The government sector faces many unique challenges. How exactly can no-code application development help? And where does Betty Blocks fit into this? Read on to find out how our clients have used the platform to drive innovation in the government sector.
Applications to work with bureaucracy, not against it
The dreaded red-tape. It’s important, we get that. But with bureaucracy comes an increased need for robust and effective processes. Think about paperwork. In an organization with a high level of bureaucracy, projects often have to be reviewed and signed-off by multiple departments and stakeholders. Everything must be documented and logged, meaning additional paperwork is created at each step.
But in many areas, paper-based processes can be replaced with relatively simple applications. This is how many of our government clients start out. By developing applications with Betty Blocks, governments are able to mitigate the negative impact of bureaucracy, saving time and money, and reducing risk.
Similarly, it can be almost impossible to get sign-off on a new software platform to completely replace your legacy system. To stakeholders, it sounds too daunting, too risky.
With Betty Blocks, however, you can replace parts of your legacy system — or build on top of it — with no-code applications. Over time, as stakeholders begin to see the ROI, more applications are signed-off. With this strategy, governments are able to replace out-dated systems and use enterprise-grade applications as the foundation of the entire organization.
Integration with legacy infrastructure
Let’s look at an example: 12 governments in the Netherlands are under pressure from national government mandates to achieve a greater level of digital innovation by 2020. This includes the most populous province in the Netherlands, Zuid-Holland. Responsible for regional plans, zoning guidelines, and environmental management, Zuid-Holland faced a wealth of challenges stemming from its legacy system.
Zuid-Holland’s IT department used Betty Blocks’ no-code platform to overhaul archaic processes. The province can now stay ahead of the ever-evolving needs of its residents, thanks to greater operational efficiency. With a population of 3.6 million people, it was essential for Betty Blocks to connect to Zuid-Holland’s legacy system. Currently, Betty Blocks connects to Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, and others.
What about cyber-security?
Betty Blocks is the first no-code platform to receive ISO 27001 certification, guaranteeing enterprise-grade security. Being 100% cloud-based means there’s no need to install software or deploy your application to a separate server. Updates are fully automated and instantaneous across all applications. All this saves even more time and reduces risk for your governmental organization.
Enterprise-grade applications for government
“With the Betty Blocks applications at the core of our youth care administration, we save €620,000 annually — and we’ve emerged as a leader among municipalities.” Tom Uleman, City of Zaanstad Senior Information Manager.
Tom’s main gripe when it comes to software in the government sector, is that governments tend to opt for off-the-shelf SaaS packages. At best, these packages accommodate 70-80% of an organization’s needs. At worst, they stifle innovation and drain recourses.
For the City of Zaanstad to make changes on its previous platform, 300 other municipalities on the system had to consent. Imagine how long this process took! As a starting point, Tom used Betty Blocks to develop an application for youth care services. By developing a no-code application in this one area, Tim was able to increase administrative efficiency by 40%. And, as no-code applications are rolled-out across other areas, the value can increase exponentially.
Citizen Development
You’re probably hearing the term Citizen Development more and more, but what does it mean for government? Put simply, it means giving tech-savvy government employees the tools to start developing applications. IT have their lengthy back-logs, perhaps more so in government than in other sectors, and Citizen Development allows innovative ideas to be realized faster.
A perfect example is Leslie Postema at Zuiderzeeland Regional Water Authority. By using Betty Blocks’ no-code platform, Leslie was able to develop an application that reduced paperwork and human-error. The application also gave Leslie real-time insight into measuring data. Had Leslie needed to rely on IT to develop the application, the project may have taken several months. But because Leslie adopted the principles of Citizen Development, the proof of concept was ready in just one month.
Where to go from here?
It’s an exciting time, with many advancements in technology set to shake up the government world as we know it. At Betty Blocks, we believe our no-code platform can level the playing field between government and enterprise. After all, millions of people depend on their local governments for services that are essential to their daily lives — why should the sector be left behind? The tools for innovation are now at your disposal. Use them to be a game-changer in the government sector!
