Municipalities: this is how to boost your digital transformation

In addition to the growing number of tasks, municipalities have or will have other developments to deal with. Think of the urgent need for digitization, the emergence of new AI technologies, the increasing demand for better cybersecurity, the complexity and broadening of areas of interest, as well as the desire of citizens to handle more and more services digitally. 

The way forward

All these developments combined put municipalities in a tough spot. But there is a way forward and IT plays an important role in this. Looking at the rapidly growing share of IT costs within the total budget of municipalities, more efficient and modern IT could largely solve this upcoming budget deficit. 

The M&I/Partners ICT Benchmark Municipalities 2023 study shows that municipalities that are advanced in their digital transformation:

• have lower IT costs per inhabitant
• use more modern technologies
• facilitate residents, companies and institutions more easily with their services

Four guidelines for your digital transformation

Achieving lower IT costs per resident is not easy. It is essential to achieve higher operational efficiency through digitization and improved services to residents through digital services. To help you do this, we have formulated four guidelines. 

1 Foundation in order

A solid foundation begins with creating a compliant, secure and modern IT landscape. This includes compliance with laws and regulations, and the latest security standards, such as BIO and NIS2. It is also essential to make informed choices when setting up a (hybrid) cloud environment and to apply proactive management for rapid optimizations.

2 Digital services

Facilitate a modern workplace that helps employees communicate optimally with residents, businesses and institutions regardless of time and place. Also provide employee choice so that employees can decide which type of device they work with. In addition, pay attention to the adoption of the new way of working and ensure integration of all necessary applications within the workplace for better communication with residents.

3 Operational efficiency

Efficiency is crucial to reduce IT costs. Focus on direction and place complex chain responsibility with carefully selected partners who have the right expertise. Also keep a focus on directing and chain responsibilities and getting a handle on IT spending and resources. A final tip under this point: automate your processes, for example by deploying AI support for user support.

4 Data-driven working

Increase efficiency by basing your decisions on data. This requires setting up a data platform and deploying AI, BI and Data Science. This will allow you to redesign and optimize your processes. 

By paying sufficient attention to these four points, you will get a better grip on your IT expenses, support your employees optimally and deliver better digital services to residents, businesses and institutions.