This deep-dive article explores West Dunbartonshire Council's ambitious digital transformation programme, which replaces decades of manual workforce management with a unified system. The council sought to digitise processes across multiple service areas and upskill the workforce.
Background: Manual Processes and Fragmented Systems
Before adopting Omnijo, council services relied on manual phone calls, spreadsheets and paper timesheets to manage staff availability and payroll. Payroll staff faced hundreds of lines to review under tight deadlines, leading to delays and errors. Different systems evolved over a decade and did not communicate with each other.
The council's existing timesheet system was scheduled for retirement. Rather than panic, the team saw an opportunity to fix processes properly. They chose not to buy a generic off-the-shelf product because local government has unique terms, conditions and audit obligations and required a supplier willing to tailor the system to their needs.
Motivation and Vision
Stella Kinloch, who leads the transformation from a payroll and operations perspective, believes the initiative is more than just digitising existing processes: it's about upskilling the workforce, creating transparency and delivering genuine efficiencies. The council aims to move away from "one-way traffic" in timesheet submission, giving managers and staff visibility over shifts and pay.
Why a Unified System?
Inefficiencies were obvious
Processes to find staff and record overtime hadn't changed in ten years; duplication, waste and error rates needed to be addressed.
Digital transformation goals
West Dunbartonshire Council aims to achieve high standards of management and deliver positive outcomes through automation, workforce visibility and cost control.
Data-driven decisions
Having access to management information and live data enables better service design and decision making.
Programme Rollout
The council began with the facilities management team (catering and cleaning staff), which used many timesheets and posed low risk for pilot testing. Successes in this group encouraged adoption across other services.
The team uses existing data to prioritise departments with high timesheet volumes and error rates, introduces the system through demos and training sessions, and follows a roadmap to roll out the solution systematically.
Building a Bespoke Solution
Local government workforces have unique terms and conditions. The council wanted a supplier that would listen, understand, and tailor the product to meet their framework and payroll requirements. Workshops with service areas identified key deliverables and shaped the project's scope.
Advice for Other Councils
Stella Kinloch offers the following guidance to organisations considering digitising workforce management:
Map processes and pain points
Identify inefficiencies before implementing a digital system; do not replicate problematic processes.
Be agile and willing to change
Adopt an agile mindset, be ready to adapt and involve decision makers to maintain momentum.
Collaborate and communicate
Engage key stakeholders regularly, maintain good planning and communication with workers, administrators and managers, and provide solutions promptly.
