Client Profile
Situated in the vibrant state of Victoria, Australia, the City of Port Phillip stands as a dynamic hub of community engagement and cultural diversity. City of Port Phillip is a local government area within metropolitan Melbourne serving a community of 103,550 residents, 85,000 ratable properties, and numerous bookable facilities across the council’s 20.7 km area. The council is a cornerstone of local governance and service provision. Notable venues include community centers, town halls, the Esplanade Market, outdoor event spaces, and sports and recreation facilities.
Challenges Faced
Before embracing OptimoGov, the City of Port Phillip encountered several challenges in managing venue bookings effectively. While utilising several different legacy booking systems across different business units, the council faced limitations, particularly in calendar functionality and the absence of a public web booking interface.
The OptimoGov Solution
In a strategic initiative to address these challenges, the City of Port Phillip worked with OptimoGov to create a solution that was tailored to meet the council’s specific requirements, encompassing a comprehensive suite of features and integrations. Key components include the OPTIMO Booking Calendar, Booking Manager, Document Generator, Task Manager, Casual and Regular Online Public Portals, Reports, and Event Registrations, Courses & Classes Registration functionalities. Integration with internal systems such as TechnologyOne and Azure AD ensures seamless operations and data accuracy. Additionally, primary features and integrations implemented include Diary, ECM, Email Integration, BPay to Support Bank Format, BPoint, Customised Report, Task Management with Reminder, Function Sheet, and Waitlist.
The City of Port Phillip’s business areas that use OptimoGov span Community Venues & Town Hall, the Esplanade Market, Outdoor Events, and Sports and Recreation. Since 2020, the City of Port Phillip has worked with OptimoGov, forming a strong and responsive relationship to deliver, support, and implement a booking management system that replaced spreadsheets and inconsistent tools previously used to manage booking event sites. Booking Officers have found OptimoGov easy to use, significantly redefining and managing the service bookings offered to the community. Logged issues are addressed within Service Level Agreements, meeting high standards. The portal’s flexibility and automation capabilities are critical to City of Port Phillip’s business processes, supporting the community effectively.
Implementation and Outcomes
The implementation of OptimoGov marked a significant shift in the City of Port Phillip’s council venue management practices. With setups and configurations for portals, integrations, and internal bookings auto settlements completed, the council experienced improved efficiency and user experience. Seamless bookings via the Internal Booking Manager and Casual and Regular Booking Portals have streamlined operations, while features like email integration with Outlook, diary notes, automated notifications, and task management enhance communication and workflow. Additionally, custom reports and function sheets facilitate informed decision-making and resource allocation.
The council has also experienced numerous benefits through enhanced features such as the Customer Portal, Email Correspondence, Diary Notes, and Task Management. These improvements have led to more efficient handling of bookings, higher customer satisfaction, and improved communication and workflow.
Belinda from the City of Port Phillip shares her experience:
“OptimoGov has been great to work with from their implementation to their almost immediate response support. Our community has the opportunity to self-serve, and our council users are loving how they can really serve the community effectively from managing their bookings on behalf of them to providing a true CX (Customer Experience), taking pride in their work due to efficiencies that have resulted in positive customer satisfaction and feedback.”
Future Collaboration
The City of Port Phillip looks forward to continued collaboration with OptimoGov, aiming for ongoing innovation and improvement in venue management. City of Port Phillip remains committed to delivering exceptional services to its residents while driving efficiency and excellence in community engagement and event management.
For more information visit our website optimogov.com.