London Borough Transforms Customer Service with Centralised Knowledge Management Platform

The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (LBBD) has modernised its customer service operations with the implementation of a centralised knowledge management platform, helping frontline teams to resolve citizen enquiries more efficiently and consistently.

The council’s customer service department handles enquiries spanning multiple services, including housing, council tax, benefits, repairs, and environmental services. As demand grew and service information expanded, the organisation identified a need to improve how operational knowledge was stored, accessed and maintained across teams.

Previously, key information was often dispersed across shared drives, documents and internal systems, making it difficult for staff to quickly locate reliable answers during live customer interactions. This was particularly challenging for new employees who had not yet developed the institutional knowledge held by long-tenured colleagues.

“Information was isolated to people who had been with us a long time. New starters didn’t have that knowledge source,” said Marilyn Adeyan, Training, Quality and Development Officer at LBBD.

To address these challenges, the council worked with KPSOL to introduce a centralised knowledge management platform that consolidates operational guidance and service information into a structured, searchable knowledge base. The system provides customer service advisors with a single trusted source of information that can be accessed during calls and digital enquiries.

The shift has helped reduce reliance on informal knowledge sharing and made critical service information more accessible across the organisation. This became particularly important as teams transitioned to more flexible and hybrid working models.

“Without colleagues sitting next to you, it becomes harder to ask quick questions or confirm information,” Marilyn said. “Having a trusted knowledge base available to everyone makes it much easier for staff to find what they need when they need it.”

The knowledge management platform also supports staff training and onboarding. New advisors can access documented processes and service guidance more easily, helping them to become confident in handling enquiries across a wide range of council services.

By centralising operational knowledge, The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham has strengthened its ability to deliver consistent responses to citizens while reducing the time staff spend searching for information or escalating routine queries.

The platform also enables the council to maintain and update service information more effectively, ensuring frontline teams are working from accurate and current guidance.

“KPSOL provided me with all the necessary skills and training to quickly roll out the new knowledge management platform for LBBD,” Marilyn said.

For public sector organisations managing complex service portfolios, knowledge management is increasingly recognised as a critical component of effective customer service operations. Centralised knowledge platforms allow contact centre teams to deliver faster and more consistent responses while helping organisations capture expertise and maintain operational continuity.

As local authorities continue to modernise service delivery and adapt to evolving citizen expectations, structured knowledge management systems are becoming an essential foundation for scalable and resilient customer service operations.