Case study: WHC

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council logo

Transforming KPI management and reporting

KPI management solution
  • Boosted operational efficiency
  • Improved decision-making 
  • Improved user experience

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, serving approximately 50,000 residents, faced challenges with its outdated, off-the-shelf KPI management solution. The existing system lacked customisation options, had an inefficient user interface, and required excessive manual effort to generate reports.

Users struggled with poor system performance, lack of intuitive flow, and cumbersome navigation, resulting in low engagement and frustration. As a result, the Council needed a tailored, efficient KPI management solution to meet its specific needs and improve operational performance.

Welwyn Hatfield were looking for a KPI management solution that would: 

  • Be easy and quick to use 
  • Store the data in a secure manner and could automate reporting 
  • Have little or no licensing costs 
  • Be designed in partnership with them 
  • Be maintained in-house with existing skillsets 
  • Deliver ongoing OPEX savings by reducing the time staff spent using the app 

The Council needed a tailored KPI management solution to meet their specific requirements. Through Pi Digital’s experience in delivering low-code solutions, in time and on budget, for both the housing sector and the wider public sector, we could build a new tailored solution for the Council. 

Working with the Council, we conducted a thorough analysis of their current system to understand what worked well, where there were issues, and how different teams used the system. With input from the key internal stakeholders, we could ensure the solution met the council’s diverse needs. Our agile delivery approach meant the implementation was smooth, with the new solution up and running quickly. 

The new solution KPI management solution was built in Microsoft 365 using: 

  • Power Apps for the front-end user experience 
  • SharePoint as the data source 
  • Power Automate to process the complex calculations related to the KPIs 
  • Power BI for intelligent reporting 

This solution leveraged the council’s existing licensing, reducing OPEX costs year on year. The solution could also be maintained in-house, remain secured by best-in-class Microsoft security, and have design and functionality changes made and deployed efficiently. 

The new KPI management solution drastically improved the user experience, reducing the number of steps to update a KPI from several clicks to just 4-5. This improvement increased system efficiency, user engagement, and data visibility. The Council’s Chief Executive and other senior leaders praised the simplicity and effectiveness of the system.

Key benefits included:

  • Real-time data updates that enhance decision-making
  • A more streamlined process that saved time and reduced manual effort
  • Single sign-on for ease of access 
  • In-house management of the system, reducing reliance on third-party support and lowering operational costs

Looking ahead, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council plans to expand the use of Power Apps across various departments to further streamline operations, reduce manual errors, and improve overall efficiency. This transformation positions the Council to continue leveraging Microsoft technologies to meet its future needs while maintaining budgetary constraints

Pi Digital were very flexible and prepared to work with any needs we had at the start, and then that continued throughout the delivery process. We never struggled to get hold of developers and senior staff, so for the council it’s been a wonderful experience, and the support has been fantastic! The solution we have now is brilliant, and hopefully we can continue working together in the future and build better and brighter things.

Tony Bullimore – Head of Performance and Insight

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council

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