As a supplier to the public sector of IT services, it is disheartening to hear the tails of waste splashed out on extravagant or needless multi-million pound projects that either ended as a car crash or never saw the light of day thanks to exploitation, laziness or sheer lack of ability.

The prompt for this post was thanks to an article posted on the BBC this week, titled “Government IT – has the war on waste stalled?” reminding me of days gone by when money was carelessly thrown away on vanity projects, when long-term contracts were a common thing blocking innovation and allowed for suppliers to provide customers and citizens a poor service and no escape. Fast forward to today and if the noises are true that departments or individuals across the UK public sector are resisting the efforts of government to bring about digital transformation then it is my belief that they are failing all tax payers and those who they serve.

The introduction of G-Cloud despite its criticisms is an unsung triumph which has created a more competitive playing field for the likes of risual to challenge and disrupt the large SI’s so often guilty of blocking innovation.  As a benefactor of the governments pro SME agenda I urge those who serve the public to not walk away from what has been achieved these past few years. The efforts of GDS must not go to waste, the need to harness technology to reduce budgetary pressures remains and those who are sceptical need to start embracing change or move on. It is the responsibility of us all to respect tax payer’s money.

It is right and proper that public money is spent wisely, those days of yesteryear should be consigned to the history books and instead the UK public sector if they are not already doing so should be going after digital transformation. From top to bottom at risual, regardless of size and scale we collectively appreciate and respect where the money comes which enables us to tackle complex and difficult challenges.

Achieving any type of transformation in life is a challenge, but going after a digital transformation is a lot easier when working with the likes of risual, who have a highly skilled Security Cleared workforce, UK based and ready to serve. Digital transformation in collaboration with risual needn’t be just another one of those overspent, delayed and not fit for purpose big IT projects. Instead digital transformation could look like:

  • A healthier and smarter city or region connected with the right IT systems. By implementing a successful Connected Business strategy, you could help make devolution deals become a reality and be a success we all crave it becomes.
  • A sustainable organisation able to deliver more its citizens for less just as Derby City Council has done by moving to the cloud.
  • A smarter community which embeds digital skills into its digital strategy and has education working with business feeding a tech savvy workforce capable of supporting your future IT needs and builds a vibrant local economy built around IT.

For those who were fortunate enough to attend Future Decoded this week, they will have heard from a government launching an ambitious £1.9 billion Cyber-Security strategy, from an inspirational Paralympian survivor of 7/7 and fresh from the Pride of Britain Awards, Sir Stephen Hawking who each aspire for more. During risual’s presentations, Brian Cain and John Pittaway shared their ambition for more and encouraged leaders to align their IT strategy with the business strategy.

I too am calling on people not to be afraid of going after digital transformation. Failure to do so in my eyes is a failure to the tax payer. We can’t afford to go back, we can’t afford the pace to slow, the sector must move faster and together, working with risual the types of transformation you are looking to achieve or might be considering can be achieved with IT spending not out of control and not a blocker to future innovation.

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