Lewisham Council has partnered with Route 101 to deploy a cloud contact centre platform designed to improve accessibility and resident experience while supporting digital inclusion, automation and more efficient council services.
Route 101, a leading citizen experience specialist, has partnered with Lewisham Council to deploy a future-ready cloud contact centre platform, modernising how residents access council services and creating a scalable foundation for the Council’s long-term Digital Transformation.
Built on NiCE CXone with Gamma connectivity, the new platform replaces the Council’s 8×8 contact centre technology with a secure, AI-enabled solution. This will allow the Council to manage demand more intelligently, reduce avoidable contact, streamline customer journeys and maximise value from public funds.
A key part of the transformation is the introduction of Cognigy Conversational AI to support the Council’s switchboard. Instead of navigating traditional menu-based options, residents can describe the service or person they need and be intelligently directed to the appropriate destination.
This approach is designed to reduce unnecessary transfers, improve first-contact resolution and help residents reach the right council services more quickly. By automating interactions and intelligently routing enquiries, the platform will also enable staff to focus on more complex interactions where human support is most valuable.
The partnership reflects a shared vision to improve accessibility, resident experience, digital inclusion and operational efficiency across council services, supporting Lewisham’s wider ambition to become an increasingly accessible, digitally enabled and citizen-focused borough.
Fiona Virtue, Head of Public Sector at Route 101, said: “Local authorities are under increasing pressure to deliver excellent services while managing growing demand and finite resources. By combining cloud technology, AI and automation, Lewisham is creating a platform that can improve accessibility, simplify citizen journeys and help staff focus where they add the greatest value.
“The speed of the initial deployment reflects the strength of the partnership between Lewisham Council and Route 101, alongside the maturity of our implementation approach. We’re proud to be supporting Lewisham as it puts cloud and AI technology into practice in ways that can make a meaningful difference for residents and council staff.”
