The situation

‘Access to Work’ helps people with a disability or long-term health condition to keep working. But old technology and systems were making it slow and expensive. Customers found it hard to access the telephone-based service and get the support they needed.
The solution

We designed and delivered a new digital service that allows customers to apply for support digitally, and uses data and analytics to serve them more efficiently. Our work included:

• A vision and a way to achieve it
  Collaborating with the client to set the vision for the service, we created a road-map to deliver it and an agile team to build it.
• Designs based on genuine needs
  User interviews and design prototypes helped us establish and refine exactly what was needed. We also tracked how and when people accessed the service so we could develop helpful new functions.
• A detailed understanding of user behaviour
  We built tools to analyse user data, segmenting users in real-time so we could better scrutinise their behaviour and adapt the service accordingly.
• Ways to boost the efficiency of workers
  By modelling how transactions worked and what they cost, we found ways to make workers more effective.
• Using robotics and automation to improve operations
  We didn’t just set out to optimise the digital channel. We also aimed to improve how the service operated overall.

The result

• A first for thousands
  One of the department’s first digital services for the public, ‘Access to Work’ allows thousands of users to access the service when and where they choose.
• More people kept in work
  Within a month of the service going live, the number of customers applying for support had risen by 40%.
• Fewer delays, greater savings
  Customers can now get the support they need quicker and with fewer delays. And the more people use the digital service, the more the department saves. Each digital transaction costs 20% less than non-digital channels.
• Personalised support
  Support is now tailored to each individual.