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It is now the main driver of business transformation for public service organisations.
The pandemic has created a steep learning curve for organisations, and those working in and with them. Many organisations accelerated existing plans for digitalisation, while others were led by practical needs and now need to plan how they will be supporting digital in pandemic recovery. All organisations should now be looking at how digitalisation can make them fit for the future.
During the pandemic, SaaS (Software as a Service) software proved to be a game changer for public service organisations, and this has elicited a change in attitude towards digital transformation. Now, systemic and transformative IT projects that may have been seen as too big to contemplate, are perceived as essential.
Some examples of how this was achieved are in the use of online forms. The data is keyed directly into the system from anywhere in real-time, ensuring immediate information sharing. Documents and images are also uploaded directly, so there is no need for physical files, and all information is instantly visible, no matter where you are located.
If a business intelligence tool is added to this integration, management reports can provide instant risk identification so remedial action can be taken promptly.
Through 25 years of business, Alphatec has worked with many public service organisations, and we believe the key to success is to get everyone involved. We know that a siloed project with only key stakeholder participation is a recipe for disaster. It not only impacts individual projects, but ripples through organisations. This failure often results in a negative impact on future digital initiatives.
Traditionally, because of complexity and cost, software installation or updates have been the sole responsibility of the IT and finance departments. Conversely, modern software solutions are quick and simple to implement, data migration can be easily managed, they cost less than conventional applications, and can be integrated into the existing cross-departmental product workflow. It now makes sense to involve all stakeholders within a project team.
By involving all stakeholders, the solutions that software can provide can be better understood. Digitalisation can be tailored to solve individual problems. For example, if migration of historic data is an issue for the insurance manager, functionality to manage this can be set up. If improved reporting and risk identification is vital to the risk manager, it can be incorporated into the project planning, as can incident management for health & safety, or case management for the legal team.
Digital journeys require change, but the pandemic has proved that being committed to digital advancement results in great benefit. Once the advantages are seen, it can provide the motivation to push forward.
