Last month, we introduced the new Essex Digital Service (EDS). This month, we’re diving a little deeper and unpacking what digital really means and shining a light on the specialist teams that now make up our evolving service.
So… what does “digital” actually mean?
We know the word digital gets used a lot. But it’s not just another way of saying “technology”.
Technology is the tools
These are the things we use every day to get work done:
- Apps: Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp
- Devices: laptops, phones
- Systems: Mosaic, Storm
They’re the nuts and bolts that help us operate.
Digital is the how and why
Digital is about using those tools to make life easier, services better, and work more connected. It’s about designing around people’s needs, improving in small steps, and approaching problems in smarter, modern ways.
Here’s a simple example:
- Technology: Installing a new smartphone app.
- Digital: Rethinking the entire customer journey so people can complete tasks seamlessly online with the app simply supporting the experience.
Digital is about creating better ways of working, not just better systems. It enables colleagues to collaborate more easily, deliver joined up services, and ultimately make a positive difference for residents.
Meet the teams behind Essex Digital Service
EDS is much more than the team that fixes your devices. We’re here to co-design digital solutions with you, solutions that make your work smoother and help deliver the best possible outcomes for the people of Essex.
Our new service brings together a wide range of specialist teams, all working in partnership:
Architecture and Design: Setting the strategic direction for our technology landscape and designing solutions that work now and scale for the future.
- Architecture - defines secure, sustainable standards to ensure digital solutions fit together and support our strategy.
- Business Relationship Management - connects EDS with the organisation, shaping opportunities and guiding priorities to deliver the right improvements.
- Content Design - creates clear, accessible content that helps people quickly understand and use services.
- Design - designs inclusive, evidence based services shaped by real user needs.
Cyber Security: Protecting our data, our systems, and our organisation from evolving threats.
- Disaster Recovery & Resilience - ensures the organisation can withstand, recover from, and continue operating through major disruptions by planning, testing, and strengthening systems against failures.
- Security Architecture - oversees the selection, deployment, and maintenance of security technologies.
- Security Operations - monitors, detects, and responds to threats across an organisation’s systems to keep its digital environment secure and resilient.
- Technology, Policy & Assurance - reviews and updates technical standard operating procedures and information practices to align with the strategy.
Digital Innovation: Exploring emerging tools, testing new ideas, and helping us stay ahead in a rapidly changing digital world.
Operations and Platform: Keeping essential systems running reliably, securely, and efficiently.
- Digital Change & Adoption - supports the adoption of, and learning and development for, new solutions and systems and oversees customer experience.
- Platforms & Infrastructure - forecasts and manages infrastructure resources in alignment with business growth and changing user demands
- Oracle - We manage, secure, and support our Oracle Cloud solutions—covering infrastructure, integrations, and applications to ensure reliable, resilient, and innovative services.
- End User Computing - To ensure every staff member is equipped with secure, reliable, and user-friendly devices and services.
- Service Desk - is responsible for the delivery of technical support and service requests.
- Supplier Partnerships & Service Assurance - oversees the availability, performance, and scalability of the organisation's critical platforms and digital services.
Product and Delivery: Building and improving digital products and services through user-centred design and agile delivery.
- Websites and Customer Facing Portfolio - designs and manages our public-facing websites and digital channels, ensuring residents and customers can easily access information and services online.
- Enabling Technology Portfolio - delivers and maintains the core technologies that underpin our digital products, making sure our tools and platforms are reliable, scalable, and fit for purpose.
- Social Care and Education Portfolio - develops and supports digital solutions for social care and education, helping frontline staff and service users benefit from modern, accessible, and effective digital services.
- Testing - ensures all our digital products and services are robust, secure, and user-friendly by rigorously testing new features and updates before they go live.
Together, these teams form a single, joined up service designed to support colleagues, streamline work, and create better outcomes for residents.
What’s next?
Next month, we’ll share the final update in our EDS launch series—taking a closer look at our new Digital Strategy and Digital Roadmap, and what they mean for you.
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