The recent Cybersecurity Ventures report predicts that in 2023, the global annual cost of cybercrime will exceed $8 trillion. This figure could potentially be much higher than initially thought. With the rise of cyber threats and attacks, government agencies must adopt a proactive approach to protect their networks, data, and systems. As such, DevSecOps, a combination of development, security, and operations, is essential for government cybersecurity.

Recently, President Biden issued an Executive Order on improving the nation’s cybersecurity, and federal agencies have responded by releasing DevSecOps best practices based on the Enduring Security Framework. As a result, government organizations are taking steps to implement and standardize their DevSecOps processes for addressing current cybersecurity threats.

Here is a closer look at why DevSecOps is critical for government cybersecurity, how it can improve local and federal government cybersecurity, and some examples of how government agencies have successfully implemented DevSecOps practices.

Why DevSecOps is Critical For Government Cybersecurity

Traditionally, government agencies have followed a waterfall approach to software development, where each phase of development is completed before moving to the next phase. This approach can be time-consuming and costly, and it does not prioritize security. In contrast, DevSecOps is a continuous process that integrates security into every phase of the development lifecycle, from design to deployment and beyond. Government agencies can then detect and remediate security vulnerabilities early in the development process, reducing the risk of cyber-attacks.

In addition to this, DevSecOps fosters a culture of shared accountability for security by promoting communication between operations, security, and development teams, breaking down organizational barriers. By working together, these teams can more effectively and efficiently detect and handle security issues. This results in a reduced cost of cybersecurity for the organization as a whole. 

Improving Local Government Cybersecurity with DevSecOps

Local government agencies often have limited resources and expertise in cybersecurity. They may also be more vulnerable to cyber-attacks due to their reliance on legacy systems and software. DevSecOps can help these agencies improve their cybersecurity posture. This is done by prioritizing security in the development process and providing a framework for collaboration between teams.

Improving Federal Government Cybersecurity with DevSecOps

Federal government agencies face unique cybersecurity challenges. This is mainly due to the sensitivity of the data they handle and the potential impact of a cyber-attack. These agencies must comply with strict security regulations, such as the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework. DevSecOps can help these agencies comply with these regulations by integrating security into every phase of their development process. It further provides a framework for continuous monitoring and remediation of security vulnerabilities.

Other Benefits of DevSecOps

Apart from the specific benefits DevSecOps offer for government agencies, there are many other prominent advantages to adopting this approach. Here are a few of the more common ones.

Reduced Risk of Cyber-Attacks

By integrating security into every phase of the development process, DevSecOps reduces the risk of cyber-attacks that could compromise sensitive government data or systems.

Increased Speed of Software Delivery

DevSecOps enables faster and more frequent software delivery. The main reason for this is the automation of many aspects of the development process without sacrificing security or quality.

Improved Efficiency

Increased collaboration and communication between teams in DevSecOps can reduce errors and redundancies and increase overall efficiency.

Enhanced Accountability

With DevSecOps, agencies can promote a culture of shared responsibility for security, which can help ensure that security is a priority at every level of the organization.

Better Compliance

DevSecOps can help government agencies meet security regulations. This is done by providing a framework for integrating security into the development process. It further allows continuous monitoring and remediation of security vulnerabilities.

Reduced Cost

Detecting and remedying security vulnerabilities early in the development process is possible with DevSecOps. This can reduce the overall cost of software development and maintenance for government agencies.

Why Some Government Organizations Resist the Implementation of DevSecOps

A survey conducted by ATARC and the U.S. Air Force, underwritten by GitLab and Red Hat, interviewed almost 300 technical professionals across 27 federal departments, government entities, and state and local governments. The results revealed a complex DevOps environment in the public sector. The teams often faced challenges managing numerous disparate tools and working with legacy development models. The survey highlighted the following reasons for the hesitation toward DevSecOps implementation.

• Cultural resistance: Traditional government organizations may resist DevSecOps because it requires a cultural shift towards a more collaborative and agile approach to software development. This may be perceived as a challenge to the existing organizational culture, structures, and adherence to the waterfall methodology. 
• Complex Tools: According to the survey, only 28% of the respondents reported using five or fewer tools in their software development lifecycle, while almost 40% used ten or more tools. The use of multiple tools creates a complex development process. This in turn requires teams to dedicate significant time to managing the tools. The same time could instead be used for building and delivering critical applications for their organizations.
• Regulatory compliance concerns: Some government organizations may be concerned that implementing DevSecOps practices could potentially compromise their ability to meet regulatory compliance requirements.

It is crucial to understand that these reasons for resistance are not insurmountable. Government organizations are capable of overcoming them. Agencies can effectively implement DevSecOps methods to strengthen their cybersecurity posture with the correct assistance, training, and leadership. 

Conclusion

DevSecOps is essential for government cybersecurity, both at the local and federal levels. By integrating security into every phase of the development process and promoting collaboration between teams, government agencies can improve their cybersecurity posture while reducing the overall cost and time required for software development. Successful implementation of DevSecOps practices requires a cultural shift towards shared responsibility for security and a commitment to continuous improvement. As cyber threats continue to evolve, government agencies must remain vigilant and proactive in their approach to cybersecurity, and DevSecOps provides a framework for achieving this goal.

TechSur Solutions’ DevSecOps REPLAY Platform can help government agencies strengthen their cybersecurity posture, improve collaboration and efficiency, and reduce the risk of cyber-attacks. Contact us today to learn how we can assist you in implementing DevSecOps practices tailored to your agency’s unique needs and requirements.

