The future of government: Enabling contactless government is easier than you think
In government, paperwork is just a fact of life. Not that long ago, people could go to the DMV to renew a license or stop by city hall to get a building permit or to fill out a business license application. Although some forms were available online, people still had to print them, sign them, and then fax, mail, or drop them off in person. Fully enabling contactless government services seemed like a distant goal.
That was until the pandemic changed daily life for everyone. Shelter-in-place restrictions meant paper-based processes were impractical, and in some cases, impossible. Yet the American public needed help. Agencies had to find a way.
Moving to digital documents
Many agencies moved to fully digital document and form processing overnight — including electronic signatures. One executive advised her team to, “Get going with what you’ve got. From now on, we fill, sign, and route everything digitally.”
Agencies across federal, state, and local government turned to Adobe Sign because it was easy to set up and operate. In short, it just works. And it starts working for you quickly, without a backend overhaul. Form managers can use artificial intelligence to quickly turn paper or PDF forms into smart web forms. Employees can login to the applications they use every day, but now with the ability to send, track, and manage forms securely.
Start small, scale quickly
The State of Iowa started with just one form. They created a small business relief application in less than two days. Using batch-processing to collect signatures from business owners, they were able to deliver $52 million in financial relief in just three weeks.
In another example, the State of Utah was struck by a 5.7 earthquake just as they received stay-at-home orders. Using Adobe Sign, the committee was able to circulate and approve an emergency procurement plan within minutes, instead of two or three days.
When a large federal agency had to close more than 1,500 field offices and critical forms could no longer be completed in person, they kept citizen health insurance enrollment running with online forms that were up and running within a week.
Digital processes can make any paper-based or manual government workflow more time and cost efficient. Another great example? The Police ICT created a new telephone witness statement process with remote approval using Adobe Sign. This decreased turnaround time from three hours to one, saving over 25,000 hours per year.
“Getting the team up and running with Adobe Sign was easy. The solution is so intuitive that the police force can train its staff to use Adobe Sign within minutes. They are able to take telephone statements within the hour.”
Simon Clifford, director of data and digital, the Police ICT company.
Agencies have been talking about offering contactless government services for years. While we all cope with a new everyday life, they’re now providing much needed relief by rapidly adopting FedRAMP authorized, digital-first solutions. Not only are they able to continue operations in a telework environment, but they have been able to create efficiencies and improved citizen experiences with long-term benefits.
Watch a video to see how easy it is to create a smart, signable form and post it on your website. Learn more about how to easily deliver contactless digital document processes by clicking here.