A Trusted Tech Partner Can Help Cities, Counties Achieve Digital Vision

If a local government wants to re-do its IT setup, its leaders should collaborate with knowledgeable teammates, says Matt Sprague, industry strategy director, local government at Trimble, a U.S.-based software and hardware firm that provides services and a variety of technologies.

"If a city or county is starting from scratch on their vision or plan for digital transformation, then we recommend identifying a trusted partner who can help guide the development of the vision. Local governments should keep in mind that digital transformation does not mean simply replacing manual processes with digital technologies, but also evaluating existing strategies and workflows — and, more likely than not, redesigning business processes for maximum efficiency and productivity to get the most benefits from the new technologies."

Sprague adds this example of how digital transformation can enhance a government's performance: "Updated processes, supported by new and existing technologies, can help break down silos so that data and communication can flow more efficiently across teams."

He adds this caution: "Local governments should also be wary of 'out of the box' solutions that lock users into a specific way of doing things. Configurability is very helpful. Almost no one does what you do the same exact way, so being able to configure the solution to your agency's business needs is an advantage."

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Sprague urges local government administrators to get answers to the following strategic questions as they plan an agency's digital transformation:

Read the rest of this article on American City & County.