The world has entered the digital age, where technology has become a central aspect of daily life and business operations. The internet and digital devices have created a vast network that connects people from all over the world, enabling instant communication and access to information. Such a transformation, along with the rapid growth of the digital economy, has created a high demand for US digital services, and governments have had to adapt to keep pace with these changes. 

Overview of the Demand for US Digital Services 

In recent years, the demand for digital services has increased dramatically, and this trend is only expected to continue. A recent Accenture report indicates that the demand for digital services from US citizens has grown, as reflected in the increase of those who wish to have more digital interaction with their government: 39% of respondents in 2022 compared to 29% in 2019. 

Customers and citizens expect easy access to government services and information online. They want these services to be fast, efficient, and reliable. This has put pressure on government organizations to upgrade their digital offerings. They now must keep up with the evolving needs of their constituents.

Meeting the demand for US digital services would mean government organizations can improve their efficiency and effectiveness in serving the public. By leveraging technology and modernizing their systems, they can streamline processes, reduce costs, and provide better, faster service to their customers. Additionally, the use of digital services can improve the transparency and accountability of government operations, leading to increased trust and confidence in government institutions. However, as with any transformation, success in this endeavor isn’t without its challenges.

Challenges Faced by Federal Government Organizations in Meeting Demand

Despite these benefits, federal government organizations are facing numerous challenges when it comes to meeting rising demands for digital service.

Difficulty in Adapting Legacy Systems

Many government agencies have been using outdated systems for decades, and upgrading them to modern technology can be a complex and costly process. In addition, the integration of these legacy systems with new technology can be difficult. They may not be compatible with the latest digital services.

Lack of Resources and Budget Limitations

Upgrading technology and modernizing systems can be expensive, and many government agencies have limited budgets for these types of projects. The shortage of skilled personnel who are able to implement these upgrades further complicates the process.

Security and Privacy Concerns

Governments are responsible for safeguarding sensitive information, such as personal and financial data, and ensuring that this information is protected from unauthorized access and use. They must also be able to detect and respond to cyber-attacks and data breaches. This can have significant impacts on the security and privacy of their customers and citizens.

Strategies for Meeting Rising Demands for Digital Service 

Despite these challenges, there are strategies that federal government organizations can use to meet rising demands for digital service. 

Leverage Existing Technologies and Resources

One strategy for meeting the demand for digital services is to leverage existing technologies and resources. Government organizations can take advantage of existing systems and infrastructure to implement digital services and improve their efficiency. For instance, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can be a valuable tool for the US government in meeting the rising demand for digital services. By integrating RPA, the government can automate routine and repetitive tasks within its existing infrastructure. This will improve efficiency and free up resources to focus on more valuable activities. 

The success of such initiatives has been experienced by the US government when battling COVID-19 challenges. The US federal government adopted Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to help its agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Institutes of Health, and the Internal Revenue Service, increase the efficiency of their staff. RPA allowed these organizations to shift their personnel from low-value tasks to more important activities. They could effectively manage a surge in demand for their services. In a similar way, the US federal government can utilize its existing systems to provide efficient digital services to citizens.

Invest in Modernization

Another strategy is to invest in modernization by upgrading technology and modernizing systems to meet the changing needs of their customers and citizens. This can include the development of new digital services, the implementation of cloud computing and data analytics, and the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

A key example of such an initiative is the inclusion of AI-powered virtual assistants and chatbots that can assist government agencies in providing efficient digital services.

On the other hand, cloud technology has the ability to scale quickly, allowing federal government organizations to make a seamless transition to digital services. For instance, in 2020, 90% of California’s 200,000 state employees were able to easily switch to telework due to the state government’s early adoption of cloud technology. This shift not only allows employees to work remotely but also helps governments reach citizens through omnichannel cloud-based communication tools.

For example, Singapore utilizes “postman.gov.sg” to send bulk messages with critical updates to citizens. Leveraging cloud technologies in this way can further improve citizen satisfaction and enhance the quality of government services in the US as well.

Upgrade Security and Privacy Standards

Finally, upgrading security and privacy standards is a critical component of any strategy for providing digital services to the public. Government agencies must invest in robust security and privacy measures. This is essential to protect sensitive information and ensure the safety of their customers and citizens. This includes implementing strong encryption, developing security policies and procedures, and investing in cyber security and data protection technologies.

One major point of concern is that, despite numerous proposals, there has yet to be a comprehensive federal law created to govern data privacy in the U.S. that has been accepted by federal government organizations. Developing and implementing data privacy policies, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, can help ensure that sensitive information is collected, stored, and processed in a manner that is secure and compliant with privacy laws and regulations.

Conclusion 

As we enter the digital age, citizens are expecting consumer-grade experiences from the federal government. All generations are now looking to the government to provide a streamlined digital experience. The US federal government has the opportunity to meet these demands and enhance its services. However, it comes with plenty of challenges. 

To ensure success, federal government organizations must rise to the occasion. Fortunately, there are strategies that organizations can use to overcome these challenges. This includes leveraging existing technologies, investing in modernization initiatives, and upgrading security and privacy standards. By taking these steps, organizations can create a more efficient system that meets the needs of citizens in the digital era.

TechSur Solutions leverages the latest technologies to help you overcome your challenges and gain a competitive advantage in this digital era. Reach out to us today for more information about our enterprise solutions and our dedication to optimizing governmental operations.

