Future-ready platform will improve accessibility and resident experience while supporting digital inclusion and more efficient council services
Bristol, UK – 13th October 2026 – Route 101, a leading citizen experience specialist, has partnered with Lewisham Council to deploy a future-ready cloud contact centre platform, modernising how residents access council services and creating a scalable foundation for the Council’s long-term digital transformation.
Built on NiCE CXone with Gamma connectivity, the new platform replaces the Council’s 8x8 contact centre technology with a secure, AI-enabled solution. This will allow the Council to manage demand more intelligently, reduce avoidable contact, streamline customer journeys, and maximise value from public funds.
A key part of the transformation is the introduction of Cognigy Conversational AI to support the Council’s switchboard. Instead of navigating traditional menu-based options, residents can describe the service or person they need and be intelligently directed to the appropriate destination.
This approach is designed to reduce unnecessary transfers, improve first-contact resolution, and help residents reach the right council services more quickly. By automating interactions and intelligently routing enquiries, the platform will also enable staff to focus on more complex interactions where human support is most valuable.
The partnership reflects a shared vision to improve accessibility, resident experience, digital inclusion and operational efficiency across council services, supporting Lewisham’s wider ambition to become an increasingly accessible, digitally enabled and citizen-focused borough.
Fiona Virtue, Head of Public Sector at Route 101, said:
"Local authorities are under increasing pressure to deliver excellent services while managing growing demand and finite resources. By combining cloud technology, AI and automation, Lewisham is creating a platform that can improve accessibility, simplify citizen journeys and help staff focus where they add the greatest value."
"The speed of the initial deployment reflects the strength of the partnership between Lewisham Council and Route 101, alongside the maturity of our implementation approach. We're proud to be supporting Lewisham as it puts cloud and AI technology into practice in ways that can make a meaningful difference for residents and council staff."
About Route 101
Route 101 is an award-winning technology systems integrator, delivering market-leading cloud contact centre and customer engagement software and solutions. Its products and services help organisations transform customer engagement, empower their workforce, and optimise business operations.
With strong partnerships across leading technology vendors, Route 101 specialises in delivering scalable cloud and AI-enabled customer experience solutions to retail, enterprise, and public sector organisations across the UK and beyond.
About Lewisham Council
Lewisham is a vibrant and culturally diverse borough in south-east London, home to a diverse community and a wide range of services supporting residents, businesses and local communities. The Council is committed to creating a fairer, greener, healthier and more economically sustainable future for the borough, with residents at the heart of the services it provides.
The Council provides a broad range of services, including housing, education, planning, waste and recycling, health and social care, and support for children and young people. It is also focused on becoming a truly digital council and borough, using technology to improve how residents access and engage with its services.
