As we all know, the last year has been anything but predictable. Most industries were forced to shift workflows seemingly overnight. For government agencies, the pandemic forced many to work from home thus changing how public services are handled. Technology proved the be a necessity for agencies to weather the last year. As many state and local governments are looking to determine their priorities, we are sharing three tech trends to watch for:
Digital Transformation-
The past several years we have seen a large shift toward enhancing digital efforts, both in public and commercial sectors. Many areas will need to implement and/or update current systems to keep up with new capabilities, new threats, and outdated software platforms. The United States can expect to see a shift from ‘traditional engineering’ to ‘digital engineering.’
For example, the workflow for documenting and preparing files for public viewing typically requires manual routing of paper documents, which can take weeks to review and approve. When leveraging automation, that process can go from taking several weeks to a few several hours.
Citizen Experiences Become More Digital-
The pandemic has showcased the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of outdated legacy systems still in place throughout United States government agencies. For those agencies to better serve citizens, they will need to be able to properly capture and analyze citizen data to identify trends, help focus, and personalize service delivery. Updating their efforts will allow them to focus on high availability, high quality, and more accessible data.
Embrace AI and Machine Learning-
Many agencies have already started digging into AI and its use cases. For most, AI is best used with structured tasks, ones that follow a consistent workflow. AI technology works well with processing and analyzing large data sets and will allow staff to focus on more complex tasks.
Shifting to digital solutions with limited budgets, innovators should have an understanding that if you go after too many projects at once, you risk not gaining approval. Look for ways to accelerate or streamline the procurement process, secure funding, and issue RFPs to vendors.
The ongoing impact of pandemic recovery will force the government sector to continue leveraging tech advancements to improve how work is done, both in and out of office. AI and machine learning are just two technologies that will help agencies tackle issues that could negatively impact their services.
Many local agencies saw a large dip in revenue due to the pandemic which will likely mean they will receive less funding in the year ahead, even during a time that digital devices have reached an all-time high in terms of demand. By embracing the transition to digital platforms in 2021 and the years beyond, the government sector can deliver effective, connected public services in a time of increased demand and decreased budgets. Champions of innovative technology projects need to set realistic exceptions when bringing projects to stakeholders. It’s important to focus on how technology can help your agencies increase collaborative work, save money, and create efficient workflows that use a combination of automation and human interaction.
How Extract Helps You Leverage Digital Transformation-
At Extract, we provide solutions and expertise for digital transformation to local, state, and federal governments. We have a large base of customers that we helped get records automatically indexed and/or redacted so they can be put online, allowing citizens to access their information, all without coming into their local government offices. Our solution also frees up employees’ time that may have otherwise been taken up by routine requests. If you’d like to learn more about our solutions or how a few clients have used their CARES Act funds to implement our solution, please reach out.
Sources:
https://www.govtech.com/sponsored/Effective-Government-Work-in-an-AI-World.html
About the Author: Taylor Genter Taylor is the Marketing Specialist at Extract with experience in data analytics, graphic design, and both digital and social media marketing. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater. Taylor enjoys analyzing people’s behaviors and attitudes to find out what motivates them, and then curating better ways to communicate with them.