In the modern digital world, the way organizations manage their security has dramatically changed. As a result of the increase in remote work, cyber threats, and the adoption of cloud-based technologies, organizations are looking for new ways to secure their data and systems. This is where zero-trust architecture comes into play.

On May 2021, an executive order was issued that required the U.S. Federal government agencies to invest in technology and personnel in order to make it easier to access cybersecurity data, migrate to secure cloud architectures faster and work towards a zero-trust architecture.

Following this, government organizations are constantly striving to implement and strengthen a zero-trust architecture. Fortunately, as one of the leading cloud-based platforms, ServiceNow can provide invaluable assistance in this endeavor, allowing for the integration of people, processes, and systems within a secure framework. 

Why is Zero-Trust Architecture Important

Zero-trust architecture is a security approach that assumes that all network traffic, whether internal or external, is untrusted until proven otherwise. The aim of this approach is to reduce the attack surface and prevent unauthorized access to the network. This is particularly important for federal government organization. These organizations handle sensitive information and must maintain a high level of security. With the increasing number of cyber threats and the complexity of modern networks, traditional perimeter-based security models are no longer sufficient.

A zero-trust architecture provides a more comprehensive and flexible security solution, allowing federal government organizations to better protect their critical assets and data. By implementing such a security architecture, organizations can reduce their risk of security breaches and improve their overall security posture.

Improving Zero-Trust Architecture in Federal Government Organizations 

Federal Government Organizations can enhance their zero-trust architecture through the utilization of ServiceNow. The Now Platform offers several solutions and integrations to support a comprehensive security strategy. This includes automating processes and streamlining security operations. Here are some prominent ways federal government organizations can leverage the capabilities of ServiceNow to augment their security architecture.

Establishing a ServiceNow Platform 

Establishing a ServiceNow platform can significantly improve the zero-trust architecture of government agencies. The platform offers a centralized, unified data model and powerful cross-functional workflows. This can streamline security operations and enhance communication between people, functions, and systems. With the ability to automate security processes, ServiceNow makes it easier for government agencies to enforce their zero-trust policies and reduce the risk of security breaches. 

Additionally, the platform provides a variety of security-focused solutions and integrations. This includes multi-factor authentication, encryption, access control, and continuous monitoring. These features support government agencies in their efforts to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of their security operations. In turn, this helps to ensure the protection of sensitive information and assets.

Integrating with Existing Security Tools and Systems 

Another way to improve zero-trust architecture is by integrating ServiceNow with existing security tools and systems. This integration enhances network visibility. Better visibility allows for quicker identification of potential threats and enabling organizations to secure a robust zero-trust environment. 

The combination of security tools and the Now Platform provides a coordinated response to security events. With this organizations can set up automated processes to alert security personnel and quarantine devices that may be compromised. Further, they can patch vulnerable assets, and suspend accounts that appear to be suspicious. Also, the Now Platform provides a unified view of security information and risk. This enables administrators to make informed decisions with the help of streamlined, real-time data.

Implementing Policies 

By implementing security policies, federal government organizations can ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive data or systems. This will help protect critical assets from malicious actors by establishing a secure zero-trust architecture with defined security policies. These policies include controlling hardware and software configurations on the production network, onboarding new capabilities, software packages, services, IT hardware, cloud providers, and personnel roles.

Using the Now Platform, federal government organizations can create robust and secure onboarding workflows to ensure that all purchases and installations are properly evaluated for security and risk. This can provide a layer of governance to the acquisition process. Such governance will make sure that all technology purchases are in line with agency policy.

Zero-Trust Architecture for Government: A New Era of Cybersecurity

Zero-trust architecture is a critical aspect of modern cybersecurity, and ServiceNow provides an effective solution for organizations looking to augment their security systems. With its single data model, powerful cross-functional workflows, and automation capabilities, ServiceNow is a highly secure and effective solution for organizations looking to implement the zero-trust architecture. As cyber threats continue to increase, organizations must take steps to augment their security systems, and ServiceNow provides a solution that will help organizations stay ahead of the curve.

TechSur Solutions understands the nuances of governmental operations and the importance of cloud integration to enhance operations and security. Our team of experts is here to assist government agencies in cloud deployments. We work to ensure a streamlined transition from legacy systems to cloud infrastructure with no compromise on security.

Government agencies across the U.S. have rightly recognized the need for greater integration and innovation of new technologies, such as UiPath RPA, to meet the growing operational complexity. This is especially true with the significant workloads that agencies face. This includes multiple applications for government subsidies and persistent legislative changes while managing these responsibilities with limited staff.

As government agencies strive to provide their citizens and employees with the best possible experience, they increasingly turn to Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to achieve this goal. RPA technology is a powerful tool that can help automate repetitive and manual tasks, allowing government agencies to focus their resources on providing better services to their citizens and employees. 

UiPath RPA coupled with AI assists public sector organizations in rethinking the quality of citizen service and discovering new approaches to local, regional, and national problems. It has provided the government with various advantages, including positive performance for citizens, more efficient processes, and increased work engagement for government employees, allowing them to devote time to more significant responsibilities.

Here are some examples of how RPA can benefit government agencies and help them deliver better citizen and employee experiences.

Crucial RPA Use Cases in the Public Sector

The Uipath service is highly applicable in many government entities and procedures, making it a valuable asset for the public sector. The advantages are evident across five distinct areas, namely national governments, municipal governments, law enforcement, medical care, and education. The following list includes some of the most pertinent use cases from various public sector operations that can provide quality citizen services. 

