Smarter Working – Winners

Scott Mordue

January 20, 2025

AVOIRA’S INNOVATIVE LOCAL AUTHORITY PROJECT WINS GOVERNMENT SPONSORED TECH AWARD

An innovative call centre solution devised by Bury-headquartered value-added-reseller Avoira has won a government-sponsored Smarter Working Live award.

Built around the Xdroid speech analytics platform, the project has transformed operations at the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham’s (LBBD) three contact centres.

Having switched from random and manual call quality monitoring, the Avoira solution means the local authority can capture, transcribe, score and report on every one of 300,000 calls handled by its customer service staff annually.

As well as delivering detailed performance data, the bespoke deployment of Xdroid is allowing LBBD to better identify and support vulnerable residents. It also automatically flags challenging calls so appropriate steps can be taken to manage agent wellbeing.

The project‘s success was recognised when it was named winner in the Customer Experience – Innovation as a Service category at the awards which showcase outstanding examples of smarter working and positive change across the public sector.

Commenting on the award win Ian Taylor, Avoira’s Head of CX, said: “It is both a tremendous honour and a testament to the power of Xdroid and Avoira’s skill in developing bespoke solutions which deliver formidable service and productivity benefits.”

It was a great honour to win the Customer Experience – Innovation as a Service category. Our team has consistently worked hard to ensure that our customer journey is seamless for our residents. Additionally, it is crucial for me to monitor employee wellbeing, as it directly impacts our ability to care for our residents. This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of my team, alongside Avoira, who challenged our thinking and helped us develop new skills along the way.
Sabina Onwuka, LBBD’s Head of Customer Services

Organised by specialist public sector publication GovNews the awards are ponsored by the Government Property Agency (GPA), the body charged with delivering property and workplace solutions which enable more efficient and effective use of government buildings.

GPA interim Chief Executive Officer Mark Bourgeois explained that:

“Smarter Working remains a key part of the GPA’s vision for a transformed, shared, sustainable and value for money government estate supporting civil servants to work productively in every nation and region of the UK, adding that hosting the awards allows the GPA to “bring people together from across the public sector to share and celebrate innovations, experiences and ideas for a continually improving workplace experience.”

The LBBD project took the award in the face of stiff competition with the shortlist including entries a range of prestigious list of public sector bodies. These included the Environment Agency, Royal Air Force and world-renowned Royal Papworth Hospital.

The shortlisting follows Avoira’s success in securing trophies at both national and international awards for pioneering deployments of Xdroid.

These include winning Best Improvement Project in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at the Contact Center World Global Top Ranking Performers awards, the National Insurance Awards‘ Initiative of the Year and Best SME Contact Centre Solution at Comms Dealers’ own Comms National Awards.