Delivering Improved Service Visibility and Smarter Routing for Oadby & Wigston Borough Council

We’ve recently been partnering with Oadby & Wigston Borough Council, improving their waste management services and making life as easy as possible for drivers and back-office staff.

Using our SmartSuite and RouteSmart solutions, we have improved their reporting capabilities, service oversight and route efficiency – all while delivering excellent customer service and hands-on support.

The Client

The Leicester towns of Oadby and Wigston united under one Borough Council in 1974. They now serve around 57,000 residents and are responsible for delivering key frontline services, including waste collection, recycling, and environmental maintenance across the borough.

Like many councils, they rely on efficient systems and clear communication between back-office teams and drivers to maintain high service standards for residents.

Having previously implemented new technology from another provider, the Council’s requirement for strong ‘hands-on’ customer service and support, together with powerful but intuitive software, led them to our door.

The Challenge

When we met Oadby & Wigston Council, our challenge was to re-engage their Waste Service Drivers and back-office team. Both sides needed to see and experience the operational benefits and efficiencies they had expected from their previous supplier.

Drawn to Integrated Skills for our cutting-edge software, industry knowledge and unwavering support, our aim was to more than live up to expectations.

The Approach

We worked closely with the council to understand their goals and challenges. Beginning in May 2025, the project was delivered in two key phases:

1. SmartSuite Implementation

SmartSuite was introduced as the council’s core in-vehicle and back-office solution. A structured implementation plan was created, starting with a detailed discovery session to identify how SmartSuite could be configured to overcome their pain points.

Key elements included:

• Deployment across 23 vehicles
• A data refresh and route setup
• System configuration, tailored to operational needs
• On-site training for office staff and drivers
• Ongoing check-ins and face-to-face support

This ensured the system was operationally aligned and ready to use from day one.

2. RouteSmart Optimisation

Following the successful rollout of SmartSuite and positive feedback from teams on the ground, the council invested in RouteSmart. Set up by Integrated Skills, this allowed the Council to control their own route optimisation, offering greater flexibility and long-term efficiency.

The rollout included:

• Two structured training sessions
• Full integration between RouteSmart and SmartSuite
• The creation and deployment of optimised routes directly to drivers

Overcoming Challenges

One minor issue was the need to move the Council from older, bulkier Windows tablets to newer, Android devices which required different in-cab fittings. This was quickly resolved by our support team who aided in the purchase of the correct cradles.

Secondly, some areas of Oadby & Wigston experience known GPS signal challenges. To resolve this, we hand-delivered additional GPS receivers, which ensured consistent performance and avoided disruption to operations.

The Results

Our Implementation Consultant, Jonathan Uttley, who managed the rollout for Oadby & Wigston, gave us his thoughts on the results of project:

“The team at Oadby & Wigston now have enhanced visibility via real time driver reporting, optimised in cab routes, and clear communication of assisted collections and service updates directly to drivers.”

Since going live, the council has seen strong adoption of the system, particularly among drivers. SmartSuite is now being used pro-actively for real-time reporting and service validation, including:

• Contamination reporting (e.g. incorrect materials, foam, electrical items)
• Identification of non-compliant bins (e.g. no valid garden waste sticker)
• Bin presentation issues
• Driver comments to support service decisions

This reporting provides valuable operational insight and helps prevent duplication of effort. Drivers are clearly engaging with the system and using it to improve service quality, which is great to see.

Dominique Druce, System Support Officer at Oadby & Wigston, gave us her thoughts on the project so far:

“Integrated Skills stand out because of their excellent software, but also their customer service. We felt supported and heard from day one as we were able to speak to Jonathan directly throughout. We can drop him a message and be confident of a response within the working day, with all of our ideas taken on board and put into future plans.

They were flexible in accommodating a few delays on our end, went the extra mile by meeting with us in person to train teams and solve problems, and are just generally great to work with.

Change is always tricky for established staff, but we’ve had a largely positive response and can see the effects of the new software at play already.”

Looking Ahead

The next phase of the project will focus on expanding the use of SmartSuite and RouteSmart into jobs management. This will include scheduling, and managing services such as:

• Grass cutting
• Litter collection
• Playground inspections
• Tractor mowing

Training has already been delivered, and Integrated Skills will support the council with a refresher and data setup when they are ready to proceed.

Ongoing Support

We take huge pride in providing a user experience like no other. Our clients receive a high level of support throughout their initial set up and beyond, including:

• Direct access to a designated Implementation Consultant
• In-person training
• Quick-fire responses via email and other forms of messaging
• Full access to the Integrated Skills support desk

This high level of contact helps build a strong working relationship and ensures any issues were resolved quickly – something Oadby & Wigston were grateful for after a less-than-ideal experience with another supplier.

Summary

By combining SmartSuite with RouteSmart, Oadby & Wigston Borough Council now has clear visibility of frontline operations, greater control over their route optimisation, improved communication with drivers and a trusted support partner.

Most importantly, they now have a system that works for both the office and the crews on the ground.