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Lightspeed Citizen Services: The Impact of Intelligent Automation in State and Local Government
Mike Pazuki
September 07, 2023
September 07, 2023
Meet "Jane".
Jane is a single mother who recently lost her job and needs to apply for assistance through her state agency, so she can meet her children’s basic needs.
So, she submits an application... and then waits.
If everything goes well — if all documents are submitted exactly right — Jane will get her benefits in three to six weeks.
When you consider the experience of someone like Jane, it’s not hard to understand why just 16 percent of people in one study agreed that their government provides “great customer experiences.”
What happened to cause such a delay? If you work in the public sector, you have a pretty good guess. Likely, no fewer than five or six clerks touched Jane’s application — manually verifying the information against their existing records, manually entering data into multiple systems, manually reviewing reconciliation reports, manually authorizing the check run...
It’s not that the steps the agency goes through don’t serve a purpose. And it’s certainly not that the workers are soulless monsters who don’t want Jane to get her benefits!
The less-than-ideal customer experience, instead, is the direct result of siloed systems, manual processes, and lack of sufficient technology. What if we could accomplish those same steps without all the manual touchpoints? What if Jane could get the assistance she needs in days, not weeks or months? Enter intelligent automation.
MCCi collaborates with public agencies to provide intelligent automation (IA) solutions (like unemployment processing) that remove manual tasks, break down siloes, and provide a myriad of benefits.
First and foremost is the ability to meet citizens’ needs faster and with fewer obstacles. Numerous studies have shown that quality customer experiences enhance the public’s trust in government — making it easier for them to carry out their mission.
Secondly, it contributes to worker satisfaction. Contrary to some people’s fears, the goal of automation is not to take away jobs. Rather, it frees workers to perform high-value tasks involving critical thinking, problem-solving, community relations, etc., that can’t be replaced by automation. Not only is that a better use of the employee's time, but it's likely more fulfilling work as well.
Many of the processes that went into Jane’s assistance application would be good candidates for automation. But it’s also important to consider whether an organization is ready for IA by evaluating factors including:
Mike Pazuki
Director of Intelligent Automation at MCCi
MCCi is a business process automation company with over 900 public sector clients, ranging from small towns to large state agencies. We work alongside government organizations to navigate your unique challenges, including meticulous attention to regulatory compliance, to provide outstanding experiences for your staff and citizens.
