OP ED by TechnologyOne Chief Operating Officer, Stuart MacDonald
Local councils are under growing pressure to deliver faster, simpler and more connected services — at a time when residents expect the same seamless, always-on experience they receive from banks, retailers and the on-demand economy.
Everyday tasks such as reporting issues, understanding property information or navigating local regulations can still be frustrating and fragmented. These pain points are real. Complex systems, inconsistent information and manual processes create delays, friction and amount to growing service expectations that councils must somehow meet.
This is exactly where Guide changes the story.
Guide is TechnologyOne’s new agentic AI capability, built directly into council systems to shift the entire experience from searching to solving. Rather than forcing residents to hunt through pages, portals or PDFs, Guide interprets intent and takes the next step on their behalf — providing fast, personalised, human-centred support in natural language. It’s a breakthrough moment for local government: a way to deliver modern, proactive services without adding headcount or layering on new complexity.
From reactive portals to intelligent conversations
For years, digital portals have helped councils publish information and digitise forms. While important, portals still require residents to know what they’re looking for, which form applies and which department is responsible — a process many find frustrating. Guide turns that model on its head.
Residents simply can say the issue:
“I need to book a hardwaste pickup,”
“I’m moving into the area,”
“There’s a pothole on my street,”
“How risky is this suburb for flooding?”
Guide connects these dots behind the scenes and navigates systems and processes, so people don’t have to. It reduces reliance on call centres, removes guesswork, and gives residents answers in seconds.
Designed for daily life, not bureaucracy
Local government services are woven into the fabric of everyday life, and Guide is built around that reality.
Take a house move. Previously, a new resident might have needed to check bin schedules, find bulkywaste rules and complete multiple forms — often across different pages or departments. With Guide, one question triggers the entire flow, making the process quicker for residents and more efficient for councils.
The same applies to reporting issues. A cyclist can snap a photo of a pothole and log it instantly, prompting the right maintenance team without navigating multiple steps. When councils make reporting easier, issues get resolved faster, communities stay safer, and trust strengthens. These small but meaningful improvements are exactly where Guide shines — simplifying interactions that happen thousands of times every hour.
Proactive support when it matters most
Guide isn’t just about speed or convenience. It’s a powerful tool for residents’ requirements and community wellbeing. Guide can help residents locate emergency information faster in the event of severe weather events, and flag relevant council services based on context, not guesswork.
This is the future of local government: services designed around life events, not internal structures.
TechnologyOne already supports councils serving 73% of Australians and nearly half of New Zealand’s local governments. This scale matters. It means Guide is built on platforms councils already know, trust and depend on — reducing risk and accelerating meaningful impact.
While Local governments have strong digital foundations. Guide builds on that groundwork, stepping confidently into a new era of community-centred service delivery.
