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Digitisation, automation key to improving public service delivery

By Tracy Burrows, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 18 Jun 2015

The revolutionary change public sector digitisation could bring about is set to feature on the agenda at Software AG's much-anticipated 2015 Innovation Day, to be staged at UrbanTree in Johannesburg on 23 July.

At the Innovation Day, Software AG will examine issues facing the public sector, such as quickly implementing upgraded digital systems that can deliver services more efficiently and how to successfully address challenges and ensure the best possible productivity.

South African public service delivery is challenged on many fronts, but not least of them is the fact that much of it still depends on manual, paper-based processes, says Software AG.

Mohamed Cassoojee, Vice President and Country Manager for Software AG South Africa, says his talks with numerous public sector organisations have revealed that many still use paper-based processes. "This slows operations, adds to costs and increases the potential for fraud," he notes. "If one person is away from the office, a file sits on his desk until he returns, for example. When people change jobs, replacements must be appointed and trained, which can slow processes. When paper-based records are used to track maintenance and performance of critical infrastructure, it becomes very difficult to ensure that proactive maintenance takes place."

Cassoojee says in contrast, digitisation and automation can significantly improve public service delivery by increasing accuracy and efficiency, reducing costs and the risk of fraud, and allowing public service organisations to accurately predict infrastructure breakdowns, social needs or other changes in the environment.

He cites the case of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, which partnered with Software AG to digitise and automate several of its processes and so improve service delivery. As a result, the municipality was able to simplify its architecture by identifying duplication of applications and technologies; reduce costs associated with unnecessary complexity; and offer new self-service options to citizens. By standardising and automating its service processes, application approval times were slashed from three months to less than 21 days.

Further afield, public sector organisations have used digitisation and automation to underpin new applications and systems that improve every facet of public sector operations - from reducing operational costs to enhancing the efficiency of utilities, improving revenue collection, combating crime and fraud more effectively and aggregating and analysing data more accurately.

"Some public sector organisations in South Africa are moving to digitisation, automation and more effective use of digital solutions," says Cassoojee. "We are working with a number of departments on business value assessments and roadmaps that will help them harness the power of next generation digital technologies to improve efficiencies, cost effectiveness and service delivery," he says.

Software AG will showcase its solutions for public sector organisations during the annual Software AG Innovation Day in Johannesburg. For more information about this event, go to URL.

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Editorial contacts

Tracy Burrows
Software AG Innovation Day 2015
(011) 807 3294
tracy@itweb.co.za