1. Document Handling and Validation

Document management and validation are essential tasks for public institutions and government departments. Even though these routine tasks are necessary for an agency to function correctly, they may take up the bulk of a shift, leaving the staff with little time to devote to the activities that can have a positive impact. 

According to a recent survey by Deloitte, 40% of Generation Z and 24% of millennials would quit their job within two years if they considered it to be uninteresting and repetitive. Quick turnover rates can cause havoc within governmental departments as quickly finding replacement employees can be costly and time-consuming. Therefore, it is essential to use Uipath RPA and AI to streamline mundane and monotonous document-handling jobs. Round-the-clock software bots can significantly speed up documentation analysis, extraction, entry, and storage. These bots can also improve the quality of service and lower the capital expenditures associated with document processing and validation.

2. Reconciliation and Reporting

All public sector organizations have varying requirements for reconciliation procedures and assets. Therefore, a robust and adaptable staff is necessary to achieve these objectives using this procedure. Automating these operations with RPA bots leads to effective resource utilization and substantial savings, and can improve comprehensive monitoring, ledger account reconciliation, and the activation of current assets. Agencies can upgrade or downscale processes using the Uipath service without issue. Optimizing efficiency can improve public services to benefit employees and citizens alike. 

3. Financial Management and Audit Trail

For government sectors to succeed and provide improved citizen services, automating these rule-driven operations is essential. RPA can assist government departments in managing finances with high precision and accuracy. Eliminating keyboard inaccuracies can lead to nearly risk-free  audit preparation. Uipath RPA can manage finances quickly and without error for numerous tasks such as transaction monitoring, invoicing, and expenses.

Today, the public sector struggles with providing the level of service that citizens expect. Legacy systems and time-consuming procedures are mostly to blame. RPA can help the public sector achieve new levels of effectiveness and accountability, allowing for more efficient and productive processes and transforming the government into a digital entity.

4. Delivery to Citizens

Government agencies must establish strategies for providing swift and effective citizen-focused services. However, it would be challenging to meet the quality of the criteria demanded by the general public. This challenge is commonly caused by the time-consuming procedures associated with processing and distributing funding, response, monitoring, and fulfillment. 

Maintaining the citizens at the center of government service, RPA can decrease or eliminate numerous barriers to achieve quick and practical outcomes. The U.S. State of Federal RPA December report claimed the “federal RPA community has reduced over 1.4 million hours of low-value work across the [U.S.] government to date.” An automated system like this, for example, could handle the backlog of VA applications. 

Conclusion 

The public sector has been leveraging the power of robotic process automation (RPA) to increase efficiency and productivity, saving time and money. RPA can reduce the expenses associated with labor-intensive tasks such as report generation or data entry by automating them for faster completion. RPA enables staff to focus on mission-critical work over monotonous operations while maintaining compliance standards without compromising accuracy or speed. The government agencies that adopt RPA are well positioned to augment their internal processes, improving citizen and employee experiences.

TechSur Solutions uses RPA technology to automate repetitive operations to solve your challenges, allowing you to be an agency hero. Contact us today to find out more about our enterprise solutions and our commitment to enhancing governmental operations.

The current White House Executive Order on transforming federal customer experience and service delivery set a new standard for government modernization, bringing with it an array of opportunities to streamline operations. Robotic process automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been identified as tools that can assist in the transition. Research indicates these tools can improve employee productivity, reduce administrative burdens, and increase citizen satisfaction by delivering more accurate and timely services.

Federal agencies are already beginning to experiment with robotic process automation tools, such as UiPath, to automate operations, including data entry, content management, and contact center workflows, providing faster access to data while reducing duplication of effort. By using automation technology like RPA and AI, these types of resolutions can bring many benefits. These include increased transparency and better insights into how citizens interact with governments digitally.  This leads to improved trust between citizens and their government organizations.

Understanding Robotic Process Automation for Government Agencies

RPA technology is a major efficiency driver for government agencies as it expedites data processing, manipulation, and communication activities. Software robots form an integral part of RPA technology. These are virtual agents (AI-based software programs) that users can configure to learn and interpret existing computer-aided applications, allowing them to achieve these tasks with minimal need for direct human supervision.

With RPA, government agencies can automate many processes. Processes containing structured data and those with repeatable tasks and relatively consistent outcomes are particularly well-suited for automation through RPA. This means that organizations can significantly reduce the time and costs allocated for tedious manual labor like paperwork or data entry.

Over the next decade, we can expect to see a transformation of public sectors due to the increasing RPA adoption . According to McKinsey and Company estimates, by 2025, RPA could have a global economic impact as high as $6.7 trillion based on its ability to match full-time equivalent (FTE) employee output. Furthermore, it has been noted that 30% of employee working hours globally could be automated by 2030 – an indication that RPA leads to increased efficiency and cost savings in organizations. RPA is greatly beneficial, from increasing productivity and job satisfaction in employees to improving service delivery to citizens. 

The Benefits of Robotic Process Automation for Federal Government Agencies

Robotic process automation helps government agencies to meet the demands of the twenty-first century by reimagining how they accomplish mission-critical tasks, in addition to providing enhanced services to citizens. RPA can bring about numerous advancements, such as:

• higher capacity for work,
• lower operational costs,
• reduction or elimination of backlogs,
• lower errorful outcomes,
• improved compliance and auditing standards,
• freeing up staff to execute more rewarding tasks.

Deloitte states that further improvements can be made by incorporating cognitive technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and speech recognition into RPA systems. These technologies allow for automated processes that otherwise would have required the perceptual and judgment capabilities of human beings.

