Scottish first for Aberdeen City Council as digital transformation gathers pace

Aberdeen City Council has become the first local authority in Scotland to collaborate with Microsoft and use its Cloud Navigator plan to digitally transform.  

The partnership is the result of a growing collaboration between the two organisations and assists the council’s ambitious and wide-ranging digital transformation.

The Cloud Navigator plan is being used by Aberdeen City Council to fundamentally change the way it delivers services to more than 200,000 people, improving the experience for customers and staff while being more efficient. This will include the use of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies on Azure.  

The programme includes switching to Microsoft Azure to enable the council to make substantial cost savings by moving data from their existing on-premise storage to the cloud. It will also benefit from improved data security, while also having information made more accessible to employees, allowing them to operate more efficiently. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered programs will help the council engage better with customers, freeing up staff to spend time on more critical issues that affect the community. 

Aberdeen City Council is also maximising the opportunities created by Office 365. By promoting the use of Office 365 services, the local authority hopes to enable employees to more effectively communicate with each other and provide a better service to customers. 

Councillor Jenny Laing, Co-leader of the Council, said: “The use of digital platforms is already helping staff spend less time on administration so they are free to spend more time with customers and provide care and support that is central to the role of the council.” 

Microsoft’s Cloud Navigator programme is designed to make the transition to the cloud as smooth as possible. The tool has been used in public and private sectors, although this is a first for a Scottish council.

Michael Wignall, Director of Azure Business at Microsoft UK said “Aberdeen City Council has identified strong opportunities to better serve its customers by using cloud and communications technology. The Cloud Navigator programme will ensure that the council’s transition to the cloud runs seamlessly as part of a wide-ranging digital transformation. We look forward to other councils benefitting from this technology and unlocking the potential of the cloud.”  

Councillor Douglas Lumsden, Co-leader of the Council, said: “Our exciting collaboration with Microsoft underlines Aberdeen City Council’s commitment to digital transformation and embracing leading edge technology. The introduction of the first Cloud Navigator programme in a Scottish local authority demonstrates the innovation underpinning a radical change in the way we do our business as a Council.”