keeping digital human: the challenges and opportunities of transforming...

Keeping digital human: the challenges and opportunities of transforming UK’s public services for a ‘fully digital’ future

December 2018

Authors

Nathan MarshDirector, Digital Transformation

Rebecca MosedalePrincipal Consultant, Digital Transformation

Our world is embracing personalised digital technologies with increasing pace. In doing so, each digital interaction, each Internet search, each online purchase, equates to billions of bytes of personal data being processed every day. Data about us. So how should government and its partners prepare digitally, to design and operate sustainable, inclusive and equitable public services? What capabilities are needed to operate effectively and securely, appreciating the implications of the scale, volume, type and growth in personal data that is now being created, collected, used and stored?


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Being ‘fully digital’ requires being open-minded to new ways of operating in a connected world and a digital economy. Over the past decade, we have seen how digital disrupters – businesses that put digital interactions at the heart of their operations – have had to move fast to survive. With the advent of online services every organisation, no matter how small, is becoming a software enabled company connected to the wider global economy; and the canny ones fully understand the power of digital personalised services.

The commercial sector has been making strides in digital personalised services and has been putting the customer at the heart of its operations for some years; one-click retail being the best example. As responsible policy-makers and implementers, the public sector needs to build on successes like Gove.net and get ‘fully digital’.

In our increasingly connected, turbulent and complex world, successful digital transformation involves pioneering technology, but success depends on much more than technology alone. To succeed we must fully leverage the huge potential for better user outcomes offered by technology and connectivity proliferation, unprecedented processing power and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques across digital infrastructure, too.

What we can be sure of is that digital transformation has never been more important. It requires deep and fresh thought, radical change and a fundamental shift in mindset: that’s why it’s transformational. In our view, there are five fundamentals across all our digital transformation work, all of which require focus, whatever the scale of the endeavour.

Introduction

These five key fundamentals we see are:


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Crucially, what underpins these five trends is people. We are the most important aspect of any digital transformation and must be front and centre of any decision-making.

The next section explores each of these five key fundamentals in more detail.

1 / Being digitally-aware: why we must have and grow digital literacy, acumen and capabilities that are all essential to successfully navigating digital disruption and new technologies.

2 / Building a business strategy that considers digital trends: why we must fully understand the impact that the digital world will have on our operations and wider society.

3 / Considering convergence and complexity across an integrated delivery ecosystem: why we must understand and operate across complex and converging supply chains and industries, using data to support rapid decision making.

4 / Embracing Digital Agility to create advantage: why we must find the balance across a portfolio of different digital delivery strategies, leveraging technology like AI to help.

5 / Using robust digital delivery tools: why we must focus on delivery innovation and digital thinking to enhance transformation delivery efficiency.

1/ Being digitally-aware


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“Why we must have and grow digital literacy, acumen and capabilities that are all essential to successfully navigating digital disruption and new technologies.”

How digitally-aware aware are you? In a rapidly evolving sector, navigating the digital landscape is a pre-requisite for survival and success. There are constant changes heading our way, so it’s essential we are able to spot the challenges and take expert advice on how to counter them. We can be certain that disruptive technologies will find you, whether or not you want to find them. As the risk of not doing anything grows, now is the time to explore and leverage the potential offered by a proliferation of new technologies, unprecedented processing power, big data, and the rise of artificial intelligence – and what it can realise across central government and critical national infrastructure.

This is an essential task on your to-do list. The benefits to citizens, our society, our economy, and the environment as a result of responsible use of the latest technologies are, quite simply, huge. Greater personalisation gives a better user experience; greater autonomy can speed up services, reduce cost and get a more accurate result more quickly; and greater use of a range of delivery methods can bring innovation to programmes and diversity in approach. These three alone can really strengthen Government’s digital transformation ability.

The potential for digital transformation in government, coupled with a sense of inevitability – technology is getting more prolific, processing power is increasing, and so machines are becoming much more capable – is vast, but there’s the other side, too. People increasingly want easier, quicker, more personalised services; services that new technologies can help to deliver.

