Give Government Staff More Flexibility with Online Software

There has been an increased movement for more flexibility across all industries over the past few years. Employees have different expectations for their jobs and their environments after the pandemic forced many workers to adapt to remote work and adopt new technology. Now, remote and hybrid work models have become more normalized as software bridges physical distances.

It’s no different in the government sector. Civil servants want to serve their communities and enjoy the same flexibility software has given other industries.

Online community development software has given building, planning, and code enforcement departments this flexibility.

Work From Home

When local governments use paper-based or on-premises/legacy systems, staff need to be in the office to do work. Online software allows staff to work from home when it’s needed so they can work the hours that suit them best.

Attract New Staff

The flexibility that online software gives is attractive to new staff. If one county only has paper-based processes and the next town offers online processes, it becomes an easy decision for any building official, clerk, or front counter staff to decide which office suits them best. The ability to work from anywhere and at any time also helps retain staff.

This is especially helpful as the ‘silver tsunami’ (more than 80% of the current workforce is planning to retire soon) is impacting the public sector and will continue to leave gaps in local governments. Moving online helps staff make better use of their resources with improved efficiency and response time, even when a department has recently had members retire. It also helps attract new staff to the public sector with remote work options available.

Complete Work in the Field

Staff can complete work in the field with online software. They do not need to go back to the office to input notes after traveling to a site – they can start and finish their work in the field. This saves them time in their day and allows more flexibility in how they structure their day.

Do Work Once

Online software removes the duplicate work that comes along with paper-based systems – building departments can issue building permits 80% faster as a result. More efficient work removes frustrations that come with outdated ways of working for happier and more productive staff.

Encourage Collaboration

Working in the cloud makes it simple to share ideas and work on the same files together in real-time. Staff no longer need to be in the same room to collaborate on a project and can instead work together better and more seamlessly online for better flexibility.