Advancements in digital technology have made our lives increasingly convenient. With Smartphones today, we all have instant access to information, services and communication tools right in the palm of our hands.
This digital technology makes daily activities more manageable, and as more people adopt it, they’ve also come to expect it from all organisations – including governments. This often presents a challenge for governments across the world to incorporate these advancements into public service delivery to efficiently meet people’s needs.
Nevertheless, these new challenges also come with new opportunities!
Digital technology can pave the way to help governments develop a greater understanding of their citizens, gain rich insights into what’s important to them and help make service delivery more accessible to everyone.
Here's how governments can use digital tech to improve service delivery.
The benefits of digital technology for governments
Governments and local councils should embrace digital technology.
That’s because things like automation, mobile applications and the connective power of the Internet can transform the way services are offered to people.
Here’s how government authorities are starting to take advantage of digital technology, and the potential benefits it offers:
- Harnessing the power of social media platforms
Through social media channels, such as Facebook, government organisations and councils can access a freely available way to request feedback from the public to design a more customer-centric experience.
Through polls, quizzes and forms, as well as direct messenger chat, this interactive technology offers valuable insights into customer motivations, habits, needs and pain points without having to always depend on resource-consuming methods like interviews and field research.
- Utilise digital technology for greater collaboration
To design a truly holistic service for government customers, everyone needs to be involved. The benefit of online platforms, especially internal applications, is that they can facilitate better collaboration and stronger communications between stakeholders.
These digital tools and technologies also enable government teams to manage public concerns and address shortcomings more directly.
- Invest in innovation and automation to save time and money
Digital technology holds the potential to save governments and councils significant amounts of resources by automating repetitive processes, such as bookings and confirmation emails. The proper implementation of features such as service automation will not only make the experience more pleasant and streamlined for customers; it also frees up staff to focus on other important tasks.
- Use apps, kiosks and user-intuitive web platforms for more accessible services
Governments aim for service quality that meets a high standard of accessibility, and digital technology is an ideal way to revolutionise older processes from start to finish. For instance, streamlining services through the use of Smartphone apps, kiosks and user-intuitive web platforms online can make the service process faster and more convenient – both reducing wait times for customers and improving staff wellbeing by optimising their roles.
Digital technology also improves the accessibility of information and services for the disabled, remote and non-English speaking population, too.
If government organisations are looking to continue to provide a holistic, customer-centric approach to public services, then digital technology plays a significant role in this. Its potential is limitless, offering governments a way to bridge the gap between the public and the service delivery they deserve.
Adapting government services with digital technology
As you can see, the perceived challenges of incorporating digital technology into public service delivery actually presents a list of opportunities for improvement.
Digital technology offers governments and councils unprecedented access to data and feedback. It can also facilitate better collaboration and relationships, while fine-tuning services to align them more with the public’s expectations.
It's a fast-paced and exciting time to be in service delivery – all that's required is an openness to today’s tech and tomorrow’s innovations.
How NEXA can empower you with digital technology.
If you’re a government organisation looking to embrace the benefits of technology, our team at NEXA can help.
NEXA is an Australian company that delivers innovative solutions which streamline the customer journey. We offer tailored software options that empower our government clients to take advantage of digital technology to protect their teams, deliver excellent services and thrive in today’s evolving landscape.
From licence renewal, to choosing health insurance, registering for university or seeing a doctor, our service solutions are used every day all over Australia and beyond. We improve the customer experience with real data and beneficial applications.
