Provision and Implementation of a new Cloud based telephony system and associated services (incorporating customer hub and emergency back up call centre).

Tender description

Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council requires a Service Provider to provide a single, high availability, easy to maintain and effective next gen, cloud-based telephony system that supports both traditional voice communications across the organisation and the technologies required for enhanced communications as well as future integration that will facilitate a fully integrated Omnichannel Contact Centre. Lot 1: Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council requires a Service Provider to provide a single, high availability, easy to maintain and effective next gen, cloud-based telephony system that supports both traditional voice communications across the organisation and the technologies required for enhanced communications as well as future integration that will facilitate a fully integrated Omnichannel Contact Centre. A new Council IT Strategy was commissioned in 2020 with an aim to achieve a step change in service delivery, particularly in the use of technology which enables agile working, collaboration, secure information, data management and improved customer access and services. In particular the IT Strategy will support the delivery of our digital transformation ‘digital by default’, putting the customer at the heart everything we do. Making best use of technology is an increasingly important aspect of this approach to support our partners and customers to use services in an efficient manner. The council needs a secure and reliable telephony solution which delivers uninterrupted service, rich feature functionality and potential cost savings to allow the Council to operate efficiently and focus on their core objectives. With the increasing, demand from the public for 24x7x365 access to information and services and the growing importance of public perception with social media platforms, the availability and reliability of Council services has never been more important to ensure customer satisfaction. The telephony solution should provide the lynchpin of the council’s customer service which should provide second to none functionality alongside ongoing cost savings. Specifically the Councils telephony system should provide: a customer centric approach to service users, partners and other third parties through improved call handling (telephone answering) and collaboration technologies; provision of a flexible and scalable telecommunications infrastructure which can cope with organisational change and corresponding changes in building usage, support for mobility and remote working (including travelling, home-working and flexible working), improved inter-department, inter-location and staff – service user communications, collaboration and integration. Contract Duration Anticipated contract start date will be November 2022 for an initial period of Five (5) Years with the option to extend by any period, or periods, up to a maximum of a two further periods of 12 Months. Dates are provisional and may be changed at the Council’s absolute discretion.