Federal government agencies are increasingly realizing the value of investing in RPA technology. Here is how automation proposes leading benefits for them.

1. Improved Response Time

Robotic process automation is proving to be a valuable tool in meeting the expectations of U.S. citizens for on-demand, digital, and quick access to public services. Automation improves the customer experience by freeing government employees from mundane, repetitive tasks. This also allows them to perform higher-value work, such as directly addressing citizen needs. It is an effective method for agencies to reduce call hold times and abandonment rates in their contact centers. This further increases agents’ time for problem-solving and providing quality service. Ultimately, this helps federal government agencies ensure citizens receive more personalized attention when they need it most.

2. Workflow Automation Increasing Task Achievability

Secure RPA offers an improved alternative to difficult and costly digital modernization efforts. It effectively connects disparate systems within the existing government infrastructure. RPA operates at the user level and can easily automate workflows between legacy and modern systems. This enables providing a low-cost solution that often increases the value of legacy systems. Furthermore, RPA technology allows agencies to securely move data from a legacy system into the cloud. Thus, this ensures consistent and secure data access without compromising agency compliance or security requirements. RPA serves as an effective tool to facilitate digital modernization and optimize existing systems within federal government functions.

3. Boosted Employee Experience

Automation technologies provide a way for employees to optimize and streamline everyday operation activities, providing greater agility and efficiency. RPA can identify redundancies in processes, freeing up time to create space for more meaningful tasks that add real value. As such, employees are able to spend more time focusing on projects that have direct impacts on those they serve. This shift in focus enables them to apply their skills, experience, and expertise in ways that make the greatest contribution to their organizations.

4. Better Compliance

RPA is capable of relieving pressure on existing resources that are being tasked with meeting compliance mandates. It allows agencies to efficiently and accurately review, process, and fulfill requirements by streamlining formerly manual processes. The resulting freedom from tedious manual labor results in stronger regulatory reach. Additionally, automation can dramatically reduce the time it takes to complete compliance-related paperwork. This will lead to faster resolution times for any potential conflicts arising.

Robotic Process Automation: The Transformation of U.S Government Agencies

Deloitte recently published a report showing the potential effects of utilizing robotic process automation (RPA) tools on medium-sized organizations, pointing to a $30 million savings in bottom-line impact for those organizations with $20 billion in revenue and 50,000 employees. These figures offer only a glimpse of the drastic potential this technology has to offer at an even larger scale – a government level. The U.S Federal Government boasts 2.1 million employees, many of whom are engaged in repetitive tasks that could potentially be automated to save time and money – not to mention the size of the annual budget is over $6.2 trillion. As this technology continues to improve, the fiscal implications for US government agencies could be staggering.

The future of public services has arrived. By using automation, federal agencies are meeting the demands of an ever-evolving society and creating a streamlined way for citizens to access services. By understanding the need for speed and efficiency, agencies can utilize automated systems which reduce the amount of manual labor often associated with traditional government operations. Moving forward, the adoption of automation will become increasingly essential for governments around the world looking to maintain their current services or expand into areas that weren’t possible with manual processes.

TechSur Solutions uses RPA technology to automate repetitive operations in order to solve your challenges, allowing you to be an agency hero. Find out more about the enterprise RPA solutions we offer and our commitment to enhancing governmental operations.

For many organizations across government sectors, digitization has turned into a “must-have.” In the newly released Automation Now & Next report, based on a survey of 1,000 leading organizations, nearly all participants (95%) now view automation as a critical part of their strategic initiatives. Through robotic process automation, organizational policies are sped up and streamlined to allow staff to concentrate on assignments of maximum priority. 

Even though RPA has become more popular among organizations in recent years, some skeptics still have incorrect ideas about what it is and what it can accomplish. This article will address the most common myths, along with each one’s present state of reality.

Misconception #1: RPA Is Only Applicable to Document-Heavy Processes

When speaking with CIOs, we frequently encounter this misconception. And it all began based on what, back then—15 years or more ago—existing systems could or could not accomplish. The major problem was that spreadsheets, PDFs, and other varieties of documents could not be analyzed by the solutions available at the time.

Then Robotic Process Automation (RPA) entered the picture, and without realizing its true potential, many believed this was expressly created for document-heavy processing. Due to such misconceptions, robotic process automation tools may have fallen victim to stereotyping.

Early automation of rule-based procedures, such as data extraction from workbooks, had limited application early on.  Today, current RPA technologies have radically changed the way organizations operate. Because the transformation is simpler now, a non-technical individual can automate processes without the aid of specialists.

In recent years, RPA is becoming more intelligent. Intelligent automation, or intelligent RPA, is when the capabilities of computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) combine with RPA to automate a wide range of processes, both basic and complicated. It raises the bar for automation. With intelligent RPA, organizations can automate almost any front- or back-office function.

Misconception #2: RPA Promotes Bad Processes by Automating Them

Consider a finance department that is awaiting a significant ERP rollout. They currently have several gaps, and they are filling those discrepancies using Excel alternatives. The finance team is informed by the IT division that, once the ERP program is implemented, all templates will be eliminated. When? Two years hence. So what occurs in the interim? The finance department is drowning in bad spreadsheet procedures. With these two factors added, meeting expectations becomes difficult. 

Until ERP digitization is implemented, robotic process automation tools can assist organizations in its place, giving them some breathing room. It has the ability to automate procedures based on the given documents, including worksheets.  And the implementation period can be much shorter—usually just a few weeks. In this instance, one is not using a harmful procedure but rather providing a stopgap measure until the long-term fix is ready. 