But the enabling factor here, crucially, is government. Only government can be the catalyst for change, not the technology. Government should continue to put human-centric transformation at the centre of its operations. As it continues to do so, it will be able to provide a full suite of digitally-enabled services at a lower cost. With public services facing ongoing financial pressures, this is both an opportunity and a duty.

As digital disrupters, government departments will need to move fast, think fast and think digitally. But how digitally-ready are you? To effectively navigate an increasingly connected and digitally-enabled world – and harnessing prolific data is one aspect of that – it’s really important that you have an independent validation of your own digital capability, readiness, acumen and awareness.

Preparedness and readiness are all. Make sure you get a fitness assessment to understand how well-equipped your organisation is. Get your organisation ready for the journey you’re going to take. Be conscious of the environment in which you are now operating, and the environment in which you soon will be operating. You will need a truthful view of your current digital readiness – and this is important on both a strategic level, and on a project level. This is something Atkins can do for you, using our own digital assessment tool. We can make sure your business is heading in the right direction, because our tool benchmarks your digital progress across critical business areas, and immediately receives the results to help you map the route ahead.

2/ Building a business strategy that considers digital trends


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“Why we must fully understand the impact that the digital world will have on our operations and wider society.”

The purpose, vision and strategy for any large organisation in 2018 simply has to consider major trends like demographics, climate, economy and technology. We see the best and most effective organisations not having a dedicated Digital Strategy, but a clear Strategy that embraces, considers and assesses digital innovation. We must be open to this concept as technologies converge across industries and sectors, supply chains aggregate and services build more bespoke front-ends. Your strategy needs to consider these trends and be digital by default, recognising that disruption is the new ‘normal’ and setting a vision and strategy must have digital running through it.

It’s important to know that, in the earlier stages of digital transformation, one of the biggest barriers for many organisations is cultural resistance. We would recommend responding to this by pushing the benefits of ‘going digital’ to users and employees, by focusing initial efforts on one area where you can make a quick win, such as digitalising your project management function first. A good project management office is uniquely placed to work with a wide range of stakeholders. It understands core business values and can support and influence.

There is so much data around these days, data about everybody and everything. What’s possible now, and what’s new, is meaningful interrogation and accurate interpretation of that data, and this is the step-change that is happening now. Artificial intelligence can now help us wrangle data like never before. Data can now be used in meaningful ways – from boosting crop yields in agriculture to boosting real-time efficiency in the logistics industry.

But this is just the start – we must be ready for what’s coming next. Today, it’s simple enough to buy road tax, and insure an everyday motor vehicle for use on the public highway. But motor travel isn’t going to stop there. Technology is advancing, all the time. Now autonomous vehicles can drive themselves. So this brings with it a whole raft of new questions: what about the near future? What services do we need to put in place? How are we going to licence these vehicles? Who will insure them? And how will the liability landscape around the use of autonomous vehicles be managed to uphold public safety? It’s time to think ahead and get prepared, setting a purpose, vision and strategy that is digital by default.

3/ Considering convergence and complexity across an integrated delivery ecosystem


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“Why we must understand and operate across complex and converging supply chains and industries, using data to support rapid decision making.”

So, we know the technology is ready, and that it’s being refined, but we have also established that digital transformation isn’t just a question of technology. It’s also about establishing an enabling delivery infrastructure that can enable regulatory, commercial, societal and environmental outcomes. And then, from there, it’s about exploring new and different routes to societal and commercial gain from doing things differently, such as using a digital delivery platform, and asking how data can then influence where we next seek new value, new markets, new possibilities.

This is what we mean by being open-minded to completely re-examining your entire way of operating, if digital transformation in the public sector is to be fully embraced: we must adopt joined-up thinking and fully digital delivery. From tax returns, to renewing a driving licence, to processing complex claims for Universal Credit – we envisage that all the time-consuming processing that’s currently done by civil servants using paper-based systems, can not only be done online, but also be driven by better automation. These services can also be personalised to make interactions easier, quicker, more user-friendly, over a smartphone or tablet – anywhere, at any time. But only root and branch digital transformation with a clear understanding of how to manage the many and various parts of digital transformation, will enable this.

