Briefly describe the initiative/ project/service; please include your aims and objectives

In 2017, Wigan Council digitised its bulky waste booking system. As technology evolved, the Waste Services team continued to review and modernise the customer journey. In 2021, the Council approved the implementation of a new waste collection management system, Whitespace, to provide a fully digital in cab solution for all frontline waste and recycling services. As part of this upgrade, the team redesigned and transferred the entire bulky waste process into the new system. The aim was to improve the customer experience, increase operational efficiency, reduce ongoing support costs, and modernise communication with residents through MyAccount. The new digital bulky waste service has now been in place for almost a year. During this time, it has delivered significant improvements including measurable cost savings, increased capacity for residents, improved communication, and a much more streamlined end to end digital journey.

What are the key achievements?

The project had four core objectives:

1. Improve the customer journey

2. Reduce ongoing system support costs

3. Increase collection capacity for residents

4. Create a fully digital communication pathway via MyAccount

Key achievements over the last 12 months include:

• A streamlined, intuitive online request form integrated within residents’ MyAccount.

• £31,693 in projected cost savings over five years due to system consolidation and reduced manual work.

• An increase of 5-6 additional daily bookings per crew an increase of 18.75% across the year, significantly boosting service capacity.

• Improved operational efficiency through reduced back-office processing and automated updates.

• A major improvement in customer communication, with residents receiving immediate updates and photographs if issues occur at collection.

• Enhanced crew productivity, with digital job sheets and auto routed work replacing paper-based daily route planning. These improvements have strengthened collaboration between residents, crews, and back-office teams, while reducing customer contact and creating a smoother, more transparent service.

How Innovative is your initiative?

The previous bulky waste system presented several challenges: the form and slot structure could only be amended by the supplier, processes were entirely paper-based, and communication with residents relied heavily on manual updates at the end of each day. This often resulted in delays, missed information, and duplicated work for the contact centre and back-office teams. The new digital solution resolves all these issues through a fully integrated, interactive webform linked directly to MyAccount and the Whitespace in cab devices.

Key innovations include:

• Real-time resident updates: As soon as crews record an outcome on the in cab device, the system automatically sends tailored email notifications to residents, including next steps and photos uploaded by the crew. This has significantly reduced contact centre enquiries.

• Self service management: Residents can now move, amend, add items to, or cancel their booking directly through MyAccount.

o If adding an item is possible on the same day, the system automatically updates the job.

o If not, it suggests alternative available dates for the full booking.

o Confirmation emails are sent instantly.

• Smarter management of free collections: Wigan residents receive two free bulky collections per year. The new system recognises cancellations and ensures these do not count towards the annual allowance.

• Back office efficiency gains: Previously, the team spent 90 minutes a day:

o contacting crews o printing job sheets

o updating records o notifying residents

All of this has been replaced with automated updates and digital workflows.

• Intelligent in cab routing: Crews used to spend around 20 minutes each morning manually planning their routes from paper sheets. The new system automatically generates the most efficient route, factoring in required visits to the tip, saving time and standardising operations.

Overall, the project has modernised the entire bulky waste process end to end, empowered residents through self service tools, reduced contact volumes, increased collection capacity, and provided a transparent, digital service that benefits residents, crews, and the Council.

What are the key learning points?

The transformation of Wigan’s bulky waste service has generated a number of valuable learning points that can support other councils seeking to modernise resident-facing services. The initiative demonstrates not only what can be achieved with the right digital approach, but how to deliver change in a way that is scalable, replicable, and sustainable.

1. Co design with frontline teams is essential A major lesson was the importance of involving crews, back-office staff and customer service teams throughout development. Their insights ensured the digital workflows mirrored real operational practice rather than theoretical assumptions. This avoided rework later and helped embed the new system quickly. Takeaway for others: Engage frontline staff early; their operational knowledge will shape a system that genuinely works.

2. In house configurability reduces cost and speeds up change Previously, small system changes required supplier intervention, causing delays and extra cost. The new solution allows the council to adapt slot rules, item lists, resident messages and workflows internally. Replicability: Any authority using systems with configurable modules can adopt the same approach to reduce dependence on external suppliers and become more agile.

3. Automating communication reduces avoidable contact Real-time updates direct from in cab devices to residents’ MyAccount—complete with photos and tailored instructions— significantly reduced telephone and email enquiries. Lesson: Automating ‘what happened and what to do next’ reduces uncertainty, improves trust, and lowers pressure on customer services.

4. Evidence capture improves transparency and reduces disputes Requiring crews to upload photos at the point of collection provides clear, real-time evidence when collections cannot be completed (e.g., blocked access, uncovered sofas, incorrect items). Scalability: This model is easily transferable to any service where outcomes require verification—fly tipping, garden waste, highways reporting, housing repairs and more.

5. Self service is a game changer Allowing residents to move, amend, cancel or add items to bookings created huge efficiency gains and enabled the council to maintain policy fairness (e.g., not counting cancelled collections as a free yearly allowance). Lesson for others: True self service must empower residents with full control, not partial booking functions.

6. Auto routing dramatically improves daily productivity Replacing paper-based route planning with automated digital routing saved crews around 20 minutes each morning and increased capacity by 5–6 additional jobs per day. Takeaway: Auto routing should be seen as a foundational feature for any modern waste or field based service.

7. Cross department collaboration drives success Strong partnership between Waste Services, Digital Services, Customer Services and frontline crews accelerated decisionmaking and ensured buy in at every stage. Lesson: Shared ownership breaks down silos and leads to better-designed services that integrate smoothly across teams.

8. The model is highly replicable and scalable This initiative can be adopted widely across local government because:

• It relies on configurable digital tools rather than bespoke coding.

• It integrates with existing in cab or mobile solutions.

• It uses a standard resident portal model (MyAccount).

• It reduces manual work, supporting long-term sustainability. Any service requiring collections, site visits, evidence capture, or outcome recording can replicate this model with minimal adaptation.

Additional Comments

The transformation of Wigan Council’s bulky waste service represents more than a digital upgrade; it reflects a fundamental shift in how the Council designs and delivers services for residents. While the core submission highlights the operational, financial and customer focused benefits, there are several broader achievements that further demonstrate the value of this initiative. A key strength of the project is the exceptional collaboration across teams. Waste Services, Digital Services.