Project History
2003-2004
The Working with Business National Project (WWB) was one of 22 government funded National e-Government projects initiated in 2003. It introduced the concept of the Single Business Account (SBA) and also some small scale regional pilots.
The WWB pilot in the West Midlands included Lichfield and Redditch Councils who were enthusiastic about the project aims and objectives but wished to pursue them in a more focused, pragmatic way.
Stage 1 Project Initiation Document
2004/2005
Funding was achieved to continue the WWB work as a West Midlands e-Government project and Business Matters stage 1 commenced in 2005. BM1 consulted with the business community; designed the Business Description Schema as a standard to support the SBA; worked with CRM vendors to prove the concept of the SBA and developed the first Business Case for the SBA. Lichfield and Redditch Councils continued to be lead partners with Solihull and Dudley Councils also leading project strands. WWB ownership was transferred to Lichfield DC.
2006
BM2 and BM3 were follow on stages funded by the West Midlands Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership. The focus was on efficiency gains. Bridgnorth Council contributed by deploying the SBA across several services and measuring significant efficiency gains that followed.
Stage 2 Project Initiation Document
Stage 3 Project Initiation Document
2007
The Regulatory Services reform programme led by DTI and then the Better Regulation Executive decided to adopt the Business Description Schema as the standard for data sharing for the Retail Enforcement Pilot Projects. The Local Better Regulation Executive (LBRO) was established in Birmingham and agreed to lend support to the project.
Business Link West Midlands agreed that funding support should be made available to continue BM work.
2008
Business Matters stage 4, funded by the Regional Development Agency (Advantage West Midlands) via Business Link West Midlands was initiated. Data sharing between 4 local authorities and the design of the Core Index Update Process to keep partner data business records aligned and up to date continuously began. This process will continue into 2009 and hopefully beyond.
