Microsoft: Taking digital government to the next level with low-code solutions. #techUKDigitalPS
The push to digitise public services remains high on the UK government’s agenda. Since the implementation of its Cloud First policy in 2013, public sector organisations have been encouraged to prioritise cloud solutions when procuring new or existing services. Underscoring the continuing importance of Cloud First, in 2019 the Government Digital Service review it and declared it 'would remain a flagship technology policy'.
The policy encouraged departments initially to consider Software as a Service (SaaS) models, particularly for their enterprise IT and back-office functions. The tech market has rapidly evolved since the policy was first introduced creating a paradigm shift in ways to develop enterprise applications in the cloud. Today, employees in government organisations like Defra are using low-code and no-code technology like Microsoft Power Apps to develop custom apps faster and more effectively.
In 2020, Power Apps helped the government's Defra HR department to record incident data and manage staff redeployment to other departments. More recently, the NHS transformed Intensive Care Unit services and automated its out-of-hours pharmacy service at the Royal Brompton Hospital by using self-built Power Apps. The opportunities to increase efficiency and drive innovation with low-code are virtually limitless, But I thought I’d highlight two of the most significant…
Two ways low-code can help drive value
#1 Accelerate digital transformation by empowering your employees to solve department problems
Low-code platforms are helping public sector organisations accelerate their digital transformation by enabling a larger workforce of ‘citizen developers’ to collaborate with IT professionals in developing low-code and no-code solutions that generally do not require technical expertise, meaning sophisticated systems can be built and digitised by anyone with simple drag-and-drop functionality, streamlining processes. Those closest to the business function can take a leading role in creating solutions.
#2 Enable parallel digital transformations while reducing cost
In traditional workplaces, delivering solutions requires a team of highly skilled and experienced IT staff who are responsible for all IT development. Augmenting this capacity, low-code technology can act as a force multiplier that allows more digital transformations to be run in parallel. Including and empowering business users to take part in an organisation’s transformation process can in turn help to increase the adoption of new systems, and IT can focus its limited pro-code resources on more complex projects as they no longer need to be involved in every small development task.
Building the future with low-code
In 2022, a Microsoft study revealed that low code solutions can increase ROI by 140% and reduce the cost of application development by 45%. Low-code apps can help transform the public sector by enhancing public services with smaller, simpler and more tailored solutions with the potential to usher in the next step-change of digital transformation in Government. Over the coming years we’re only going to be seeing more of this tech in Government, and if you’re interested in its transformative power, do check out the insights, ideas and solutions shared here.
This article was written by Henry Rex, Microsoft UK. Henry works in the Central Government team for Microsoft UK, working with the Cabinet Office and across departments to ensure that Government is able to make best use of tech to drive public sector transformation. To learn more about Henry, please connect with him via LinkedIn.
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