How to deliver policing using modern ERP
The Home Office’s Police Officer Uplift programme increased officer numbers by more than 20,000 over a three-year period.
With this influx of personnel came a direct stress on policing’s back-office functions. More than a quarter of a million applications were processed during the programme. Of the 43 forces involved, 26 were using the same system to manage this task. Yet every one of these forces used a different workflow. This lack of standardisation created data silos. This meant valuable information about hiring rates, personnel skill levels, and time spent on administrative tasks was restricted to individual forces. Without this data, a bigger picture of the time taken over an enormous administrative project was partially lost.
How police forces can reduce the burden of admin tasks
At present, processes are constrained within policing. There is no holistic overview of the business needs of back-office staff. This, in turn, impacts front-line policing as back-office staff are not able to put in place seamless workflows that deliver the information officers need. Administrative tasks present an enormous issue regarding productivity within policing. It is estimated by the NPCC that 443,000 officer hours are spent dealing with administrative tasks, a figure that equates to the attendance of 270,000 burglaries, 220,000 domestic abuse incidents, or almost 740,000 incidents of antisocial behaviour. (2) This demonstrates just how much of a drain legacy workflows in administrative tasks are for policing. They are directly taking time away from providing efficient services to vulnerable members of the public. The implementation of modern digital solutions has the potential to revolutionise back-office policing.
Using modern ERP to improve police services
Modern Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications can exploit technological advances such as cloud computing. This means that information and valuable data is no longer siloed but can be shared securely and flexibly. This creates a seamless integration enabling staff to carry out necessary administrative tasks efficiently. It also allows new officers to be onboarded and deployed in a timely manner and answers public calls for more police on the beat. Police forces can implement solutions such as these incrementally, with each iteration made at a time to suit their individual budget and requirements. This modular approach means there is little interference in the day-to-day operations of staff, but the beneficial impact of change is still felt.
How then, can we ensure that solutions such as these are implemented holistically considering the knock-on effects of back-office operations in policing?
How to create a more innovative police force
The third section of our new whitepaper ‘Arrested Development: How to create a more innovative police force’ addresses the holistic nature of implementing solutions such as these. It takes the reader on a deep dive into how digital solutions, specifically ERP, can drastically improve police productivity. The white paper explores:
As part of our exploration into how to implement ERP within police forces, we’ve also produced a brand-new podcast. ‘How modern ERP strategies impact & enable Smart Policing across the UK’ is the third of a four-part series in which we explore the obstacles facing HR and Finance departments in policing.
Our timely, informative and accessible conversation features some of the leading digital thinkers in the field of policing technology today. Sharing their knowledge and experience are:
Director of Resources, Assistant Chief Officer (Section 151 Officer) at Staffordshire Police
Former Deputy Chief Constable and Programme Manager for the Strategic Workforce Uplift Programme at National Police Chiefs Council
Public Sector Director at HSO
John and Janette delved into the modern challenges faced by the police, while Andy shared his insightful industry-based learnings. The conversation explored such questions as:
Podcast and Whitepaper from this series
Listen to our podcast and read our whitepaper from this series
Microsoft Technology for Police Forces
Microsoft Technology for Police Forces
Prevent and reduce the fear of crime, and improve the quality of life for all members of the public with Microsoft technology.
