Powering ahead with iManage Cloud Epping Forest District Council saves 12 hours every week
Reducing costs and improving security were our main goals. With fewer servers to manage and maintain, we expected savings — but we didn’t anticipate just how much time we’d win back through iManage Cloud’s streamlined processes.
Peter Black
ICT Assistant Business Partner – Digital
Epping Forest District Council
Overview:
Nestled in the historic woodlands of west Essex, Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) serves over 130,000 residents across a vibrant mix of suburban hubs like Epping, Loughton, and Chigwell, and expansive rural communities. But with a shrinking team managing the Local Land and Property Gazetteer (LLPG) and street naming and numbering (SNN), EFDC needed a smarter, faster way to keep services running smoothly.
From desktop to cloud – a seamless transformation
EFDC has been using Idox’s iManage desktop Gazetteer Management System (GMS) since 2021. Integrating our street naming and numbering management tool (SNN) with our GMS has provided the Council with a cohesive platform for creating and managing property and street data.
Faced with tighter budgets and fewer staff, the Council set its sights on a future-ready, cloud-based solution – iManage Cloud. When we met with Peter Black, ICT Assistant Business Partner – Digital at EFDC, he told us, “Reducing costs and improving security were our main goals. With fewer servers to manage and maintain, we expected savings — but we didn’t anticipate just how much time we’d win back through iManage Cloud’s streamlined processes.”
In September 2024, EFDC made the switch. “The migration was seamless — excellent support from start to finish with zero disruption to our day-to-day operations,” Peter added.
12 hours saved every week – here’s how
iManage Cloud’s intelligent design and user-first features are delivering major time savings: 12 hours every single week — that’s nearly three months of working time reclaimed each year.
Here’s where some of the savings are made:
- Bulk editing: What used to be a tedious, manual task is now done in minutes — saving 2 hours weekly.
- Smart property classification: Users no longer need to memorise codes. Just type a word like “detached,” and iManage Cloud fills in the rest, including the code — especially helpful for newer staff.
- Plot to postal automation: Turning development plots into postal addresses is now lightning-fast and effortless, speeding up coordination with Land Registry and the Valuation Office.
- Resume work instantly: The system reopens with your most recent records front and centre — no more digging to pick up where you left off.
“These enhancements have been a real breakthrough for our smaller team,” said Peter. “With less resources, we rely on tools like this to keep up service levels.”
Value beyond the Council
The benefits of iManage Cloud don’t stop with EFDC. The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) is also seeing gains, thanks to faster exports of data like tree preservation orders and ground fill site info — critical for national infrastructure planning.
Looking ahead, as EFDC prepares to join forces with neighbouring councils under the government’s devolution plans, the scalability and security of the cloud will be key. iManage Cloud ensures it’s ready — agile, secure, and future-proof.
Looking to streamline the LLPG or Local Street Gazetteer (LSG) management in your council?
Join EFDC and make the switch to iManage Cloud — where smarter systems mean stronger services.
