Apogee: How remote work enables the public sector to lead innovation #techUKDigitalPS

While public services are perceived to be lagging behind the private sector, having priorities beyond profit maximisation have actually allowed them to innovate and thrive. 

Just as the need to reduce government spending led to the introduction of GOV.UK – which, nowadays, is the predominant channel through which British citizens interact with the government - adjusting to COVID-19 has created efficiencies that make a return to the previous status-quo impossible.  

Remote work has presented employees with advantages they won’t be relinquishing easily. Private companies can develop their bonus plans and contracts to restore their office footprint - but this is obviously not an option for the public sector, which typically must be mindful of individual staff requirements or risk losing them entirely.  

It’s easy to see the public sector’s need to ride the tide and transform their internal processes – and while some organisations are opting for short-term ‘quick fixes’ instead, many more are finding that upgrading wholesale leads to a whole spectrum of benefits. Nowadays, public organisations following a hybrid model are becoming more attractive employers, for obvious reasons – but also benefit from tighter data security, greater efficiency, improved sustainability, and increased budgetary agility.   

Maximising value 

How is this possible? Well, while private companies must prioritise improving their net profit, the public sector must deliver maximum value with the budget they’re given – and must work in tandem with government priorities such as creating savings, generating social value, and bolstering data security. UK Procurement is key to driving this, since providers must keep in line with certain criteria in order to be approved by certain public frameworks.  

The natural result of this is that it’s becoming more fashionable for public companies to make one deal that maximises on savings, social value, and data security, rather than getting into bed with many different ‘single solution’ providers.  

As such, public organisations are now finding that supporting remote work means transforming their processes to incorporate the Cloud – and aligning with a managed service provider for their Cloud solutions creates far more benefits than managing it in-house.  

For instance, by investing in off-premises data storage, communication systems, and print servers, organisations reduce their output of buildings energy and carbon emissions right from the outset – as well as reducing staff reliance on transport. Once on the Cloud, security is then managed entirely by the Cloud provider, which is much more effective since security is a central focus of their business. This means less of a drain on internal IT teams, since, with data security now outsourced, they are now free to reallocate their time and skillsets to other strategic business tasks. 

Furthermore, managed services follow an OpEx billing model, rather than CapEx – meaning that public organisations are free to be more agile with their technology budget, since they no longer need to be lumped with the same aging assets until their next round of funding.  

How can the momentum continue? 

By incorporating Cloud to support remote working models, many public organisations have found a wealth of value – making their organisations more secure, more efficient, more financially stable, and most importantly, more sustainable, securing their futures for years to come. And while this perpetuity is something that private companies are desperately craving, the ultimate irony is that, comparatively, the amount of private sector companies looking for Cloud solutions is absolutely dwarfed by their publically-owned peers. 

As the advantages of Cloud (and managed services as a whole) become more apparent, private companies should reassess their processes if they want to remain competitive. This is especially true of those who wish to stay in the running for procurement deals – since they must look beyond simply making profit, and focus on maximising value in other areas to meet the needs of a rapidly transforming public sector. 
 

This article was written by Gary Day, Director of Public Sector Sales, Apogee Corporation Ltd.

Note to editors: 

About Apogee Corporation Ltd 

Apogee Corporation Ltd is Europe's largest multi-brand provider of managed workplace services.  

An independent subsidiary of HP Inc., Apogee combines its thirty years of experience with the advantage of being part of one of the world’s leading technology companies. This union with HP Inc. offers instant access to the latest innovation, all supported by our market-leading service operations. Combining innovative technology and workplace services with their market-leading client support, Apogee’s clients can take control of their digital journey, driving business and employee efficiencies. 

For more information, visit apogeecorp.com or connect via LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. 

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