It’s no secret that businesses of all types and sizes have come to see the benefits of using Software as a Solution or SaaS approach to handling their computational requirements.
SaaS is suitable for helping workers collaborate and coordinate their activities (primarily when they work out of multiple locations) and interfacing with customers. In the case of government agencies, the “customers” are citizens and companies that need to do business with public servants.
There is no reason government entities should lag behind in taking advantage of newer developments in computing setups. While big government isn’t exactly known for being nimble and flexible, you can definitely make a case for government SaaS integration.
Perhaps you and fellow stakeholders in your agency are already thinking of making such an integration but are still doing research or are looking for a suitable partner to bring your project to fruition.
It pays to adopt a modern framework to better serve constituents who rely on and must interact with your government agency and employees. You can establish your own government SaaS and start working more efficiently by taking a tip from enterprise businesses.
Automating workflow in a government agency context serves to improve operational efficiency. It is also required to boost citizen satisfaction, given that so many people are already accustomed to interacting with computer systems that have moved to the cloud.
Government agencies prioritizing efficiency and accuracy will naturally gravitate to a workflow automation solution. Improving processes makes for better citizen engagement. You want your agency to attract more citizens and businesses. One secret to success in this regard is to use a time-tested computation platform in the form of SaaS.
A better way to frame this problem is not to focus on the content management system or CMS itself but instead consider how you will be publishing the information.
For example, your department has a variety of essential documents to publish. This implies you will have strict guidelines for the tone and style and the nature of the content itself to follow. The government has to provide honest, accurate information that is non-partial and based on objective facts from experts, statisticians, and the descriptions found in laws and guidelines for your agency. Information you provide to the public must also be timely and accurate, and clear for people visiting your site.
As is the case for large enterprises, your government agency will typically need a universal way to control the flow of work between departments and the public. You also have to account for access and control for writers and editors. Who will be in charge of initiating content or updating it?
These are examples of significant concerns that your agency will need to consider when arranging for a CMS with your SaaS integration.
Integration platform as a service connects all of the government organization's technologies, from the cloud to on-premise solutions. This is especially important for the public sector because legacy and internal systems are often used, and it's difficult to integrate these programs with third-party solutions. An iPaaS gives you one hub to help transfer data seamlessly. This means improved efficiency for the internal staff and increased ability to meet the needs of the citizens within your community.
For government or state agencies, security and cost are heightened issues. An iPaaS solution gives you a unified solution to maintain legacy systems, add custom solutions, and integrate with newer APIs, making it more cost-efficient than other methods. At the same time, it's a more secure solution because it gives your team one platform that can be more easily monitored and secured. You're less likely to experience data loss than when using separate platforms. Users can share information seamlessly to meet customer or citizen needs, and data management is more efficient through one iPaaS platform.
Further, the new generation of iPaaS offers no-code integrations, ready to use without programming and that work alongside the other custom integrations on the platform.
With a complicated endeavor like integrating a government office with a cloud computing platform, you might find it tricky to begin assessing the right approach. Depending on how complex your agency is and the nature of the computing assets you need to deploy, the path to integration could take months or even years in the most drastic situations. So planning now is essential for getting you started on selecting your PM approach.
You’ll have to analyze exactly what your customers (citizens) need from you in terms of offering and accepting information. How will government workers engage with the citizens and with each other?
What level of security will you deploy? This is a key question that you may require consultants to help with.
Other issues to keep in mind include your current “must-have” software, especially legacy applications that might be difficult to merge with other software tools via the cloud. Deciding whom to partner with (integration experts) may be the most critical task on your SaaS to-do list.
Finally, it’s helpful to remember that your staff will likely need some training before they can understand all of what the SaaS system has to offer. Vendors and consultants with a motivation to help you succeed and not just sell you a cookie-cutter “solution” will be invaluable in this regard.
To integrate your government agency with Software as a Service from your cloud solution provider, you will have many applications that will communicate with one another.
This might be through direct connections if the applications are already compatible, or you might accomplish this by using third-party software tools. Since no two government SaaS integrations are alike, this effort will require expert guidance for you to pull it off successfully.
When you arrange for cloud integration, your team can work together much more effectively and address citizens and organizations that have business with your agency. A significant benefit is that once your data and computation are in the cloud, it doesn’t matter where your workers are physically located. This might involve members of your team who must go out into the community and who will connect with a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
And with people remaining socially distant in many organizations, you can rest assured that government work can continue apace, even if individuals are facing lockdown or quarantining. Even with vaccinations and booster shots plus masking and social distancing precautions, people are still subject to breakthrough infections that could force them to work from home.
Likewise, constituents should interact with government workers via a cloud computing solution. They won’t have to come into your physical office to provide needed paperwork since it can be handled digitally (safely and securely).
There are certainly many moving parts to keep track of when it comes to government SaaS integration. Fortunately, you can partner with the professionals at Velosimo for your SaaS deployment.
To learn more about government integration workflows or arrange for a consultation, please get in touch with Velosimo today.