Even during ERP implementations, RPA has shown to be a tremendous help because it makes automating ERP workflows much simpler than using the workflow options provided by the ERP. Moreover, modern RPA platforms often feature an agile development tool to help identify the finest, most eligible procedures to automate.

Misconception #3: The Citizen Development Model Is Against IT Best Practices

The popularity of citizen development is rising quickly. Many embrace the idea of citizen developers; and agree that educating citizen designers is the biggest priority to forge ahead on expanding automation throughout the organization. 

Citizen development is a concept that is occurring as a result of factors such as:

• The utilization of RPA technology is becoming simpler.
• The average user is growing more technological.
• IT departments are overburdened by a lack of qualified personnel and an excessive number of initiatives.

The concept of citizen development is enduring. It can also function without jeopardizing IT best practices. The key? You must have administration, disclosure, management, a division of responsibilities, and accountability in place in order to employ the appropriate technology in the right way. Let democratization begin after that. 

Misconception #4: Robotic Process Automation Will Take Away Jobs

Rather than replacing workers, RPA more effectively frees people from tedious, repetitive activities. Employees can concentrate on innovative and strategic tasks that call for human intelligence by using Digital Co-Workers. Employees may become more content with their jobs as a result, increasing productivity. RPA has also given rise to fresh opportunities. Organizations and agencies are looking for RPA developers, analysts, architects, engineers, and other professionals who can assist them in implementing and managing automation. 

Robotic Process Automation For Government Agencies

RPA technology has a lot to contribute to a range of government agencies, and we hope this piece has inspired you to take advantage of everything it has to contribute. For agency executives who are looking to consolidate their operations for increased agility and responsiveness, these misconceptions about RPA can create a lot of needless hassles. Robotic Process Automation is unquestionably a realistic alternative as you start looking for that “next edge” to stay current and effective in your field.

RPA adoption makes the most mundane and tedious tasks easier to accomplish while also strengthening IT infrastructures across different sectors of government. TechSur Solutions solves your problems with RPA technology to automate many repetitive tasks. Learn more about our enterprise RPA solutions and how dedicated we are to improving government operations.

The United States government’s executive branch continues to advocate and set the stage for robotic process automation (RPA) deployment. The government’s prompt acceptance of RPA automation programs indicates its capability. Presently, over 30 government entities are using UiPath to alleviate bottlenecks, resolve compliance concerns, streamline operations, and conserve valuable funds paid by taxpayers. 

UIPath RPA enables federal employees to serve individuals best while relieving them of tedious but vital tasks. It also offers opportunities for persistent learners to excel in administrative offices. Especially at a time when the governmental sector is anticipated to be most affected by the “silver tsunami,”  a.k.a the rapidly aging population.

Government Agencies are Adopting RPA at a Rapid Pace

RPA is transforming how the government operates. Any impartial evaluation will show that governments are utilizing RPA more expeditiously than any other innovation.

The United States budget for the fiscal year 2020 included RPA. A dialogue box highlighted RPA automation to draw attention to its significance. This addition to the expenditure complied with the President’s 2018 Management Agenda’s recommendation. The recommendation mentioned transferring individuals from low-value to more lucrative jobs.

The RPA Community of Practice was created at the GSA in the middle of 2019 and wasn’t designed to assess UIpath RPA. The RPA accomplishments are what motivated the RPA Community to step up and assist U.S. government organizations not presently employing RPA. The following are a few of the 70 UiPath RPA deployments

• the GSA
• NASA Shared Services Center
• Air Force Personnel Command
• Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Government RPA experts from various defense and non-defense agencies gathered to catalog automation best practices. Government organizations just starting to employ RPA automation can use these tips to speed up adoption.

RPA Automation Milestones 

According to Gartner, by 2024, 75% of governments are anticipated to have at least three hyper-automation programs established or in progress. 19% of federal participants are already using RPA according to the 2021 Gartner Digital Transformation Divergence Across Government Sectors Survey. And 33% plan to implement it within the next two years. The following are the main reasons why RPA is so prominent.

• The process improvements it yields.
• How rapidly it can pay off.
• How organization can use it to automate legacy system activities. 

The federal reskilling initiative is demonstrating that when the employees are adequately retrained, RPA can be applied faster and further across government entities. This is more applicable when federal agencies reconfigure, restructure, and accommodate retirement plans.

UIPath RPA Automation Resolutions

Because of the emphasis on RPA by the government, UIPath extended the duration of their Academy Live hands-on workshop by two-thirds to 8 hours. As RPA begins to expand even further,  the workshop will assist non-technical staff members in comprehending how RPA integrates technology infrastructure. And how it instigates modern digital tools like artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML), and virtual agents.

Seventy federal deployments of UiPath, all of which have been functional and are increasing, indicating that RPA is making headway in the effort to improve government.

In Conclusion

RPA is gradually revolutionizing governmental processes and will continue to do so in the near future. Virtual assistants are taking care of the essential but time-consuming job on employee systems. This means federal employees can quit functioning like machines for their computer systems and start assisting the general public in other productive ways. 

UIPath RPA automation adoption makes the most mundane and tedious tasks easier to accomplish while also strengthening IT infrastructures across different sectors of government. TechSur Solutions solves your problems with RPA technology to automate many repetitive tasks. Learn more about our enterprise RPA solutions and how dedicated we are to improving government operations. 

