When it comes to the operations of modern-day government, it’s about more than connecting residents and businesses to state and local services. It’s also about forging connections across agencies and departments so that everyone, government personnel included, has a more seamless, positive government experience.
Yet when there are hundreds of government departments and agencies, it can be difficult to streamline resources and service delivery in a way that serves everyone. (Arkansas alone has 3 million residents and more than 56,000 state employees.)
So in a quickly evolving, technology-dependent world, how can state and local governments continue to foster resident engagement and interagency collaboration without sacrificing productivity or affordability?
It helps to leverage digital systems that work together.
Boosting Collaboration and Resident Satisfaction
When digital ecosystems are built for collaboration, friction goes down, productivity goes up, and all boats rise. The right tech stack can help state governments streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance the quality of digital services.
Having recently implemented a solution to modernize and centralize statewide licensing processes, the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing (ADLL) provides one example. Since launching the new solution, the ADLL has eliminated nearly 400,000 pieces of paper, saved more than $900,000, and reduced employee workload by 70%.
But that’s not all: for licensing electricians specifically, ADLL’s new digital solution has decreased processing turnaround times from an average of three months to only five days. Connected technology not only improves government operations; it also offers opportunities to foster more positive resident experiences.
Evaluating Digital Solutions for Increased Success
To boost modernization success, interstate communication can also offer valuable insights. Asking other state governments which digital solutions they are using to overcome specific challenges, streamline operations, and enhance service delivery can be a good place to start.
Indeed, Arkansas is not the only state successfully leveraging connected technology to drive digital government forward. Success has also been seen in Mississippi, which recently launched a one-stop shop website and mobile app to connect pregnant women and mothers to public and private resources from across the state. Breaking down silos and streamlining access to digital resources brought 26,700 views and a 63% engagement rate to the new site within the first three months of launch.
The city of Fort Worth, Texas, meanwhile, is reaping the benefits of an AI-powered budgeting solution to streamline budgeting processes, increase cost savings, and better serve residents. By shifting focus from the traditional line-item budgeting model to focus on individual programs, the new budgeting tool has enabled Fort Worth to future-proof its budgeting process and align its financial resources with strategic priorities, like public safety.
Understanding how other state governments are leveraging connected technology to foster more connected communities can help chart a path forward for digital government transformation.
Choosing the Right Partner to Drive Modernization
From budgeting, payment processing, and disbursements to agency portals, field operations, and mobile apps, implementing well-suited digital government solutions starts with identifying the right technology partner. A high-quality partner not only knows how to identify each government’s particular challenges, but how to overcome those challenges with proven platforms and solutions that work.
State agencies should look for companies with a combination of deep expertise, a proven track record of improving the resident experience, and a broad portfolio of solutions custom-built for the public sector.
Choosing a vendor that prioritizes not only features, but outcomes, is also critical. To ensure well-suited solutions that deliver now and in the future, agencies want flexible and modular tools that can be configured to meet their unique needs. They also deserve platforms that prioritize integration over vendor lock-in, putting agency and resident needs at the forefront of modernization processes.
Doing More – Together
Government can be more streamlined – and residents are equipped to have a more positive government experience – when its digital systems are built to talk to each other.
Connecting data, people, and processes across departments and geographic boundaries not only boosts government productivity; it also promotes citizen engagement, enhances resident satisfaction, and fosters thriving communities for all.
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