Wolverhampton City Council announces a 10-year strategic                20/03/2008 partnership with Axon

Late yesterday, Wolverhampton City Council announced that it is to enter into a 10-year strategic transformation partnership with Axon. The partnership will transform the council into a more modern and efficient service organisation for citizens, local businesses and council employees alike. Over the 10-year period, the partnership will deliver approximately £60 million in savings for the council. 

Under the proposed agreement, Axon will help the council to deliver significant benefits and savings through:

• The establishment of a new customer service team, enabling citizens to contact the council or access services by web, telephone, letter, face-to-face, post or email, provided by a ‘one-stop shop’ facility
• A reduction in administrative and premises costs with the creation of a more effective ‘back office’ team of finance, procurement, human resources, payroll and ICT
• More effective procurement
• Supporting the management of the council’s large projects
• Improving financial control and budgeting with real time information.

The programme will also:

• Replace the council’s out-dated computer system with a world-class IT system
• Introduce training and development of managers to lead the council’s transformation.

Cllr Andrew Johnson, Cabinet Member for Resources, Governance and Support Services said, “The partnership will be one of the most significant in the council’s recent history. It marks the beginning of our transformation into an organisation with an emphasis on putting the needs of its customers first through delivering easier access to services and improving efficiency. In the coming years our customers – citizens, businesses and visitors to the city – will feel the benefits. People will experience faster and more convenient access to essential services which will be delivered more cost-effectively. For our staff, it will mean opportunities to serve the public in an environment that will invest in developing their skills in customer service and IT. Many will be trained to work with modern systems that will cut unnecessary costs and reduce the frustration of red-tape.”

Steve Cardell, Axon’s CEO, commented, “This is a key win for Axon and is our largest programme to date where Axon is the prime contractor. Axon has worked closely with the council during the two-year selection process and is looking forward to developing a strong, long-term partnership that will deliver real value to the people of Wolverhampton. Our experience at Birmingham City Council, Manchester City Council and the London Borough of Harrow will enable Wolverhampton to accelerate the realisation of benefits through the adoption of local government best practices.”

The Axon/Wolverhampton City Council partnership is an in-sourced strategic partnership which provides control and flexibility to the council whilst committing both parties to realising benefits. Over the first three years, the partnership will transform customer service and deliver a more efficient finance, procurement, HR and payroll service through the introduction of a shared service model.

For further information please contact:

Axon Group plc
Steve Cardell / Iain McIntosh
01784 480 800    

Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial
Chris Hamilton
020 7861 3232 

About Axon

Axon is a Business Transformation consultancy that designs, implements and supports solutions to complex issues faced by organisations that have chosen SAP as their strategic enterprise platform. Axon has over 1,650 experienced professionals specialising in the delivery of change through technology enabled transformation programmes. Axon's consultants bring in-depth industry expertise alongside best practice functional knowledge to address the strategic, operational, information management and organisation effectiveness challenges faced by organisations today. Axon is renowned for its ability to help clients define more ambitious strategies, build more effective organisations and shape more successful futures. Founded in 1994, today Axon has offices in the United Kingdom, North America, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Australia.

About Wolverhampton City Council

Wolverhampton City Council is a three star-rated local authority serving a diverse population of near quarter of a million people in the heart of the industrial West Midlands. Though the city and its population face significant deprivation following decades of decline in traditional manufacturing – it is in the 10 per cent most deprived in England – the council is leading an ambitious £1 billion plus programme of regeneration in retail, housing, schools, social care and neighbourhoods.  The council currently employs nearly 13,000 people and focuses on:

• Delivering the best possible outcomes for children, young people and their families
• Making communities safer and stronger
• Improving health and well-being of communities
• Developing sustainable communities.