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BELFAST, IRELAND -- (Marketwired) -- 06/12/13 -- Local governments in the UK could save a collective £ 70 million a year if better knowledge management systems were implemented, according to KANA Software, Inc.

KANA software and services are used by more than one-third of UK local governments. Estimates, based on the number of UK local governments with sub-optimal knowledge management systems, suggest that an annual £ 70 million could be released for a relatively nominal investment: investments that could be returned for a larger organisation in nine to 12 months or less. The estimate is based on data from KANA implementations extrapolated to take account of the addressable universe in UK local government. The figure excludes potential significant savings at national government level.

KANA is releasing its analysis as it prepares to sponsor the Citizen 2013 conference for public sector representatives on Thursday, June 13 at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London.

So-called "Digital-First" initiatives, which provide easier self-service answers to citizens on a multitude of subjects, are proving to be more effective and cost efficient for information provision to citizens than traditional service channels that are prone to duplication, inconsistency and expensive inefficiency. All too often however -- particularly in local government -- websites deliver a cumbersome jumble of departmentally-organised menus and options too daunting for the general public to navigate, leading people to pick up the phone and dramatically increase service expenses.

According to KANA, estimates based on its support of more than 250 government agencies indicate that more than 60 percent of calls into local councils are requests for information. KANA concludes that if council websites included self-serve knowledge systems at their core, a large proportion of all these calls would not happen. A KANA knowledge management implementation for a European council, for example, showed more than 50 percent of those calls were deflected to the Web. With knowledge systems also making service advisors at least 20 percent more efficient, the KANA analysis suggests that UK councils implementing similar strategies could be 36 percent more efficient within their contact centres, saving approximately £ 750,000 per annum for an average 75-seat operation.

"At a time when local governments are being forced to make tough budgetary decisions, improving knowledge systems could be a way to make significant savings," said David Moody, head of worldwide product strategy for KANA. "We know this from our own experience of implementations in the UK and internationally. Local governments are currently being pressured by central government into making many services 'digital by default' and better knowledge management is a low hanging fruit. Whilst in many ways the UK has led the rest of the world in improving access to public services, this is one aspect of customer service where many local governments are behind the curve despite the benefits being self-evident."

Citizen 2013 Conference for Next-Generation Government Engagement

At Citizen 2013, KANA will help advise how citizen interactions with government are evolving with the adoption of modern communication channels, such as social, mobile and Web-based applications, and the support of knowledge management and Web self-service systems. The agenda, supported by more than 30 expert speakers, including a keynote address by Max Claps, director of IDC Government Insights, will help public bodies better understand what they must do to operate against a backdrop of continuing austerity measures and position their organisations to achieve significant operational savings.

Bob Mann, director of business development for KANA, will share opening remarks with the conference assembly and participate in two panel discussions examining how governments can implement the processes and infrastructure necessary to support the emergence of digital citizens.

About KANA Software
KANA understands the value of great Customer Service experiences. We know every channel through which a customer communicates. We provide on-premises and cloud solutions for large enterprise, mid-market and public sector organisations. By unifying and maintaining context for customer journeys across agent, Web, social and mobile experiences, KANA solutions have reduced handling time and increased resolution rates at more than 900 organisations worldwide -- including many of the Fortune 500 and more than 250 government agencies. At KANA, we help create differentiated and personalized customer experiences that count.

KANA is based in Silicon Valley, California and has offices worldwide. For more information visit www.kana.com, phone +1 800-737-8738, and follow KANA on Twitter @KANAsoftware.

KANA is a registered trademark of KANA Software, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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