Helping Ontario One Call to become a service-led organisation
The context
Ontario One Call is a public safety administrative authority that acts as a communications link between underground infrastructure owners and those planning to dig in the Canadian province of Ontario. They provide a locate request system that streamlines communications between them and regulates the public locate industry.
Established in 1996 as a call centre, Ontario One Call has evolved into a digital business, though it never envisioned itself that way. However, as seamless and innovative digital experiences across industries set new benchmarks for user expectations, Ontario One Call faced growing pressure to raise its standards.
Many organisations struggle with this type of transformation. Reimagining services and operations takes time and dedication. For Ontario One Call, the key was to plan carefully, adopting a sustainable pace without overloading the organisation. They needed the space and permission to rethink their role, reset how they operate, and focus on delivering better services. They took the first step by securing government funding for a three-year transformation plan, investing in new leadership, and seeking guidance from experienced professionals.
Few organisations encounter such unique opportunities for transformation. Ontario One Call is on the verge of becoming a service-led government organisation with a future-ready mindset, where users—excavators and underground infrastructure owners—are at the heart of everything it does.
What we did
Before any organisation embarks on a digital transformation, it’s critical first to understand where it is and identify key areas for growth. Starting with a thorough assessment helps pinpoint strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.
Only then can a solid roadmap - provided it’s anchored in this understanding of the organisational needs - outline the path forward and ensure long-term sustainability. It does this by prioritising foundational improvements and internal capabilities.
In early 2024, we partnered with Kainos to conduct a digital maturity assessment for Ontario One Call. The results were telling: the organisation needed to enhance its digital maturity overall, though there were pockets of good practices. The leadership was under pressure to implement a successful transformation, making it difficult to prioritise initiatives and know where to begin.
Sometimes, doing less can be more impactful. Our team worked with Ontario One Call's teams to simplify their approach by creating a clear, focused digital roadmap. A cohesive vision and an effective stakeholder engagement strategy were crucial for improving their industry influence and operational effectiveness.
Mohammad Reghabi, OOC Chief Digital Officer
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"True transformation isn’t about technology alone; it’s about placing users at the heart of every decision.
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"A successful digital transformation begins not with a single initiative but with a cultural shift toward agility, continuous learning and putting user experience first.
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"Through a partnership with Kainos and Public Digital, Ontario One Call has mapped out a clear path forward, which is now coming to life"
The findings from the digital maturity assessment paved the way for an ambitious roadmap. The primary focus was transforming Ontario One Call into a service-led organisation that supports safer, more efficient digging practices across Ontario.
The roadmap was built around three key themes:
Excavator-Facing Services: Streamlining locate request processes to improve accuracy and safety.
Member-Facing Services: Enhancing user experience and compliance.
Data and Reporting: Leveraging data insights to drive compliance and transparency.
However, the transformation can’t start with services alone. Organisational improvements were essential to sustaining long-term change. This included adopting a user-centred mindset, strengthening delivery capabilities, fostering multidisciplinary teams, embracing agility, and developing a robust digital data strategy.
We know that working in this way may be, at times, uncomfortable. It requires humility and a willingness to invest time in truly understanding user needs. It means being open to making mistakes to get things right in the long run. But time and again, we’ve seen organisations succeed when they push through this discomfort, focusing on outcomes that truly matter by consistently engaging in user research.
The road ahead
In the past six months, Ontario One Call has undergone significant shifts in its digital capabilities and attitude towards transformation. However, embracing this kind of radical change takes time and effort. Now is the time to build on that momentum.
The organisation is committed to elevating the experience for excavators and underground infrastructure owners, improving service delivery, and streamlining the locate request process to make it more efficient and effective. Ontario One Call’s journey toward becoming a service-led, user-centred organisation is just beginning. Still, with the right foundation in place, it is poised to shape a safer and more connected Ontario.
This transformation isn't just about digital systems; it's about reshaping an entire culture to be more adaptable, responsive, and user-focused. As they continue this journey, Ontario One Call will set a new standard for government services in the digital age, proving that when an organisation is willing to embrace change, it can deliver a real impact that benefits everyone.
Angeles Kenny, Principal Consultant
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“This work highlights the importance of creating time and space for building trust and alignment across the organisation.
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"Without that foundation, even the best strategies, roadmaps, or technology only create an illusion of certainty but fail to drive real change.
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"By pausing to understand the array of needs, prioritise collaboration, and give leadership the room to shape a shared vision, Ontario One Call is now better positioned to deliver meaningful, lasting progress.”
