By Alex Vieira, Vice President of Squadra Tecnologia
The advancement of the so-called Digital Age has meant that companies of all sizes and segments need to deal with a constant search for innovation, in search of better results and greater competitiveness. In the case of the Public sector, the opportunities are similar. It is estimated that the effective application of new technologies would yield to the Federal Government an economy of 97% in total expenditures with public services and services, and may help to expand the Brazilian GDP by at least 5.7%. On the other hand, the fact is that putting this scenario into practice is far from having the same challenges as applying the digital transformation in a private company.
After all, it is necessary to have the perception that the changes in the Government involve a huge and complex structure, full of departments that until today use archaic processes and systems and totally incompatible with some technologies already common in the global corporate market.
Therefore, despite the advances in public activities over the past few years, the truth is that there is much to be done from the technology point of view for the complete and adequate adjustment of public offerings. According to the Census of Public Services of the Federal Public Administration, only 38% of the more than 1,700 federal public services were digital in 2017. Despite the offers available in the market, there is a lack of advanced systems in the government, lacking solutions that help public management to be more efficient and lower costs.
To accelerate the implementation of these changes, the Federal Government has been launching initiatives to modernize structures and processes within the public initiative, such as, for example, the Brazilian Strategy for Digital Transformation (E-Digital). Investing in innovation and resources in line with global demands is essential to reduce the difference between the level of technology adopted in private companies, when compared to the structure of government agencies.
It is worth noting, however, that the digitization of processes is only one of the tasks to be accomplished. It is also necessary to work on the modernization of the services offered, with options in line with the current dynamics of society's evolution, with greater availability, integrity and efficiency. The adoption of appropriate technologies and the development of a new and modern set of services will certainly help in improving the flow of information between federal, state and municipal administrations, and in combating bureaucracy, essential points to generate gains in the economy, health, education and security throughout the country.
The path to real improvement in public services is through the adoption of modern systems, the hiring of specialized consultants and the planning of a comprehensive collaboration environment that involves the Government and private society as a whole. After all, with the support of specialists and companies prepared for the development of technical innovations, public administrators will be able to better understand the possibilities available in the market and, thus, speed up the modernization of government agencies.
By approaching the private sector, the public sector will be able to reduce the time needed to create, install and improve specific solutions for its services. Many tools and systems are already available in the private environment and can be used as a basis for Government offerings. We are talking about Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Machine Learning and Mobile solutions, among others, that would certainly add value to the internal routine of public administrations and to the service of citizens.
Collaboration between companies and public administrators can represent performance gains, promoting digital transformation and the implementation of transformation initiatives. Thus, the Government will have the possibility to optimize the learning curve necessary for the development and application of complex infrastructure and security projects, guaranteeing quality in its applications.
Another essential point is the population's own participation in this evolution process. Ensuring the presence of citizens (government end customers, in short) will enhance the assertive application of technology resources and, at the same time, maximize the savings generated by the virtualization of services. Today, 63.3 million Brazilians over 10 years of age do not have regular access to the Internet and need face-to-face assistance to resolve any type of demand linked to the Government. Investing in proposals to cut this number, therefore, is a solution to make digital services more efficient, attractive and economical for the Public sector.
Through public-private partnerships and getting closer to people, the Government has the chance to advance in Digital Transformation, essential for Brazil to develop its public services and to be able to deliver better conditions to the population, within a global context that requires more speed and intelligence. The challenge is to invest in technology and, at the same time, in a new culture focused on the digitalization of services.
In a practical and objective way, the technology will help Brazilian Government institutions to be more efficient and to reduce their operating costs - two vital components for the success of public management. Today, there are a number of options available that can add safety and performance to the most diverse areas of the Government. It remains to be seen, however, how the policies around this theme will allow the real Digital Transformation to happen.
After all, it is necessary to have the perception that the changes in the Government involve a huge and complex structure, full of departments that until today use archaic processes and systems and totally incompatible with some technologies already common in the global corporate market.
Therefore, despite the advances in public activities over the past few years, the truth is that there is much to be done from the technology point of view for the complete and adequate adjustment of public offerings. According to the Census of Public Services of the Federal Public Administration, only 38% of the more than 1,700 federal public services were digital in 2017. Despite the offers available in the market, there is a lack of advanced systems in the government, lacking solutions that help public management to be more efficient and lower costs.
To accelerate the implementation of these changes, the Federal Government has been launching initiatives to modernize structures and processes within the public initiative, such as, for example, the Brazilian Strategy for Digital Transformation (E-Digital). Investing in innovation and resources in line with global demands is essential to reduce the difference between the level of technology adopted in private companies, when compared to the structure of government agencies.
It is worth noting, however, that the digitization of processes is only one of the tasks to be accomplished. It is also necessary to work on the modernization of the services offered, with options in line with the current dynamics of society's evolution, with greater availability, integrity and efficiency. The adoption of appropriate technologies and the development of a new and modern set of services will certainly help in improving the flow of information between federal, state and municipal administrations, and in combating bureaucracy, essential points to generate gains in the economy, health, education and security throughout the country.
The path to real improvement in public services is through the adoption of modern systems, the hiring of specialized consultants and the planning of a comprehensive collaboration environment that involves the Government and private society as a whole. After all, with the support of specialists and companies prepared for the development of technical innovations, public administrators will be able to better understand the possibilities available in the market and, thus, speed up the modernization of government agencies.
By approaching the private sector, the public sector will be able to reduce the time needed to create, install and improve specific solutions for its services. Many tools and systems are already available in the private environment and can be used as a basis for Government offerings. We are talking about Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Machine Learning and Mobile solutions, among others, that would certainly add value to the internal routine of public administrations and to the service of citizens.
Collaboration between companies and public administrators can represent performance gains, promoting digital transformation and the implementation of transformation initiatives. Thus, the Government will have the possibility to optimize the learning curve necessary for the development and application of complex infrastructure and security projects, guaranteeing quality in its applications.
Another essential point is the population's own participation in this evolution process. Ensuring the presence of citizens (government end customers, in short) will enhance the assertive application of technology resources and, at the same time, maximize the savings generated by the virtualization of services. Today, 63.3 million Brazilians over 10 years of age do not have regular access to the Internet and need face-to-face assistance to resolve any type of demand linked to the Government. Investing in proposals to cut this number, therefore, is a solution to make digital services more efficient, attractive and economical for the Public sector.
Through public-private partnerships and getting closer to people, the Government has the chance to advance in Digital Transformation, essential for Brazil to develop its public services and to be able to deliver better conditions to the population, within a global context that requires more speed and intelligence. The challenge is to invest in technology and, at the same time, in a new culture focused on the digitalization of services.
In a practical and objective way, the technology will help Brazilian Government institutions to be more efficient and to reduce their operating costs - two vital components for the success of public management. Today, there are a number of options available that can add safety and performance to the most diverse areas of the Government. It remains to be seen, however, how the policies around this theme will allow the real Digital Transformation to happen.
Disclaimer: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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