“I can’t wait to go to the DMV,” said absolutely no one – ever. And why is that? Because despite being one of the most universally necessary institutions to visit at least once in your life, it never seems to be a seamless, let alone enjoyable, experience. It’s about as fun doing your taxes. And it’s not just the DMV. Have you noticed how other public sector services, which are somewhat inevitable aspects of our lives, all share a similar experience that constituents dread?
In today’s data-driven world, government agencies and other public sector institutions – many of which are hindered by federal compliance and budget constraints – often grapple with a recurring challenge: the proliferation of disjointed systems, data silos, and a multitude of spreadsheets and outdated applications. These issues obstruct operational efficiency and result in less-than-ideal experiences for three key groups: state employees, agency leaders, and the constituents they serve. Like I said, there’s a reason you’d rather go to the dentist than the DMV.
As technology advances rapidly in the private sector, enabling better experiences all around, consumer expectations are rising in the process. Meanwhile, the public sector and all of the areas in which it falls short finds itself in the spotlight. Fortunately, it can harness the same power of technology the private sector uses in order to improve the experiences it provides its constituents.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into the first two (of five) reasons government agencies should modernize their systems and adopt a customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
If you’ve ever found yourself on the receiving end of what seems like a disgruntled employee of a government agency, chances are it has nothing to do with you. In fact, I can almost guarantee it has to do with their own frustrations with the limitations imposed on them by the systems in which they work. State employees frequently find themselves in “swivel-chair” scenarios, where they must navigate through a complex web of data sources to locate the information they need to effectively serve the public. Regardless, these frustrations often result in poor experiences for constituents that they engage with on a daily basis. But all of this can be avoided.
The implementation of an integrated system would streamline the workflow for employees, offering a one-stop platform where they can access all of the essential data and applications. This enables them to efficiently navigate through their tasks, ultimately delivering better service to the public, while also eliminating mundane tasks that take up valuable time and make employees despise their jobs – which yes, sometimes shows.
I addressed this earlier but to reiterate, there is a universal frustration among constituents across the country when it comes to dealing with state and federal agencies, and for good reason. When data is dispersed across numerous systems and is not readily accessible, responses to inquiries can be delayed, interactions with stressed-out staff can be, well, stressful, and self-service options become frustratingly complex. In some extreme situations, such disjointed systems and experiences can be a matter of life and death, as many agencies deal with housing, food, safety, and other universal necessities.
To provide a better constituent experience – one that we can all agree is overdue – government agencies can centralize data and integrate user-friendly self-service options. This approach simplifies the process for constituents, enabling them to access information, submit requests, and track progress seamlessly. As a result, government services become more responsive and efficient, empowering constituents to find the information they need with ease.
It’s probably no surprise that there’s room for improvement for both the employee experience and the customer experience in the public sector. After all, one impacts the other directly (in fact, we wrote an entire ebook about how aligning the two creates better total experiences).
In our next blog, we’ll dive into the three other reasons the public sector is overdue for an upgrade, including the challenges agency leaders face, the sheer volume of money that flows (and sometimes disappears) through these agencies, and archaic systems that cause more than just headaches.
