The hidden cost of fragmented data
Every council owns mountains of information: citizen records, planning applications, environmental reports, social-care case notes, housing inspections, the list goes on. Unfortunately, that information is usually scattered across:
- 10–20 separate line-of-business systems
- Half-retired spreadsheets perched on shared drives
- Email archives no one can search properly
The result is staff spending hours hunting for facts that should be at their fingertips.
Meanwhile, attempts to introduce automation stall because the underlying data is messy, duplicated, or simply invisible.
Put bluntly, if your source systems don’t agree on a resident’s address, no amount of AI will deliver a faithful digital journey.
What ‘Single Source of Truth’ means in reality
A unified data ecosystem is not just a giant database. It is an evolving, governed resource with defined architecture. For example:
|
Layer |
Purpose |
Cranmore Approach |
|
Ingestion |
Real-time connectors pull data from legacy and cloud apps. |
Microsoft Power Platform connectors + custom APIs |
|
Canonical Model |
Cleans, deduplicates, and standardises key entities (Citizen, Property, Case). |
Dynamics Dataverse schemas |
|
Governance |
Role-based security, audit trail, GDPR compliance baked in. |
Azure AD, Purview |
|
Surfacing |
Dashboards, low-code apps, chatbots, automation, and AI models all hit the same dataset. |
Intuitive, UX/UI optimised front-end |
With this kind of architecture, three transformation levers emerge:
1. Process Automation: Reduced need for manual intervention; every step has reliable data.
2. Predictive AI: Machine-learning models have a reliable training set, executing accurate work.
3. Decision Intelligence Leadership: One reliable set of metrics. The conversation shifts from “which number is right?” to “what’s the best next step?”.
Designed for the Single Source Era
Our approach to council app modernisation creates a solid data foundation from which automation can get to work. Most of Cranmore’s work with councils has so far been with Microsoft Dynamics integrations, but AWS offers similar opportunities.
Here are just some advantages to expect:
- Powerful, unified data: Native MS Dynamics integration creates a canonical data model across services.
- AI-driven efficiency: There are a world of options here, from automated processes to digital agents trained with council primary data to handle customer enquiries. Triage can then be automated to cut routine call volumes, freeing advisors for complex cases.
- Freedom from legacy vendors: One license framework, one interface, fewer fragile point-to-point integrations.
- Citizen experience improvements: Residents can track their request status online exactly like they track a parcel.
- Rapid onboarding: New starters learn one UI, not ten.
Case in point: London Borough of Bexley consolidated four legacy case‐management tools in under twelve weeks. First-contact resolution jumped, new app prototypes can be delivered in days, not months.
How unified data supercharges automation
Here are just a few examples of scenarios where automation can help.
| Scenario | Old World (Siloed) | New World (Councils365 SSP) |
| Missed bin collection | Resident phones, CSR re-keys data, waits for waste system to sync. | Resident submits portal form → address auto-verified → Power Automate (for example) raises a job in waste management in seconds. |
| Landlord licensing | Applicant fills PDF, staff manually check against council tax file. | Online form auto-pulls property & payment data → AI flags anomalies → instant conditional licence. |
| FOI tracking | Separate SharePoint list; reporting takes days. | Unified record; real-time dashboard shows SLA status, auto-reminders trigger escalations. |
Building the Business Case: Four Talking Points for the boardroom
- Headcount Release, Not Redundancy
Automation absorbs low-value tasks; staff redeploy to housing inspections, safeguarding, and community engagement. - Licence Rationalisation
Retiring three mid-tier line-of-business apps often covers 70 – 80% of a subscription. [REWRITE] Sounds like it’s more expensive. DELETE. - Risk & Compliance
A single audit trail slashes exposure to GDPR fines and FOI breaches. - Time-to-Value
Cranmore’s ASSURED Agile methodology puts a minimum-viable service live in weeks, allowing incremental wins rather than multi-year “big bangs.”
Getting started without boiling the ocean
Every organisation is different, but our work so far has uncovered some best practice heuristics that we recommend.
-
- Pick a High-Volume, Low-Complexity Use-Case
E.g., missed bins or blue-badge renewals. Wins hearts quickly. - Stand Up the Core Data Model First
Even a modest canonical model (Citizen, Property, Case) supports dozens of processes later. - Automate the “Last Mile”
Add AI chat, self-service portals, and process automation once data quality exceeds 95%. - Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
Agile sprints feed real user feedback straight back into the backlog.
- Pick a High-Volume, Low-Complexity Use-Case
Working with Cranmore
Cranmore is an award winning, fully certified and trusted partner to councils and public services, and has been since 2008. We don’t just drop software and run. We offer:
-
- Total Transparency – Open access to our Jira boards, transparent pricing, no surprises.
- Diligent Delivery – Certified scrum teams, automated testing, zero-defect releases.
- Committed Collaboration – We provide full support, training and knowledge transfer, ensuring your organisation is self-sufficient and empowered.
Your next step
If your council’s trajectory is aimed at introducing AI and automation, your first question must be, “Do we truly have a single source of truth?”
If the honest answer is “not yet,” we can help you with the process. Our approach to council app modernisation creates that ecosystem, rolling out at your pace, integrating with what must stay, and freeing you to innovate everywhere else.
Book a discovery session, explore our case studies, or view our Council’s App Modernisation page to see how unified data and automation can start saving your organisation money and improve the citizen experience this quarter, not next year.
