How to Make State and Local Innovation Last An interview with Murtaza Masood, Managing Director, State and Local Government, Box The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a hard truth – state and local governments cannot always meet the public’s needs in person. To adapt, many agencies had to deliver their products and services digitally for the first time.
“Agencies should start thinking about what processes and content are siloed and are not shareable and accessible fast enough,” Masood said.
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Apply automation
Automation can free government employees from monotonous tasks such as data entry, letting them focus on more complex and fulfilling responsibilities instead.
How can agencies sustain this innovation permanently? With more public-sector workforces mixing on-site and remote employees while addressing public preferences, this question’s relevance grows daily. Cloud content management can become a strong component of lasting innovation. Using cloud computing’s decentralized IT, agencies can access computing resources such as data storage on demand. Ultimately, this power can help agencies create innovative digital workflows that serve constituents wherever they are.
“Citizens have to be able to engage with government processes in an end-to-end digital ecosystem,” said Murtaza Masood, Managing Director of State and Local Government at Box, a cloud content management provider. Masood explained three ways that cloud content management can make innovation a permanent feature at state and local agencies.
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Take stock
Too often, agencies do not improve processes before digitally transforming them. Take digitizing paper fishing license applications. When digitizing them, edit out repetitive questions to reduce applicants’ frustration.
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, technology projects that are well-thought out, deliberate and focus on the user experience are more permanent with bringing about change than other projects,” Masood said. Before any digital transformation, agencies should look for potential obstacles, such as unnecessary manual or paper-based steps, to remove.
It can also save people energy and time while requesting and accessing agencies’ services. The resulting customer experience is faster and more satisfying.
“This improves citizens’ quality of life,” Masood said of automation. “It is an opportunity that a technology transformation offers.” How does the cloud fit into automation? After digitizing their content, agencies can easily store, manage and apply automation to it in the cloud.
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Settle security
Agencies cannot innovate if they are constantly worrying about potential security threats. To innovate long-term, agencies need strong security capabilities that reduce risks. Consider sensitive data like health care details. Using cloud content management, agencies can quickly apply restrictions on who can share this information – and how – agencywide.
“It is about securing your crown jewels, which is your content,” Masood said. “Content and document exchange can be timely, orderly and secure.” No matter the challenge, innovative agencies are agile agencies. With cloud content management solutions like Box, agencies can construct flexible, secure and automated digital ecosystems that facilitate lasting innovation for state and local governments.
Lessons From State & Local Innovators on the Ground
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