What automation means 

What does automation in Revenues & Benefits deliver for you?

Improved efficiency, better customer experience, cleared down backlogs and manageable workloads. Most importantly, you free up resources in billing admin so you can reinvest them in collection.

Govtech automation removes hundreds of thousands of manual transactions each year, saving significant administrative time, eliminating backlogs and enabling local authorities to run Revenue Services more efficiently. This gives citizens faster responses, 24/7 self-service access and a much better overall customer experience.

See the benefits and value of automation for yourself. Hear what our customers are achieving and what they have done with the time it has saved them. Sharing their perspective, their journey and their personal experience.

9-YEARS CUSTOMER
bristolcc-logo

Q3 25/26 AUTOMATION REPORT

87% AUTOMATION | 30,941 Total TRANSACTIONs Processed

Direct-Debits
4,169 DIRECT DEBIT TRANSACTIONS

Moves
9,021 Change of Address TRANSACTIONS

“One option to reduce the demand on service resources is to create efficiencies through automation… Automation delivers a number of benefits, both to the local authority and to the citizen. It effectively allows us to administer our revenue service more efficiently, more effectively than we could without.”

Kevin Smith, Operations Manager, Revenues & Benefits

1-YEAR CUSTOMERS
Preston-logo
Lancaster_City_Council_logo

Q3 25/26 AUTOMATION REPORT

80% AUTOMATION | 6,177 Total TRANSACTIONs Processed

Direct-Debits
1,841 DIRECT DEBIT TRANSACTIONS

Moves
2,984 Change of Address TRANSACTIONS

“We needed automation because we're in a particular mess with backlogs on Council Tax correspondence… We needed to do something because we’re not going to get any more staff… The service has been really good and supportive. It feels like a real partnership. It feels like we’re in it together.”

Candice Lancaster, Business Support Manager | Paul Pilkington, Revenues Manager

8-YEARS CUSTOMER
CheshireEast-logo

Q3 25/26 AUTOMATION REPORT

87% AUTOMATION | 15,411 Total TRANSACTIONs Processed

Direct-Debits
4,021 DIRECT DEBIT TRANSACTIONS

Moves
5,634 Change of Address TRANSACTIONS

“Cheshire East needed a really good automation solution to replace an existing one and we've found that with Govtech. We found out the overall experience with Govtech has been brilliant. You know, we started getting automation rates of 70% straight away, which was an increase from 50% with the previous solution.”

Beth Hooson, Systems, Performance and Improvement Manager

“Our backlogs were growing both in volume and the lengths of time we were responding to customers… We're always looking to make efficiencies and improve customer service delivery. So, we're open to any suggestions from Govtech or any new products that they want to deliver.” 

Maria Hill, Council Tax Manager

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do you get citizens to engage online?

Make the online experience faster and easier than any other channel. Citizens can transact 24/7, complete multiple requests in one visit and use intuitive forms that guide them step-by-step. Because responses and bills are generated quickly, people quickly see the benefit and return to self-serve again.

 

Result: Faster service, higher digital adoption and fewer manual requests.

2. Do you have to shut down traditional channels?

No, but you should monitor what still comes through them. Most councils see natural channel shift. When online services are quick, clear and always available, citizens simply choose them. Over time, councils find emails and manual requests reduce significantly without needing to force change.

 

Result: Lower demand on traditional channels with minimal disruption.

3. When do councils see ROI?

For all councils, the impact is immediate. Automation will:

  • Remove hundreds of thousands of manual transactions each year.
  • Free up at least 50% of Revenues billing administration capacity.
  • Deliver cashable savings, e.g. through reduced agency staff or enable redeployment.

Result: Immediate efficiency gains and more resources focused on revenue collection.

4. What do you mean by automation?

We define what we mean by automation as “the end-to-end completion of a transaction such that liability has been correctly updated and a new Council Tax bill issued without Officer intervention”. When we talk about automation rates of 80-90%, that is what we are measuring and publishing for every council.

 

Result: Govtech customers are able to actually monitor their ROI and perform like-for-like comparisons with other councils.

5. How much work is automated?

Average automation rates are around 80%, with some councils exceeding 90%, even for complex processes such as Change of Address. Govtech publishes automation rates for every council, by transaction type.

 

Result: Significant reduction in repetitive manual work.

6. Is implementation disruptive?

No. Onboarding is as simple as completing a straightforward spreadsheet. Govtech uses this to configure the automation business rules and the council is provided with a test pack and test scripts to test that automation configuration. (Heads up: Since Council Tax is such a highly regulated and legislatively driven service, automation business rules are 95% common across all councils. And that makes us very confident in assuring you that you will achieve the same overall levels of automation as your peers in other councils.)

 

Result: Fast setup with minimal operational disruption.

7. How does automation help with staff shortages and backlogs?

Automation removes repetitive administrative tasks and processes work automatically, helping councils stay on top of demand and prevent backlogs. Peaks and troughs are smoothed by automation and service resilience against planned and unplanned staff absences or system downtime is increased. This frees up time to focus on higher-value work like debt recovery, improving collection and supporting vulnerable residents.

 

Result: Better, more targeted use of resources, faster response times and improved customer service without increasing headcount.

LGR on your mind?

DON’T JUST REORGANISE – TRANSFORM

Local government reorganisation (LGR) is more than a structural change; it’s a rare opportunity to rethink how councils operate. By combining transition with digital transformation and automation, local authorities can simplify services, reduce costs and deliver faster, more responsive experiences for citizens. All while building stronger, more efficient authorities for the future.

    • Move beyond merger: Use LGR as an opportunity to modernise processes and systems.
    • Deliver better services: Automation and online services enable faster responses and 24/7 access for citizens.
    • Build future-ready councils: Reduce complexity, improve efficiency and create sustainable services.
    • Keep services running: Maintain operational continuity and always-available citizen services during consolidation.
    • Protect revenue: Free teams to focus on aged debt and keeping money flowing into the council.
    • Reduce manual work: Automation removes routine tasks, cuts costs and lets staff focus on more meaningful work.

READ OUR BLOG

Let’s start the conversation…

Councils using automation are seeing real, measurable impact, supported by a partnership focused on long-term success.

Want to see what this could look like for your authority?

We can help with webCAPTURE – our proven, stable and predictable end-to-end digital process automation for revenues. Start the conversation with our team and discover how automation can transform your Revenues service.