Page 16 - FCW, January/February 2021

Customer-First Mindset
Connected technology equals better
Kristen Sanders
Regional Vice President of Strategy, Salesforce
Jennifer Ward
Vice President of Solution Engineering, Salesforce
connected experience. Those customer expectations are driving agencies to transform the way they deliver services digitally. Whether agencies are rolling out a mass vaccination program or setting up contact centers, it’s important they drive change with the constituent experience in mind and align their mission with cultural, political and social change.
The benefits of digital transformation go beyond the citizen experience and also impact agency employees. By investing
in a unified cloud-based platform model, agencies can simplify complex processes and empower employees to complete their jobs using one platform.
For example, the Douglas-Omaha Technology Commission modernized its IT systems by shifting its applications
to the cloud, in order to provide better digital experiences for constituents and employees. Delivering public-sector services through modern and connected digital channels allows agencies to address current needs while ensuring long-term mission delivery. And to both meet constituent demands and empower employees to do their jobs in a digital environment, in the field or in person.
Best practices to digitally transform your organization
Our experiences in 2020 illustrated the cost of sitting behind the digital evolution when it comes to citizen engagement and mission delivery. Information collected
service
An integrated platform enables innovation at scale and fast time to value when transforming to digital service delivery
SHIFTING SERVICE models to new digital channels in a government environment is one of the most
difficult jobs in normal circumstances. During the pandemic and economic challenges of 2020, it took extraordinary effort and dedication for agencies to shift their workforce to telework and find new ways to support both citizens and partners. The agencies that had an agile, low-code platform; experienced staff; and digital processes in place before the pandemic
hit were able to make this shift fast. Others started to accelerate their digital transformation programs to put those capabilities in place.
We saw agencies quickly create and
deploy new applications for critical priorities such as telework management, distribution of grants and loans, contact tracing, citizen-facing contact centers and more. They also incorporated accountability into those applications to track outcomes, such as whether people were getting the answers and help they needed or whether grant money was distributed and used equitably.
Reimagining service delivery
in a pandemic
As consumers, we use technology in virtually every aspect of our lives, and when we use government services, we expect the same user-friendly platform and
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