GovComms Institute Podcast

EP#148 Creating Impact Through Customer-Centric Design

Written by GovComms Institute Team | Apr 12, 2023 1:55:20 AM

In this episode of Govcomms, we are joined by the Deputy Secretary of Revenue NSW, Scott Johnston.

Scott is an internationally recognised statistician specialising in economic analysis, with a history of working as a senior leader across the Australian and United Kingdom public sectors.

With our host David Pembroke, Scott discusses why Revenue NSW started to focus on a more customer-centred approach.

“The tension of an organization that's primary purpose through history has been about collecting revenue - 40% of NSW budget comes from us - to stepping back and thinking, ‘Well, if we can provide an exceptional service to three and a half million people, the revenue will take care of itself’. But actually the relationship we have with people, which is an ongoing one, can thrive. That's made us fundamentally look at things differently.” – Scott Johnston

 

“We can use the really big capabilities we have now that we didn't have previously to make a difference. And you can see that word ‘customer’ being embedded in an organisation such as revenue NSW, where probably 5 or 10 years ago, it never would have been able to, but now it's the words we use. We think about what problem are we solving, and it starts with the customer rather than that revenue point.” – Scott Johnston

Further, Scott discusses his views on integrating automation technology and artificial intelligence to improve customer experience.

“I think the key bit for us is, it’s not about being more efficient, even though that's one of the benefits. It’s starting from what problem are we solving and trying to educate our staff on what those opportunities are, because the staff on the frontline are the ones that can see it.” – Scott Johnston

Tune in to the episode to learn how Scott’s leadership in digital transformation and focus on providing high quality customer service is creating impact at Revenue NSW.

Discussed in this episode:

  • Leading digital transformation and customer-centric design
  • Mitigating risks when integrating automation and AI technology
  • Being a humble leader and driving effective collaboration

Transcript for this episode is available here: Ep #148 Creating Impact Through Customer-Centric Design with Scott Johnston