We can achieve this by focusing our best people and systems on the task of managing a full digital transformation as a single delivery ecosystem. Placing people at the heart of digital transformation

and focusing on the user outcomes will help us get what citizens want. In doing so we will radically transform the user or customer experience. We use Digital Delivery Integrator on major government and industry programmes and it’s our response to this trend, proven thus far in harnessing the many aspects of digital delivery, alongside other approaches, and getting technology to serve the programme or change programme, as well as embedding technology into the final outcome. We really focus on data in delivery and service design, as data analysis can help organisations understand how customers make decisions and change their behaviour. In doing so this can inform new service development, for improved design and delivery of public services.

Also, technology and automation have the power to enhance human collaboration in delivery, so we must think beyond substituting artificial intelligence for humans and instead imagine what humans and machines could create while working in partnership, such as enabling 24/7 contact points, so a presence is always there to help solve a problem. Our systems thinking experience and engineering capabilities place us well to help here – as well as the experience we bring in operational management of the system we have helped design and build.

As well as systems thinking in digital ‘integrated delivery’ we note how important it is to find the balance right between the use of personal data, alongside concerns about ethics and data security. There is a need for clear rules and structures be to put in place to uphold ethical digital innovation and ensure compliance with data and privacy legislation (GDPR), and it’s very welcome to see the AI & Digital Ethics focus in the budget and across government.

4/ Embracing Digital Agility to create advantage

“Inside Atkins we have to completely changethe way we work to meet the complexity and rapid change of the digital world. We have to deliver value faster.”

ATKINS, Chief Digital Office


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“Why we must find the balance across a portfolio of different digital delivery strategies, leveraging technology like AI to help.”

Today, most companies operate in a global market with fewer, and lower, barriers to entry, often called the ‘fourth industrial revolution’. Where globalisation was an issue for established corporates, it’s now an opportunity and threat to every company. The rate of delivery innovation appears to be increasing as we can now analyse more data, from more sources, faster. So really, we’re only at the start of this digital revolution, and although this ‘fourth industrial revolution’ is set to challenge a lot of traditional thinking in business, it will also generate huge opportunities for people, companies and governments that harness new powers, think fast, and act with agility. That means better quality information, in real-time, to support smarter decision making.

As environments become more complex and change is delivered at pace, organisations must embrace adaptable differentiation by creating advantage through ‘digital agility’, allowing them to respond to market and operational changes as a matter of routine. Leveraging technology such as AI to create a ‘digital agility advantage’ supports innovation and empowers organisations

to continuously evolve their digital strategy and assess their digital maturity, whilst driving radical growth and remaining connected with customers and relevant in a digital age.

Digital agility allows organisations to respond faster, and leverage commercial advantage from deploying digital technologies. But with digital proliferation and increased connectivity comes increased threats and a need for robust and safe digital infrastructure as new services take shape. Organisational agility is critical to guard against future attacks. Digital advances such as machine learning and AI can help automate threat detection and increase organisational responsiveness to threats.

Progressive organisations must offer personalised customer experiences. The ‘fourth industrial revolution’ demands a transition from collating the data to interpreting and acting on it, and here government also has an important part to play in ensuring the infrastructure is in place to make UK plc fleet of foot. Are we ready for real-time, autonomous decision making, in every commercial context, when in 2018 the United Kingdom was ranked as only the 35th fastest country out of 200 for the speed of its broadband? [Source: ISPreview based on research by MLab and cable.co.uk].

5/ Using robust digital delivery tools


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“Why we must focus on delivery innovation and digital thinking to enhance transformation delivery efficiency.”

It’s important to take an over-arching, full network and system approach to digital transformation, but deliver iteratively, remembering that Rome wasn’t built in a day. This is another area where Atkins’ pedigree is strong.

There is a real trend now for engineers to be considered the digital consultants of the future, because they have designed systems and networks – they know how to design ‘in full’ and can bring with that a new understanding of the implications of mass connectivity, but deliver in parts, in an agile, or iterative way. Using digital tools and methods to sharpen delivery focus is a pre-requisite for managing a complex transformation portfolio. It starts with a strong, intelligent PMO.

