From sticky notes to seamless digital services: Medway Council’s journey with Jadu Connect

At Medway Council’s Connect Day (May 2025), the digital team showcased a transformative journey in public service delivery, one that moved from the chaos of sticky notes and scattered, outdated systems to streamlined, scalable digital services using Jadu Connect.

Led by Vicky Bichard, Lead Service Designer at Medway Council, the session ‘Service design from the ground up’, showcased how a service design-led approach not only brought clarity and consistency but also delivered measurable efficiencies across departments at the council.

The Challenge: too many systems, too little time

Like many local authorities, Medway Council grappled with legacy customer relationship management systems (CRMs), disjointed workflows, and a lack of time. With 29 service areas and 72 different workflows, service delivery had become unmanageable and tiresome for both staff and residents, as they were attempting to maintain a legacy system and build new forms, which was splitting their focus. Internal customer service officers faced frustration from duplicate reports and mis-assigned cases, while residents were often left confused, faced with unnecessarily complex processes that were difficult to navigate to complete simple tasks.

The foundation: designing for people and process

Medway Council's approach to transformation was embedded in core service design principles, or the "5 Ps" (people, processes, policies, platforms, and performance). By mapping user journeys and identifying common touchpoints, the council laid a strong foundation for change.

Key activities, such as problem reporting, desk-based triage, on-site investigation, and outcome updates, were found to be common across many services. Recognising these patterns allowed the council to reuse workflows they had already built rather than build from scratch for each case, saving significant time.

The breakthrough: smarter tools, familiar processes

Introducing Jadu Connect proved to be a game-changer for the council. With the ability to reuse and adapt workflows, staff could build services swiftly while maintaining quality and consistency. By using familiar interfaces across a centralised system, teams were able to streamline processes, reduce the need for extensive retraining, and make changes with confidence.

The visibility offered by Jadu Connect made it easy for teams to tweak processes, respond to feedback from internal staff and residents, and deliver outcomes faster.

From complexity to clarity

During the session, Vicky highlighted the utter contrast between the "old" and "new" digital service journeys since redesigning them via Jadu Connect.:

Before the redesign, the experience was plagued by:

• Duplicate reports
• Incorrectly assigned tasks
• Frustration for both officers and residents
• Confusing user experiences with long journeys that were difficult to navigate

After the redesign, the journey now features:

• Seamless, smart and intuitive digital services
• Clear purpose and expectations of services
• Streamlined steps to complete tasks
• No more dead ends
• Accessible and inclusive by design
• Fast, easy access to human support
• Transparent decision-making that builds resident satisfaction

These improvements were underpinned by service design patterns that could be applied across all departments at the Council, reducing duplication and increasing public trust.

Scalable, adaptable and human-centred

A key takeaway from the session at the connect day was that the transformation wasn’t just technical; it was cultural. Internal teams at Medway Council now feel empowered to manage their services within a common framework, and services can be scaled, updated, and improved without disrupting operations.

By aligning around shared goals and putting user needs first, Medway demonstrated that real change is possible, even in complex systems and tight timelines. By having all active stakeholders involved the process, Medway were able to identify and eliminate 75% of manual tasks, triage and duplication resolution carried out by officers. The data shows them what still isn't working, and they can therefore see where continuous improvements are required.

Looking ahead

With strong foundations and Jadu Connect as an enabler, Medway Council plans to continue evolving its service design approach. Vicky’s live demo at Connect Day illustrated what’s already been achieved and hinted at the even more innovative services to come.