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Ethos Issue 4, Apr 2008
Ten Tips: How to Create a Next Generation Public Service Super-Portal
Rosina Howe-Teo
3. BUILD BUY-IN WITH STAKEHOLDERS
To make ONE.MOTORING possible, LTA had to work closely with external stakeholders such as the transport operators, motor dealers, insurance companies and financial institutions to develop the land transport portal.
From as early as 2000 when LTA presented the concept of ONE.MOTORING as a one stop centre for all motoring needs in Singapore, industry requirements and feedback were gathered. This early start helped to build rapport with business partners and a sense of collaboration towards shared goals that has shaped the evolution of the portal till the present.
When the full suite of e-Services @ONE.MOTORING was officially launched in February 2006, as many of 3,500 personnel from over 750 industry partners were trained by LTA and over 50 site-visits were made to private companies to verify the integration of their systems with the LTA. In addition, at least 800 personnel from 500 motor trade companies participated in the testing of our systems before these were rolled out.
4. BECOME A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
It is not the case that industrial involvement in ONE.MOTORING is driven by top-down government mandate. Instead, it is vital to the long-term viability of the portal, that all participants derive value from their involvement.
One example is a local company that provides online car mart services. They were initially concerned that ONE.MOTORING would compete with their own portal and dilute business opportunities by drawing eyeballs away. They were assured that ONE.MOTORING was not intended to compete with their services, but on the contrary would provide a gateway to their offerings. In the past 18 months, this company has become the No.1 automotive website in Singapore and they have openly attributed their gains in hit-rates to ONE.MOTORING.
The LTA Community Network for Partners is another case in point. ONE.MOTORING is linked to more than 820 motor trade industry partners comprising motor dealers, inspection centres, motor trade associations and payment service-providers. This extensive network of business users taps on LTA’s backend system through ONE.MOTORING for various online services. However, the need to link up with LTA was considered an added business cost for small companies. In anticipation of this business concern, LTA aggregated the demand for high-speed leased lines with the telcos through a LTA-initiated tender. This initiative offers a special group discount scheme to business partners connecting with LTA, while providing a trusted environment where fast and secure e-transactions can be performed.
5. SERVE A REAL COMMUNITY AND GENUINE NEEDS
One key visionary aspect of ONE.MOTORING is its customer-oriented perspective. Land transport is seen not as a way to bring people from point A to point B; it is instead regarded as a vital lifestyle good that affects the quality of life in Singapore.
In servicing the lifestyles and aspirations of the broader motoring community, ONE.MOTORING has become a popular interaction point. Since October 2004, the portal’s 40,000 registered members have participated in nearly 6,000 forum topics and polls. Topics of electronic discussions range from the best motor-parts in town, car maintenance services, fuel consumption to driving tips, lowest parking rates, and useful tips when buying a car in Singapore.
These informal public exchanges complement the formal services provided by LTA and the motoring industry. The end result is a content-rich portal powered by real users, transforming what might have been a typical, functional government portal into a lifestyle hub, enabling communities with similar interests to engage and exchange information.
To stay relevant and ensure that the portal remains “the gateway to all motoring needs in Singapore”, comments and suggestions provided by both individual and business users are fed back as improvements in the portal’s look-and-feel, or as new services and new channels of delivery.
6. HAVE A BIAS FOR ACTION, NOT PERFECTION
The business plan for ONE.MOTORING took less than four months to conceptualise, but its actual implementation took place over several years and through several phases of thematic implementation.
The real challenge was not the availability of technology, but of change management. LTA recognised that different companies in the motoring industry varied in terms of readiness to come onboard the portal. Each company had its own business priorities; each needed time to review their existing processes.
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