Citizens seek fast, straightforward interactions with their government agencies. Governments may contact constituents, attend to their demands for knowledge, services, and transactions, and then answer those needs with the aid of a citizen engagement system. It is essential for organizations to integrate an efficient strategy that pays close attention to relevant parties within the administration. Especially in order to foresee demands and invent alternatives before dilemmas arise. This allows the government to deliver timely solutions to citizens to address their current needs. The integration of Amazon cloud helps achieve just that.

To enhance citizen engagement systems and the process of interaction with the administration, government agencies across the United States are utilizing the Amazon cloud and strengthening it with AI. Due to the cloud, governments are investing in the forthcoming wave of multichannel services. These omnichannel technologies and AI enhancements minimize direct interaction constraints on personnel. They can consolidate input locations to free resources for more essential operations. Further, AI enhancements decrease and eliminate latency for company personnel and their consumers and enhance the constituent communication process. 

Benefits of AWS Platforms and Services 

With more than 7,500 federal organizations utilizing AWS, the need for U.S. government organizations to strike an equilibrium between affordability/flexibility and cybersecurity, accountability, and dependability has increased significantly. AWS has regularly assisted in navigation related to regulatory concerns linked to cloud services. It has further helped in overcoming government conformity difficulties posed by cloud computing. It is feasible to accomplish operations with a consistent set of tools, a continuous supply of new features, and the versatility to grow quickly with the objective. This is mainly due to AWS’s cloud hosting competency throughout all classification levels.

Amazon Connect-Enabled Constituent Services

Amazon Connect is an omnichannel, virtualized client service platform that enables organizations to deliver strong, less expensive customer care. 

Regions of the US, such as King County, and Washington, utilize the Amazon cloud to guarantee that citizens have easy, fair access to the amenities they seek. They go further than the call center services, adopting a proactive and sympathetic stance. The Amazon Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is now integrated with digital assistants (Amazon AI bots) across multiple channels. This includes voice, web, text, and social media, giving everyone accessibility anytime, anywhere, on any system. Instances involve generating information that is uniform across all mediums and improving accessibility for individuals who understand a different language or have hearing and vision issues.

Washington, DC, provided contact center employees with Amazon Connect so they could provide smoother and more affordable services to customers. The self-service program for DC’s Child Support Services Division, inaugurated in 2010 on a single network, cost more than $1 million to deploy over ten months. Repairs and maintenance cost far more than $75,000 each year. It took about six months and no extra expenditure to implement the same functionality utilizing Amazon Connect. Using Amazon Connect, contact centers can gather information from many sources, such as agent broadcasts and contact trace data, and store it in a centralized data lake where authorized users can view the client information.

Benefits of Amazon Cloud AI Enhancements

To enhance constituent engagement operations outside of office hours, governments are quickly implementing AI-enabled technological devices. These include chatbots and digital voice assistants that are accessible around the clock. These modulation schemes can also deliver data and services via gadgets and software that users are already accustomed to and at ease using. Individuals can use speech, text, and the telephone to access a centralized data and service request center. 80% of the incoming flow in governmental contact centers is for data requests that require the same response for one inquiry as it is for 1,000. Amazon AI can liberate resources from mechanical, repetitive work so administrators can concentrate on higher-order activities. 

For various governments around the US, Citibot, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner, creates AI-powered chatbots. Amazon Lex is a service used by Citibot to create intelligent interface designs for both text and voice programs. Citibot sought to add a generic search feature to more efficiently utilize selected FAQ information and recent statistical sources from numerous targeted websites. Ultimately, this increases the versatility of their chatbot for powerful new inquiry kinds. Citibot used the Web Connector Tool from TensorIoT, an AWS Partner, and Amazon Kendra, an enterprise web service, to create an all-purpose search system. 

Pre-trained AI technologies from AWS offer pre-made expertise for workflows and services.  AI services are simple to incorporate with platforms for solving typical use cases. These include tailored suggestions, upgrading contact centers, boosting protection and reliability, and raising consumer engagement. Government organizations can benefit from reliability and precision from continuously-learning APIs. This is because these APIs leverage the same deep learning technique that underpins Amazon.com and ML Services. The AWS is sufficiently developed using computer vision to classify resources, spot anomalies, and boost processes with autonomous supervision.

Amazon cloud adoption makes communication, establishment, and transfer of data easier while also strengthening IT infrastructures across different government sectors. TechSur Solutions solves your problems with Amazon cloud technology to enhance various communication tasks. Learn more about our enterprise cloud solutions and how dedicated we are to increase flexibility for government operations. 

The data-driven nature of the world has been aided largely by the rapid advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics. Increasingly more areas are realizing the usefulness of data and how tapping into it can open a world of growth and development.

Big data analytics is a fast-growing field that has transformed government operations. The sheer volume of data is astounding; for governments, most, if not all of this data is useful. Big data analytics tools help uncover insights and extract meaning from all of this data. The volume of data will continue to increase considerably for federal government organizations and agencies. The question becomes how organizations can make use of this massive amount of data to facilitate development.

The Importance of Big Data Analytics

Understanding and manipulating data has not only helped make numerous processes more efficient, but it has also opened up the possibility of extracting insights that were not possible before. For governments, this means a better allocation of resources and a greater understanding of peoples’ needs as they change. Some examples of ways big data analytics can be of use are:

• Predicting the spread of disease and taking precautionary measures to prevent it.
• Developing a public transport system and increasing convenience and efficiency for its users by understanding travel patterns and needs.
• Fraud reduction.
• Understanding educational needs and responding with better thought-out study programs.

