https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Commentaries


Commentary

Five ways to automate government workflow

Five ways to automate government workflow

Chris Byers, CEO of data management company Formstack, explains how digital forms can improve governments' efficiency and customer experiences.
  • Written by contributor
  • 18th July 2018

By Chris Byers

State and local governments are under constant scrutiny to provide consistent and responsive customer experiences to every citizen—after all, government exists to serve the governed. However, because government agencies are regularly asked to do more with less, officials are increasingly looking to technology to help stretch tax dollars further and give their staff some much needed assistance.

According to Formstack’s recent report, “The State of Workflow Automation in 2018,” 55 percent of managers are spending 8 hours—one full work day—or more per week on administrative tasks, rather than the strategic, high-value initiatives that citizens want.

Furthermore, according to the Office of Management and Budget, government paperwork and information collection costs the federal government alone more than $116 billion per year.

Online forms and data capture can make state and local government dramatically more effective. Here are just a few areas in which digital forms can improve efficiency and customer experiences:
 

Public assistance

Local and state government organizations are responsible for running public assistance programs that offer aid (such as financial assistance or health benefits) to people in need. Online forms increase the application and review process, while protecting user identities. Here’s how:

  • Online applications that give residents a quick and easy way to request assistance

  • Data encryption that prevents unauthorized users from accessing public assistance program data

  • WCAG and Section 508 compliance that ensures your online government forms are accessible to users with disabilities

Hiring

Keeping government positions filled is essential to the success of important programs and community efforts. While the hiring process can be cumbersome for organizations with limited resources, the right tools can ease the pain. To this end, online forms have several beneficial offerings:

  • Professional online forms for hiring requests, government job applications, interview feedback, and more

  • A file upload field that allows applicants to easily attach resumes and cover letters to their online applications

  • An approvals feature that automatically routes new applications to the hiring manager for candidate review

Citizen Engagement

Building relationships with citizens or residents is an important, but unspoken, government task. Most government organizations engage with the people they serve through community surveys, such as an environmental issues survey or a trash removal survey. Workflow automation and online forms can make communication more effective with these features:

  • Mobile-friendly government forms that are easily accessible and meet citizens where they are (on their smartphones!)

  • Email marketing integrations that allow you to automatically add survey respondents to an email list for further engagement

  • Customizable submission reports that you can use to analyze survey feedback

Permit management

From building and zoning permits to transportation permits to large gathering permits, government organizations are flooded with permit applications that must be reviewed. Look for these features to streamline permit processing:

  • Online permit applications (such as a handicap parking permit form or an application for building permit form) that can be embedded or shared on your organization’s website

  • Electronic signatures that allow you to get proper acknowledgement and authorization on permit applications

  • Automated submission notifications that alert you of new permit application submissions in real time for prompt follow-up

Grant processing

The government funds recovery initiatives, innovative research, and other projects that provide a public service or stimulate the economy. Improve your grant processing with these features:

  • Online government grant application forms that allow citizens and organizations to provide complete and accurate details on their grant requests

  • A workflow automation feature that can significantly streamline grant processing by letting you and your staff easily review, edit, and comment on grant applications

  • Notification emails that alert you whenever someone submits a new grant request

With the availability of online workflow management solutions, there’s simply no reason to continue spending valuable hours on repetitive tasks. As we head further into 2018, it’s time to focus on aligning goals with the workflow automation tools that can empower city officials to create more efficiency and save more time and money.

 

Chris Byers is the CEO of data management company Formstack.

Tags: Smart Cities & Technology Commentaries Commentary

Most Recent


  • digital
    How to leverage digital tools to drive innovation in government
    The rapid evolution of digital technologies transformed the way governments function, making them more efficient, transparent and citizen-friendly. Rather than relying on crystal trophies, governments can leverage digital tools to drive innovation and streamline processes, benefiting the population they serve. Open data and crowdsourcing Open data refers to making government data available to the public, […]
  • Broadband
    Oversight committee addresses NTIA reauthorization, FCC broadband map ahead of BEAD Program funding allocations
    As technological advancements continue to roll out at a breakneck pace, from artificial intelligence to high speed broadband connectivity, investment in digital infrastructure has become a defining theme of the modern era. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, (R-Wash.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, stressed the importance of this charge in opening remarks at […]
  • zero trust
    Zero trust is a great strategy but a terrible name
    The monthly town hall meeting was going well until they got to the agenda item called “zero trust.” What was to be a routine request for additional funding to implement a zero-trust environment quickly became one of confusion and misunderstanding. Trust in government at all levels has continued its downward spiral over the years. So, […]
  • ransomware
    Dallas ransomware attack shuts down systems, forces public safety to use backup communication protocols
    For the last week, information technology administrators in Dallas have been working around the clock to mitigate the impact of a widespread ransomware attack that disrupted business, caused first responders to impliment backup communication protocols, and took public-facing digital infrastructure offline. Since the early morning hours of last Wednesday, when ransomware was discovered in the […]

Related Content

  • North Texas alliance partners with Marketplace.city on smart government solutions
  • Harris County deploys next-generation security in 150 public buildings
  • Prioritizing rapid restore leads to stronger ransomware attack recovery
  • Today’s infrastructure needs greater than roads and bridges - It’s time to face our digital connectiveness

WHITE PAPERS


5 reasons why Plan Examiners need Objective Trapeze

30th May 2023

7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth

24th May 2023

The Secret Ingredient to Local Government Employee Retention

23rd May 2023
view all

Webinars


How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization

24th May 2023

Making Permitting Easier: What We’ve Learned Helping America’s Largest Cities Improve Their Permitting Process

16th May 2023

Digital Property Tax Collection: Tales from the Trenches of Modernization

16th May 2023
view all

Podcast


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Annual index ranks America’s top performing cities; most are in the West

30th May 2023

Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs

25th May 2023

Gallery: 10 of America’s most affordable cities

9th May 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

5 reasons why Plan Examiners need Objective Trapeze dlvr.it/Sptl5z

30th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

Navigating crises with confidence: Five ways strategic plans support crisis response dlvr.it/SptVKN

30th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

Gallery: Annual index ranks America’s top performing cities; most are in the West dlvr.it/SpszdK

30th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

2022 Crown Communities Award winner: Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts’ jury selection system dlvr.it/SphCBk

26th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs dlvr.it/SpdFWy

25th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

How to leverage digital tools to drive innovation in government dlvr.it/Spcktb

25th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

With many cities facing a fiscal cliff as ARPA funding ends, debt ceiling debate continues on Capitol Hill dlvr.it/SpZLph

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth dlvr.it/SpYqBS

24th May 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.