Background
A major local government council in Queensland was relying on an external SMS provider to deliver essential resident communications such as rate payment reminders, pet registration notices and urgent community alerts. However, the setup presented ongoing challenges: messages had to be prepared in advance using strict file formats, uploads were managed manually and staff had limited visibility or control over campaign performance.
As the council’s communication needs increased, particularly for urgent or seasonal messaging, the limitations of their existing setup became more apparent. Departments found it difficult to manage messages efficiently under the current process and were seeking greater control, quicker turnaround times and reduced reliance on printed mail. A more flexible and self-managed solution was needed to meet growing demand and improve resident engagement.
Discovery
Initial consultations with key departments uncovered several recurring challenges across the council’s SMS communications process:
- Manual workflows and data handling: Each team was responsible for extracting resident data manually from internal systems and formatting it into spreadsheets for every campaign. These files had to follow specific column requirements, making the process time-consuming and prone to errors, especially when datasets changed frequently. For example, the pet registration team often spent over an hour pulling together contact details, pet names and registration numbers. The reliance on rigid pre-send file prep meant teams had to finalise datasets well in advance, even while information was still changing. Departments expressed a clear need for more control over timing and flexibility in how data could be prepared and used.
- No formal scheduling or approval process: Teams had no structured workflow for reviewing or approving messages prior to sending. Most relied on informal methods such as texting samples to colleagues or sharing screenshots via email. While this approach allowed for quick reviews, it lacked consistency and made it harder to track changes or ensure oversight. Staff also raised concerns about timing, particularly when messages were sent during peak call centre periods, without a coordinated process in place.
- Lack of personalisation and targeting: The council’s legacy setup could not personalise messages based on resident data. As a result, customers with multiple animals or properties would often receive several generic messages, reducing the effectiveness and increasing the chance of opt-outs. Teams had no ability to dynamically insert custom fields such as pet names, reference numbers or payment due dates, which limited relevance and resident engagement.
- High dependency on printed mail: Due to the limitations of digital messaging, many departments continued to rely on paper notices as the primary communication method. For instance, rate notices and payment reminders were sent via post in multiple phases, even when a mobile number was available. This added to postage costs, created unnecessary operational steps and delayed message delivery.
Solution Design
To better manage growing communication needs, the council onboarded Fujifilm DMS’s Message Centre, a flexible, self-managed SMS platform requiring no complex implementation or integration. The system allowed departments to manage their own campaigns and send high-volume messages securely, with features tailored to local government operations.
Message Centre addressed key challenges raised during discovery by giving teams greater autonomy, simplifying data handling, improving compliance and providing clearer visibility into campaign performance.
The following capabilities were introduced:
- Streamlined data handling and flexible imports
While teams still export data manually from internal systems, Message Centre made it much easier to format and manage contact lists for each send. Staff can now upload spreadsheets closer to the time of delivery, helping ensure the information is up to date. Variable fields like names or reference numbers can be easily inserted into messages, making content more relevant while reducing the time spent on manual data preparation.
- Department-level access with central consistency
The platform was implemented in a way that supported multi-team usage while preserving message consistency. Campaigns were sent using a shared sender ID, maintaining trust across public communications. While formal user group separation was not applied, staff were able to access their own campaign history and operate with autonomy. As additional features such as templating and tracking become available, the platform is well-positioned to support future governance enhancements.
- Built-in scheduling, previewing and collaboration
The platform enabled teams to schedule SMS in advance and conduct internal reviews by sending test messages to designated approvers. The ability to preview content and simulate message delivery added an extra layer of control and reduced the chance of late-stage errors.
- Personalised and dynamic content
Teams could use merge fields to tailor each message with resident-specific data such as names, account numbers or due dates. While residents with multiple pets or properties still received separate messages, each message was uniquely personalised. For example, a pet registration reminder would include the animal’s name and registration ID, making it clearer what the message was for and the action that was required. This helped improve overall message relevance.
- Scalable delivery with engagement tools
SMS was used to drive digital transition initiatives, such as encouraging residents to opt in for email billing. One campaign generated more than 3,000 email signups in just two weeks. These initiatives not only cut down postage costs but also helped councils collect more accurate and up-to-date contact details.
- Compliance, trust and timing controls
To support consistent and compliant communication, standard message templates were introduced to help align tone and structure across departments and reduce the risk of scam-like messaging. Every SMS included a clear opt-out option, even for non-promotional messages, meeting regulatory expectations. The platform’s throttling controls allowed messages to be delivered in carefully timed waves, preventing sudden spikes in call centre traffic and supporting operational stability. Teams also experimented with different sending windows. They found that messages sent between 5pm and 7pm tended to receive the best response, likely because recipients were more available after work or school pickups.
- Campaign visibility and ongoing improvement
Real-time dashboards gave users clear insight into delivery rates, failed sends and opt-outs, helping teams track performance and spot trends across campaigns. In addition to in-platform reporting, users could opt to receive email notifications summarising campaign outcomes, allowing them to stay informed without needing to log in and focus on other priorities.
Results
Between February and July 2025, the council delivered close to 300,000 SMS messages with close to 96 percent delivery success rate.
Key results:
- Over 3,000 residents opted in to email billing through a single SMS campaign
- Reduction in printed reminders, particularly for rates and animal registrations
- Improved turnaround for urgent communications, with messages launched in hours rather than days
- Cleaner data, as regular use prompted list checks and reduced bouncebacks
- Positive staff feedback, with users describing the platform as straightforward and a major improvement from past processes
This success has shown that local councils can modernise resident communications with minimal friction, while improving autonomy, compliance and engagement across departments.
