How to keep up with the pressure of fast-paced change in digital services? Example cases of success

The digital environment of public administration is changing rapidly right now. To ensure that renewal projects bring the desired results, both clients and providers must recognize several current challenges. Here are some trends I've observed:

Ensuring data security has long been a basic requirement for supplier partners. Now, however, the supplier must demonstrate that it can truly provide secure services. External auditors ensure that promises are kept.

Sustainability is already a common tender criterion in Sweden. Responsibility is no longer just a nice addition to consumers' shopping carts, and the trend will become more widespread on this side of the Baltic as well.

The ways of working have changed permanently. In the IT field, competition for skilled professionals is so intense that modern facilities and flexibility are essential for any expert organization to succeed.

Efficiency and productivity may not sound new, but digitalization has brought new content to them. In the 2020s, electronic services are not built just because they have to be. Online services are expected to provide measurable cost efficiency and increased productivity.

Get hands-on with the Ministry of Finance’s principles

So, how should one respond to challenges and rapid change? One guideline is surprisingly close to public administration organizations: the nine digitalization principles of the Ministry of Finance. I categorize them into three groups: human-centric approach, agile working methods, and pursuing a service ecosystem and inter-system information exchange.

By adhering to these principles, digitalization automatically becomes more efficient. For example, in public platform solutions, it is always advisable to utilize shared digital infrastructure where possible. Suomi.fi authorizations and the Service Information Resource (PTV) are already familiar examples, and Aurora AI is still on the way.

Wait, is it really that simple? Here are two case examples of the successful application of digitalization principles:

1) Helsinki city built a common online store instead of each department developing its own payment solutions. The platform itself is a small-scale service ecosystem, designed with a human-centric approach, particularly considering accessibility and discoverability. Implemented with agile methods, the flexible architecture adapts to changes. Read more about our services for Helsinki city.

2) Valtori's YJA publishing platform can already be called traditional. Its agile development continues to make the work of communicators easier. Recently, data security has played an especially important role in this joint publishing system for over 70 public administration organizations. With a common ecosystem in place, we have been able to build strong protection against cyberattacks with several different service providers. Constructing a similar shield for an individual online service would be a long and arduous journey. Read more about all our services for Valtori.