According to Rodolphe Malaguti of Product Strategy and Transformation at Conga, poor data structures and legacy systems are hindering the potential of AI in transforming public services.
From the NHS to local authorities, Britain’s taxpayer-funded services are missing out on £45 billion a year in potential productivity savings due to overwhelming reliance on outdated technology. This figure equates to the total cost of running all primary schools in England. in this country for one year.
A report released this week highlights how nearly half of public services remain inaccessible online. This has forced British nationals to engage in lengthy and frustrating processes such as applying for support in person, enduring long pending wait times, and traveling across town to council offices. are. Public sector workers are similarly hampered by inefficiencies such as sifting through piles of physical letters, which slows response times and leaves the public bearing the brunt of government red tape. It will be.
“As this report shows, there is a clear gap between what governments and public bodies are trying to achieve with digital projects and what they are actually delivering,” Malaguti explained. “The public sector remains heavily reliant on legacy systems and clearly struggles to address existing poor data structures and inefficiencies across key departments. This has a clear impact on decision-making and There is no doubt that it is hampering vital services to vulnerable populations.”
Even in very personal and important scenarios, the struggle continues. For example, the current process for registering deaths still requires physical presence, and grieving people must navigate red tape while mourning the death of a loved one. Other outdated processes place unnecessary burdens on small businesses. One notable example is the requirement to publish a notice in a local newspaper just to purchase a truck license, causing further delays and hindering economic growth.
A lack of cross-functional collaboration compounds these challenges. In some cases, agencies use more than 500 paper-based processes, making the system fragmented and inefficient. Vulnerable people suffer disproportionately under this disjointed framework. For example, patients with long-term health conditions can be forced to interact with up to 40 different services, repeating the same information as departments repeatedly fail to share data. .
“The challenge is that government leaders have traditionally focused on technology and online interactions, adding layers to services while still relying on old data and legacy systems. This has ultimately led to inefficiencies across departments. We are connected,” Malaguti added.
“Simply put, they are not able to address existing problems or streamline day-to-day operations. Data is more readily available and easily shared across departments, especially for leaders. This is critical as companies seek to leverage new technologies such as AI to analyze data to drive better outcomes and make strategic decisions across the public sector.”
Aging infrastructure: high costs and security risks
The report highlights that aging infrastructure has significant financial and operational costs. More than a quarter of the digital systems used across UK central government are outdated, with this figure rising to 70% in some departments. Maintenance costs for legacy systems are significantly higher than keeping the technology up to date, up to 3-4 times higher.
Additionally, an increasing number of these outdated systems are classified as “hazard-rated” for reliability and cybersecurity risks. Shockingly, NHS England experienced 123 major service outages in the last year alone. These outages often resulted in missed appointments, forced healthcare providers to rely on paper-based systems, and made it difficult for patients to access care when they needed it most.
Malaguti emphasizes that addressing these challenges is not just about upgrading technology.
“The focus must be on improving data structure, quality, and timeliness. To enable these technologies, all systems, data, and workflows must be properly structured and fully optimized before implementation. Public sector leaders should strive to establish clear, measurable goals as they continue to improve service delivery and impact on their core mission.”
Transforming public services
In response to these challenges, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle is announcing an ambitious review of public sector technology to introduce more modern, efficient and accessible systems. Emphasizing the use of AI, digital tools and ‘common sense’, the aim is to revolutionize the way public services are designed and delivered, streamlining operations across local authorities, the NHS and other key sectors .
A package of tools known as Humphrey, named after the fictional Whitehall official from the hit BBC drama Yes, Minister, will soon be available to all civil servants, with some starting today. become available.
Humphreys include:
Consultations: Analyze thousands of responses received during government consultations within hours and present interactive dashboards to policymakers and experts to directly explore public feedback. Parlex: A tool that allows policymakers to search and analyze decades of parliamentary debate, helping them sharpen their thinking and manage legislation more effectively through both the House of Commons and the Lords. Minute: A secure AI transcription service that creates customizable meeting summaries in the formats civil servants need. It is currently being used by several central ministries in meetings with ministers and is currently being trialled with local councils. Redbox: A generative AI tool tailored to help civil servants with their daily tasks, such as preparing policy summaries and briefings. Lex: A tool designed to assist authorities in researching the law by providing an analysis and overview of the law as it relates to specific complex issues.
New tools and changes can help address the inefficiencies highlighted in the report while realizing long-term cost savings. The aim of this reform is to reduce the burden of administrative work so that civil servants such as doctors and nurses can spend more time supporting the public. For businesses, this means faster approval of essential licenses and permits, which could boost economic growth and innovation.
“The government’s upcoming reforms and policy updates are expected to implement the AI Opportunities Action Plan, and (arguably, the aim is) to speed up the process,” Malaguti said. “Public sector leaders need to invest more strategically, approach these projects calmly, and roll out programs in stages that take into account each stage of the operation.”
This fundamental transformation will also benefit from the expanded role of the Government Digital Service (GDS). Planned measures include using GDS to identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities in public sector systems that can be exploited by hackers, making services more robust and secure. Masu. Such reforms are important to protect our citizens, especially as we increasingly rely on digital solutions.
The broad aim of these reforms is to modernize the UK’s public services to reflect the convenience and efficiency required in a digital-first world. Governments hope to use technologies such as AI to make interactions with public services faster and more intuitive, while saving taxpayers billions of dollars in the long run. .
As technology reshapes the future of how services are delivered, leaders must ensure they are comprehensively addressing the root causes of inefficiency, primarily outdated data infrastructure and fragmented workflows. . Only then can technological solutions, whether AI or otherwise, reach their full potential in helping serve the public.
(Photo courtesy of Claudio Schwartz)
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