Arcus Global
November 1, 2013
The Department for Communities and Local Government recently conducted an extensive study into the use of digital technologies by those in Local Government. The report discovered that for 72.7% of authorities, legacy systems and infrastructure is the biggest barrier to developing their digital offerings. This statistic was echoed by the suppliers taking part in the survey with 86.4% of suppliers saying that legacy systems were holding councils back.
The authorities clearly recognise that many of the systems on the market are outdated and actually hinder their digital efforts. However, as highlighted by suppliers in the survey, a staggering 77.3% of suppliers thought that inflexible procurement is hindering councils from picking new, more digitally focused suppliers. The current procurement rules make it hard for those suppliers without an extensive list of previous experience to win contracts, but how are they to get that experience when they don’t win contracts? It is a vicious cycle that is severely hindering the technological advancement of council systems and infrastructure and something that needs to be addressed nationally.
One of the surprising findings of the survey is that a lack of buy in from senior management and members is no longer seen as an important barrier to progress. Seeing as they listed senior management buy-in as vital to successful digital services, it can only be concluded that this important level of buy-in has now been achieved in most organisations.
For more information on how Arcus Global can help your organisation become a leader in digital change and save money while improving services, please get in touch with us on 01223 911 841.
– Lauren
