Richard Humphreys |
Various levels of public sector organisations like federal, quasi, state and local are increasingly dependent on cloud platforms for effectively managing their day-to-day operations. Embarking on a cloud journey is critical for such entities as the cloud has the potential to impact service delivery, security and data in numerous ways, particularly regarding efficiency and costs.
The major challenges that the public sector is facing include inefficiency in infrastructure, data management and cybersecurity as well as skill shortages and regulatory compliance. Budget constraints and fiscal policies also delay the downstream benefits of digital transformation, thereby exacerbating the plight of government services. Information risk management, engagement and training, asset management, architecture and configuration, vulnerability management, identity and access management, data security, incident management and monitoring are burning issues that need to be addressed.
Many organisations still operate on legacy systems, which lack integration with new technologies, so upgrading these systems has compatibility as the prime concern. Early adoption and interoperability issues can be avoided if timely upgrades are planned.
By modernising infrastructure and data – and adding a highly skilled cybersecurity team – public sector bodies will be able to perform more effectively. And by adding strict compliance regulations to safeguard highly sensitive information, they can secure their data better and improve operations towards gaining public trust.
Strategic planning on budget allocations, streamlining processes and bringing in automation can improve service delivery to a great extent. Adopting automated workflow processes can lead to increased productivity and tackle problems related to staff shortages and workload challenges. Adding an IT service management tool can also bring in a lot of integration capabilities and automate the process to reduce manual efforts. Furthermore, adopting a software-as-a-service (SaaS) or integration platform as a service (iPaaS) can reduce workload and help to run operations more smoothly.
An omnichannel digital experience enables public sector organisations to instantly connect and engage with customers across digital messaging channels like live chat, voice and SMS. Microsoft provides public switched telephone network (PSTN) connectivity and artificial intelligence-powered copilots to enable self-serviceability.
Offloading capabilities should be the first step that public sector bodies take in a phased approach to adopting a new system. This is achieved by identifying the capability, which is utilising more workload, causing staffing challenges and leading to cost overrun. Then, the next step is to plan accordingly to replace that capability with various options available in terms of automation, process interventions, best practices, possible integrations and bring in the synergies for technology uplift in a phased approach without impacting the service delivery.
Safeguarding sensitive information, the continuous delivery of essential services and the preservation of public trust are critical objectives for every public sector organisation. With the rise of cyberattacks, government organisations are facing greater challenges in protecting data and online services. To address the growing cybersecurity challenges, comprehensive data protection solutions need to be deployed. To safeguard critical information from a cyberattack, the right set of technology tools need to be in place such as a platform having secure APIs, integrations to maintain data confidentiality, reliable data encryption and multi-factor authentication for accessing data and secure data storage.
Overcoming cybersecurity challenges requires strategic planning, best practices, adaptability, innovation and planned budget allocations. With Microsoft’s ecosystem in many public sector organisations, the entire system can be easily equipped with the latest technology and with AI capabilities to enhance the process of service delivery.
The Microsoft Practice at Infosys has enabled synergy by leveraging Microsoft products for successful package implementations, like customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, power platform application development, business intelligence, AI automation, integrated solutions and identity management, for many clients administering essential public services like healthcare, transport, consumer care, postal and utilities.
Arunkumar Ashwathanara is an engagement manager for Microsoft Practice Sales at Infosys
This article was originally published in the Summer 2024 issue of Technology Record. To get future issues delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for a free subscription.