Scottish Wide Area Network reports 94% satisfaction score for public sector users

07 April 2021

SWAN is one of the largest public sector technology programmes in Scotland. It was established to develop a single shared network and common ICT infrastructure for all of Scotland’s public sector workforce.

SWAN allows the NHS, the Scottish Government and local authorities to deliver improved digital services across Scotland in a way that is secure and cost-efficient. Previously, residents in remote and island regions may have needed to travel long distances to use local services that can now be facilitated by SWAN. As well as a wide area network, SWAN infrastructure includes support services, such as helpdesks, reporting, billing and technical support.

The latest customer satisfaction survey results show that 98% of respondents’ overall experience of working with SWAN has been beneficial, up from 94% in 2019. Respondents were overwhelmingly positive about the SWAN Service Desk, which functions as a key support service, with 97% reporting that they were satisfied.

Future business needs were accounted for in the survey, with 95% of respondents agreeing that SWAN provides innovative business solutions that will meet the future needs of their organisation, up from 87% in the previous survey. Meeting the expectations of customers also scored highly, with 96% of respondents agreeing that SWAN has met or exceeded their expectations.

The survey was conducted independently to measure customer satisfaction overall and by customer categories, and to identify future service improvement opportunities. Feedback has improved every year since the survey was first commissioned in 2015, and the response rate to the latest survey increased by a third over the preceding year.

It is hugely encouraging that respondents to our latest customer satisfaction survey are reporting even higher levels of satisfaction than a year ago. Since the launch of the SWAN network, organisations have benefited from better network connectivity that has resulted in improved services and support for their communities. During the pandemic, the importance of our connectivity framework has taken on a new significance, especially for organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults.

Mel Buchanan, SWAN Senior Client Director at Capita Technology Solutions

Following a uniquely challenging year for many, it is particularly rewarding to report that 98% of respondents to our customer survey agree that working with SWAN has been beneficial for their organisation. However, overwhelmingly positive feedback is not something we take for granted. We remain determined to keep delivering and exceeding the expectations of our customers and, by listening carefully to feedback, implement further improvements to their service going forward.

Lorraine Hume, SWAN Service Director at Capita Technology Solutions