Back in 2011, the Scottish Government set out its digital strategy, a plan that was designed to extend connectivity, promote the digital economy, digitise public services and promote digital participation. The intention was for both the public and private sectors within Scotland to prosper as the government work to deliver inclusive economic growth. This strategy was set out 7 years ago and has largely been a success, however, there are still gaps to be filled between policy, service design and delivery. Naturally, external political affairs have slowed this all down as they draw huge amounts of focus from the government, however, a refresh of its digital strategy in 2017 has seen a fresh drive to achieve the goals set out, making Scotland efficient and internationally competitive.
The digital strategy refresh also commits to designing and delivering digital public services, which makes us excited to attend Holyrood Connect ICT this June. This year’s agenda focuses on how the gaps can be closed to unlock the transformational benefits digital offers, something eShare are keen to help with, as well as providing insights on how public sector organisations can make the most of their digital landscape to help transform their organisation into a more efficient one.
Since the refresh, organisations have taken these initiatives and worked to improve their infrastructure, streamline services, and have achieved dramatic cost savings in the process. A case study looking at digital transformation at Highland Council by The Improvement Service documents how the council are progressing to their target of 40% of all customer transactions being processed online. The case study looks at the use of a digital solution called ‘myaccount’, a secure sign-in service for online public services in Scotland, which is on target to help Highland Council achieve £1.3 million in cost savings over the next four years. With recent budget cuts and a string of public sector organisations being hacked, secure and cost effective platforms are key to the success of Scotland refreshed digital strategy.
It is great to see organisations in the public sector in Scotland actively jumping on board with the refreshed strategy, and that digital transformation is having a positive impact. We’re really excited to speak at Holyrood with the attendees and discuss how embracing innovation within in an organisation requires boards and directors adopting the digital technologies available in a top-down approach. This helps to create a culture within the organisation, one that pulls in the same direction, where everyone is moving towards the use of secure platforms that are not only operationally beneficial but also financially. Additionally, achieving these efficiency improvements in line with the refreshed digital strategy is highly valuable as these are the exact visions and targets set out when the Scottish Government refreshed its digital strategy.
Cases such as Highland Council, and from our own experiences working across many different sectors, it is clear that the gaps in service design and delivery are becoming easier to identify and fill as digital solutions within the market develop, something the conference, and its awards, will be celebrating. We will be there discussing our experiences of helping the public sector’s digital journey, and how we can assist with the issues and gaps still facing these organisations. We will be demonstrating our online board portal, BoardPacks. Our solution helps boards and leadership teams by allowing access to the correct information at the right time. Enabling boards to stay on top of its operations is vital, so that projects and organisations move in the right direction, therefore ensuring that designs are clearly and properly thought out, and executed much more efficiently, with any associated risks being mitigated in the right way.
If you are attending the Holyrood event in June, please stop by the stand to see how eShare can help you with your digital transformation journey. We will also be running our famous Lego Star Wars prize draw, so if you would like to be in with a chance of winning, pop over to the stand to find out more. Alternatively, please get in touch with us today to request a brochure and a free online demonstration.