Harnessing the technology and optimising the opportunities being derived through the digital revolution is the PMO. Successful organisations are using their PMO to fuel transformation. The PMO has the organisation, experience and knowledge to alter behaviours and incorporate best practice. Whether the portfolio, programme or project management office exists to serve the enterprise, or is dedicated to a traditional portfolio, programme or project, it sees and touches most levels of the organisation – it sees upwards to business strategy and priorities and downwards to the realities of on-the-ground delivery. By re-imagining the PMO business model, processes, ways of working and culture, it can create the environment for driving digital transformation.

The digital PMO showcases how automation of repetitive human activities using robotic process automation (RPA) or the development of application programming interfaces (API) can release scarce PMO talent to focus on the highest-value customer, creates space to think about innovative delivery and exploit business intelligence technology. Questions to be considered include: do we need a human intervention in the PMO or should the PMO function be automated? Are collaborative robots the next PMO? We already use automation and AI through our digital PMO to challenge and influence strategic and operational decision making, increase stakeholder support and inspire change through valuable data driven insights into the adjustments needed to realise benefits faster.

Finally, it’s essential to remember that resilience and security are crucial in digital transformation. We must design-in resilience across the full system and ecosystem, and across the PMO frameworks. Risks to digital security don’t obey any sector, scale, or geographic boundaries, and so neither should we. We do know that the landscape of digital security threats is constantly evolving with technology – and digitally-transformed services must be built robustly to be able to defend themselves against malicious attacks. What better place to coordinate the navigation of this complex digital landscape than a digital PMO?

Conclusion


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In our view, the UK could be world-leading experts in all of the areas of technical specialism we have outlined in this paper: from data analytics to digital consultancy, and from cyber security to artificial intelligence in digital project and service delivery. There will be many benefits gained from realising a digitally-transformed society, and we are well-positioned to make the very most from what, inevitably, is coming our way – using our skills and experience to work with the five fundamentals:

1. Being digitally-aware

2. Building a business strategy that considers digital trends

3. Considering convergence and complexity across an integrated delivery ecosystem

4. Finding the blend or balance between agile delivery or waterfall delivery

5. Using robust digital delivery tools

As Atkins’ digital transformation experts and advisers, it’s our role to continue to equip you with our understanding of the technology and data landscape, and the broader contextual implications, so you have the information you need to digest developments and go on to consider policy, make decisions, and put forward a case for funding and resources. Our tools, people, methods and hard-earned delivery and operational experience across design, engineering and technology development and implementation, all mean we are uniquely well placed to help you deliver successful Digital Transformation.

In getting ‘fully digital’, government will be in the position of being able to exploit the full potential of this data-driven future and be more prepared to understand and exploit where the new frontiers of value lie. This will future-proof our society, our economy and public services – helping keep us at the forefront of a fully digital and disruptive world.

© Atkins Limited except where stated otherwise.

www.atkinsglobal.comwww.snclavalin.com

About the authors

Nathan MarshDirector, Digital Transformation

Nathan Marsh is Digital Transformation Director for UK & Northern Europe with SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business. Nathan has over 20 years’ experience working in defence, capital markets and transportation infrastructure, while developing commercial structures, technology platforms and customer experience working with a range of UK and US public and private sector companies.

Rebecca MosedalePrincipal Consultant, Digital Transformation

Rebecca’s career has been designing solutions that tackle social issues and deliver measurable improvement to the lives of individuals, families and communities. She has worked with the Big Society Capital, Business in the Community, and across public bodies, the NHS, Education sector, Local and Central Government and voluntary organisations to unblock key government objectives and deliver outcomes to the citizen. Leading multi-organisational and multi-discipline teams, Rebecca has delivered innovative commercial and partnership models, and new operating models which have leveraged technology to improve the outcomes for society.

About usSNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business is one of the world’s most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies. Together, SNC-Lavalin, a global fully integrated professional services and project management company, and Atkins help our clients plan, design and enable major capital projects, and provide expert consultancy that covers the full lifecycle of projects.

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