Seven Forces
We worked with the police forces for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, members of the Seven Forces strategic alliance, to identify practical and sustainable efficiency improvements in key shared service areas. Through deep-dive reviews of business functions, we helped uncover significant capacity savings, develop a robust portfolio of opportunities and supported future transformation planning.
The challenge
The strategic alliance between Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire was formed to improve operational efficiency across policing services. In the face of growing financial pressure, the alliance commissioned a series of deep-dive reviews to identify opportunities to streamline operations, reduce redundancy and improve the effectiveness of shared functions such as ICT, HR and Professional Standards.
The reviews aimed to:
Understand current demand and inefficiencies in high-volume service areas.
Identify opportunities for automation, process improvement and role redesign.
Develop evidence-based options for financial savings and improved service delivery.
The result
Ignite delivered a structured and collaborative review programme, working closely with senior leaders, operational teams and subject matter experts.
Key areas of delivery included:
ICT demand and service review: analysis of service requests and support patterns to identify demand reduction opportunities.
HR activity analysis: detailed task-level assessment to understand workload, duplication and improvement areas.
Process documentation and automation: mapping of current processes in HR and Professional Standards, with identification of automation potential.
Organisational pain point review: workshops and data collection to surface recurring issues and develop mitigation strategies.
Learning and development review: recommendations for increased use of digital learning and operational adaptability.
Transformation process assessment: review of change priorities and portfolio alignment with strategic goals.
The reviews resulted in a robust portfolio of 129 improvement opportunities, with the potential to release 50 FTE or £2.7 million in capacity across the alliance.
What made it successful
Data-led delivery: comprehensive activity analysis, process mapping and financial modelling provided an evidence base for decisions.
Collaborative approach: weekly updates, milestone reviews and daily stand-ups supported strong joint working with senior leadership and departments.
Clear structure: reviews were organised around key themes, enabling targeted recommendations and clear opportunity tracking.
Operational insight: workshops with managers and staff ensured that insights reflected service realities and were grounded in frontline experience.
Practical outputs: a full business case, live benefit tracker and detailed findings presentation enabled the alliance to progress delivery quickly.