Introduction
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council serves a population of approx. 185,200 residents, delivering housing, planning, environmental, waste, benefits, and democratic services. With 600 staff and 54 councillors, the Council plays a central role in supporting the community.
Digital transformation underpins the Council’s future strategy. Through targeted investment in technology, the organisation aims to enhance the quality of services, ensuring residents benefit from a seamless and accessible digital experience.
The Challenge
The Council had been operating on an ageing, on‑premise version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM that had become increasingly difficult to maintain and upgrade.
Securing reliable external support was a key consideration as the Council determined that upgrading to the latest version of Dynamics was the most effective path forward, with the added advantage of enabling closer integration across the wider Microsoft environment.
The Solution
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council chose to upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service in the cloud, aligning its technology platform with the way the organisation actually works.
To ensure the success of this transition, the council sought a partner with proven expertise in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and the capability to manage the complex migration. After completing the procurement process, the Council selected Synergy Technology.
By moving to Dynamics 365 and partnering with Synergy, the council secured a supportable and future‑proof platform while laying the foundations for a broader IT ecosystem, one that connects CRM, telephony, and other core systems to deliver efficiency, resilience, and a better experience for staff and residents.
The implementation was a joint effort between Synergy Technology and the council’s internal team. Synergy provided targeted expertise where it added the most value, leading the migration and environment setup while collaborating closely with internal staff on integration and training.
By combining external expertise with internal knowledge, the council ensured a smooth transition to Dynamics 365, strengthened staff capability, and established a sustainable support model for the future.
From the outset, the working relationship between the council and Synergy Technology was open, collaborative, and well structured. Synergy provided account management, project oversight, consultancy, and technical support, ensuring that requirements were clearly defined and delivered effectively.
Synergy also advised on the use of an additional migration tool to de‑risk and streamline the move to the cloud. The tool was tested and implemented successfully, contributing to a seamless migration process.
Throughout the project, Synergy remained flexible around the council’s internal timelines, accommodating changes and ensuring delivery remained on track. The collaboration resulted in a successful migration and established a strong, ongoing relationship between the council and Synergy Technology.
The Results
Since going live on Dynamics 365 Customer Service, the council has experienced greater agility and ease of change. Implementing new requirements is now faster and more efficient, with the cloud environment enabling streamlined processes and improved responsiveness.
Planned integration with the contact centre telephony system will enable enhanced customer engagement, including surveys and 360‑degree feedback, all managed through CRM. This will further strengthen service delivery and provide richer insights into resident needs.
Working with Synergy Technology has ensured a smooth, low‑risk transition to the cloud, delivering a more responsive platform for change and establishing a trusted partnership to support continuous improvement.
The Future
The council plans to broaden its use of Dynamics 365 Customer Service as the core platform for resident interactions and service management. Upcoming integrations with telephony, waste management processes, and online forms will further enhance efficiency, with the contact centre actively contributing new requirements.
The move to the cloud, supported by tools such as Power Automate, is expected to deliver more streamlined and consistent processes across service areas, reducing manual effort and enabling faster responses to residents. A stronger focus on reporting and data will help the council better understand demand, track performance, and identify opportunities for service improvement.
With an ongoing support contract and a proven collaborative relationship, the council is well positioned to continue expanding its use of Dynamics 365, leveraging Synergy Technology’s expertise to drive future upgrades, new features, and digital improvements that benefit both staff and residents.
Want More Information on Implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service?
Synergy Technology are an official partner of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service, and have years of experience of implementing Microsoft systems. We can help you make the switch while minimising disruption to your business.
If you would like to know more, contact us on 03454560050 or email us through our contact page, and one of our expert consultants will be happy to take you through the details.
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“It’s been one of the nicest experiences I’ve had to be honest. The Synergy account manager was really good at managing the requirements and setting up the contract in the first instance. The project manger was fantastic from the Synergy side, so again, working with her, the CRM consultant and support team was really good.”
“We just felt completely supported, and then when we had additional requirements for some help with development we had a developer who was really good. Very patient, but very clear what our requirements were.”
“I think everyone just approached it really well and we had some really good weekly meetings. I think we were always on the same page, but yes, it seemed to work really well.”