departmentalised, semi-autonomous organisation can be a bit of a dark art at the best of times…

What’s needed is a comprehensive approach to identify and then realise the benefits of an enhanced customer communications management solution. One which could:

• capture the current, organisation-wide, cost base
• understand service organisation  management objectives
• articulate them in terms of current technology capability
• construct a risk managed plan
• and then deliver a class leading solution.

But historically such a service has been hugely expensive or out of budget.

However with Icon UK it is possible to find an approach that delivers on a solid expenditure case and unbeatable return on investment. We specialise in creating customer communications solutions, working with organisation leaders and senior management teams to guide them through the right choices to realise significant improvements in customer service, whilst ensuring regulatory compliance and substantial returns on investment - in some cases over 100% in year one…

And in a disciplined “Value for Money” conscious sector, where doing ‘more for less’ is a central mantra, it is clear that the early adopters in enhanced Customer Communications Management are rapidly realising increased organisational performance.

How Icon helps

Icon solutions help ensure interactions are crisp and accurate. Support for real-time review of customer history leads to improved cross-selling, up-selling and customer engagement. Financial Directors typically engage with Icon to:

• Understand customer communications spend and improvement areas across the Enterprise
• Establish a self­funding improvement project

Companies that engage Icon find they can understand what customer communications are really costing and translate this into a compelling Return on Investment case. By investing in the right solutions they can improve content and policy control, increased customer loyalty and by achieving top-quartile performance in customer communications management developing a robust platform for strategic objectives such as rapidly realising merger and restructuring synergies.

Icon UK can assist in the all areas related to improving customer communications including:

Some of the world’s largest and leading service organisations use our technology solutions. Call us to find out how we can help your organisation.