From a a government perspective, Deloitte’s 2017 Technology Trends report revealed that over the next 18 to 24 months, seven trends will challenge government organizations in how they think about service operations and delivery. GovTech is moving rapidly in both the short and long terms.
Deloitte, a consortium of independent consulting firms, scores the relevance for and readiness of governments in relation to each trend to track patterns to increase community and citizen engagement, inform decisions and increase efficiency.
Beyond these short-term GovTech trends, the company expects to see accelerated use of and early adoption by governments around nanotechnologies, energy systems, biotechnology and quantum technologies over the next three to five years.
Their advice?
- Move forward step-by-step with research and pilot testing before implementation.
- Focus on end goals but be flexible about implementation modes.
Many government organizations might take a ‘wait and see’ approach for these exponential technologies, but there can be value in learning about their future applications through pilots,” the report advised.
Review the 2017 seven GovTech trends and practical advice in how to approach them:
#1 IT Unbound
Consolidating IT functions could accelerate technology modernization by breaking down silos and shifting focus to driving civic innovation. Governments have started down the path by collaborating with outside partners, automating tasks and creating multifunctinal teams.
#2 Dark Analytics
Machine learning and processing advances can capture data from documents, videos and even tweets to capture analytics specifically to solve problems. Skilled talent and resources -- inside or outside government organizations -- are needed to focus capture of this data where it is needed.
#3 Machine Intelligence
Robotics, bots, cognitive analytics and artificial intelligence can uncover data anomalies as it emboldens productivity and engagement opportunities. Understanding the pieces is key to guiding purposeful investments. For example, Redwood City, Calif., is planning to deploy human-controlled robots that will gather information and work autonomously to help the city reduce traffic congestion.
#4 Mixed Reality
Adding information and content from the virtual world helps visualize scenarios in the real one. By conducting pilot tests, governments are finding out where mixed applications can make improvements, such as for security operations.
#5 Inevitable Architecture
Cloud and open technologies can increase productivity and efficiency as they lower government costs, but strategic choices must be made over time. Guidance is essential to pick the right capabilities.
#6 Everything-as-a-Service
Transforming systems into platforms requires work to create new operational modes of service delivery, but it can lead to better support for government operations in the long-run. The good news is changes can be phased in.
#7 Blockchain
Shared blockchain ledgers are being tested or researched for use in securing assets and documents of all kinds of uses -- from healthcare records to driverless vehicles. It’s not a solution for every challenge, so brainstorm use cases involving groups or consortia.
Download the 2017 GovTech trends report on Deloitte’s website.
