Unlocking Government Efficiency: Automation and Data Transformation

Posted in Public Sector, Digital, Operational Transformation, Cloud

May 2023

1 minutes reading time

The National Audit Office (NAO) released a report on 10 March 2023, titled 'Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency' The report highlights the challenges faced because of legacy systems that date back to 1974 that are no longer sustainable. However, removing these systems can also come with significant risks.

A group of three colleagues working together.
The report suggests that investing in low-code and intelligent automation platforms can provide an incremental benefit in the medium term by providing an interim solution to overcome missing functionality and manual, inefficient processes. This approach would unify data sets and unlock value while playing well with what's already in place and minimise disruption to business-as-usual (BAU). In the long term, enterprise automation vendors can also provide a route to future consolidation and legacy replacement.

The NAO report also notes that the increasing costs of maintaining legacy systems and the loss of associated specialist skills are unsustainable in the long term. Costly outsourced maintenance is often driven by complexity.

A screenshot of key facts from the National Audit Office report titled 'Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency'
To overcome these challenges, selecting the right solution vendor and outsourced consultancy/delivery partner is crucial. Suppliers should be focused on enabling government by providing support in navigating the solution vendor landscape, offering a flexible model aligned to current maturity, increasing customer self-sufficiency, and decreasing the total cost of ownership.

Investment in automation, data, and digital transformation is essential to ensure the sustainability of government operations. The NAO report highlights the need for government to embrace digital change and address the barriers to efficiency to remain competitive. By investing in low-code and intelligent automation platforms and selecting the right partners, the government can unlock the full potential of its data and pave the way for a sustainable future.

If you are in the public sector, wrestling with these challenges and would like to discuss a project please get in touch.