Data analytics has allowed companies to gain a competitive edge for the private sector by understanding their customers’ needs. For federal government organizations and agencies, the motivating factor is not to outperform their competitors but to provide better services for citizens and make more efficient use of resources. Evidence-based policymaking can be achieved, the outcomes of which can be analyzed and monitored to refine the policies better, accelerating development for the country at large.

Taking Advantage of the Data-Driven World

Once you realize the importance and potential that lies in data, the next step is exploring how organizations can analyze big data in an optimized way.

1. Utilizing Big Data Analytics Tools

Newer, more advanced big data analytics tools have allowed for more efficient means of data collection. Traditional data collection methods, such as household consumption surveys, left room for discrepancies and misinterpretations. These methods were also time and cost-consuming and prone to error. These weaknesses are the same for most of the areas that make use of traditional tools and methods. 

Big data analytics is time efficient because it’s faster and more accurate than traditional methods. As big data analytics tools include bigger and better technologies, the accuracy of data models will only increase. This creates new avenues for data collection that will lead the way for more appropriate policies to be devised.

2. Implementing Machine Learning

Machine learning has been revolutionary in allowing data to be analyzed and used in new ways. Organizations can manipulate complex data and bring out useful intricate patterns from it. Here, the question of data quality comes into play. Ensuring data quality before relying on big data analytics tools is essential for any data model to work to a reassuring degree of accuracy. Several factors can help improve data quality.

With the volume of data increasing exponentially, there’s bound to be ‘bad data’ – inaccurate, outdated, or incomplete data. Such data compromises the entire dataset’s quality, leading to a less efficient model. Cleaning data is integral to creating efficient models based on big data analytics. The greater the quality of data, the more useful it is.

Conclusion

As technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence advance, addressing weaknesses in current systems will gradually become easier, allowing producing stronger data models based on big data analytics. Presently, the importance of big data analytics is undeniable. As we progress, this importance will only become irreplaceable.

To learn more about the various aspects of data and the different ways in which organizations can use it, visit TechSur Solutions. 

Cloud computing has gained considerable traction over the years, along with technologies like machine learning. With increasing development in the field, it has shown the potential to revolutionize numerous sectors. With federal government agencies pursuing big data analytics, a medium for storing massive amounts of data is necessary, along with a capable conduit for the processes involving big data analytics. This is where cloud-based big data analytics comes into play.

What is Cloud Big Data Analytics?

Cloud big data analytics provides organizations with a platform on which they can carry out all data analytics processes. Instead of burdening its in-house servers, an organization or agency uses a third party’s infrastructure is. Because the infrastructure belongs to another, its maintenance is also handled by a third party. This simplifies the organization’s process and reduces their responsibilities, allowing them to focus solely on performance.

The involved third-party vendor essentially provides the entire infrastructure to the organization, the setup for which they are responsible. This ends up saving time and money in setting up the infrastructure and maintaining it. When another party handles this task, agency employees can better focus on scaling productions and redlining their processes to gather deeper insights.

With the improvement in data analytics tools through the implementation of advanced technologies such as machine learning, there’s an opportunity for organizations to hone their operations and scale them by making use of the best infrastructure possible.

Benefits of Cloud Big Data Analytics

As the scale of operations becomes progressively bigger, organizations are looking for ways to agilely use big data without compromising the quality or scale of their operations. Opting for on-premise solutions forces them to make just that compromise. Cloud analytics offers numerous benefits to organizations and agencies.

1. Improved Work Flexibility 

With remotely located servers or infrastructure, organizations can effectively distribute work. When the entire infrastructure is on an organization’s premise, there’s less flexibility in working dynamics. More often than not, employees are required to carry out all operations in person on the organization’s system. 

Cloud big data analytics offers the flexibility of hybrid or entirely remote work. Since the pandemic, the workplace has changed drastically. Instantaneous access from anywhere has become less about convenience and more of a need. A more distributed work model also facilitates scaling, as employees from across borders with different skill sets can offer unique perspectives to the organization’s growth.

2. Collaboration Between Teams

Cloud-based data analytics can be highly collaborative. It includes features such as snapshots of processes, adding commentary to provide context behind a process, or having discussions with team members. This kind of work allows for improvements in collective decision-making as a whole.

3. Centralized Data Storage

Additionally, one of the features of cloud-based data analytics is its ability to centralize data. Usually, in traditional methods of storing data in on-premise systems, data can be scattered across the various systems set up for different purposes. Therefore, getting an overall, cohesive view and understanding of an organization is tough. By centralizing data, cloud big data analytics helps build an integrated, complete view of the organization’s processes, which helps maximize insights.

4. Enhanced Data Security

For many organizations, data privacy and security are major concerns when third-party vendors store their data. For this reason, many organizations, especially federal government agencies, hesitate to go for cloud data analytics.

Data security is not guaranteed even if an organization stores its data on-premises. The reinforcement of Software as a Service (SaaS) environments is especially to protect against data leaks and hacks. The risk is far lower as on-premise servers need to be manually configured, leaving more room for errors and loopholes that lead to security risks. Additionally, SaaS operations are subject to strict standards to meet security needs.

Conclusion

Cloud computing has allowed organizations to explore a new world of operations – operations that can happen at a much larger scale than was practically impossible before. As the world grapples with huge amounts of data and making use of it, conducting operations on a massive scale to produce greater insights data available can be made possible by availing of cloud-based data analytics. 

TechSur Solutions can assist you in developing a data analytics platform that can enhance decision-making within your organization. Learn more about data analytics and how it can help improve your agency’s operations.