Technology: Solving problems for government—New technological developments help government teams to better serve their constituents

When discussing a broad topic such as technology, it typically involves a new computer, phone or software program. While technology can be flashy and fun, its use by government and education teams is in the forefront to solve problems, address challenges or provide services in new ways.

Colorado DMV innovatively serving customers
One government office that almost everyone visits in their lifetime is the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Their services are crucial for drivers; however, the traditionally long wait times do not create the best impression. The State of Colorado DMV seeks to change that perception, leading the way to improve customer experiences through technology.

To provide a convenient option for Colorado residents in obtaining commonly requested DMV services, a kiosk system was created in 2017. These stand-alone systems, known as the Colorado MV Express, are located at 57 locations across 33 counties. Since the program’s inception, over 1.8 million residents have visited their local grocery store or DMV office where a kiosk is located, and within minutes, process a motor vehicle renewal, receive duplicate tags, check status of a registration, or obtain a state-wide Park pass. By using the kiosk system, residents skip the DMV office lines altogether.

During the pandemic lock-down, the DMV started requiring appointments for DMV services. The new appointment online check-in feature, established in 2021, allows Coloradans to check-in remotely via text message or QR code, and receive a text message notifying them when to enter the driver license office doors. According to Electra Bustle, DMV senior director, “I am proud of the customer service commitment for this division. Through our appointment system, customer experience averages 19 minutes, down from 25 minutes pre-COVID, as nearly 6,400 customers are served per day.” Still requiring appointments as walk-ins are accommodated when resources allow.

“One innovative idea came directly from a front-line employee,” states Derek Kuhn, DMV communications manager. Serving at the counter, the technician witnessed both employees and residents becoming frustrated by language barriers. He suggested the idea of using technology to bridge the language gap, making the Colorado the first state to include language translators in all 35 DMV offices. For those who have difficulty communicating in English, the pocket-sized devices called Pocketalk, interprets more than 80 languages. Like universal translators found in science fiction movies, the device provides two-way interpretation of written and/or spoken languages. Containing a camera, the devices can scan and translate documents.

Another program brings services closer to those who live in rural areas, have limited transportation options, reside in long-term care facilities or who are experiencing homelessness. The DMV2GO RV—an office on wheels—and two DMV2GO pop-up driver license offices, can be set up almost anywhere, with all the driver license issuance technology provided within a traditional DMV office.

Since its pilot in July 2021 through March 31, 2023, DMV2GO has issued 4,680 driver licenses and I.D. cards while helping thousands with service consultations, and advice for people with travel challenges to a driver license office. Coloradans can coordinate having DMV2GO visit their nonprofit, community center, senior living facility, library or correctional facility.

“One of our priorities is to find innovative ways to offer services, and our DMV2GO does just that—bringing DMVservices to our customers in an easy and convenient manner,” Bustle shares. “We are excited to bring more flexibility by adding convenient service delivery options like myDMV, kiosks, @Home Driving Knowledge test and the myColorado App.”

Offers equal playing field
There is an increasing interest in small and disadvantaged business participation in public contracting; however, it’s often difficult for small local businesses to compete for government business. In El Paso,Texas, Sandy Grodin created a new office supply business from scratch—El Paso Office Products. Over the past decade, the company boasts $5 million to $6 million in annual sales with 90 percent of their sales volume from local government, K-12 school districts and colleges. With 16 employees, El Paso Office Products has become a successful certified small business.

While growing the business, Grodin and his team often compete against large office supply operations and on-line platforms. However, when a large online supplier impressed the local school district with lower prices and online catalog, he feared if one local agency went in that direction, then others might follow, causing negative impacts to local businesses.

Grodin learned this online platform had approached his largest customer, El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), about creating a custom marketplace. The district was impressed by the presentation and promises of low prices. However, before signing on the dotted line, EPISD connected with local vendors about the potential change.

Grodin met with EPISD’s superintendent and purchasing team, having done his homework. In side-by-side comparisons, he demonstrated his company’s value, local economic benefits and local partnership as a powerful part of their customer service strategy. He was able to offer competitive pricing through an awarded cooperative contract.

The school district ultimately made the decision to combine all district-approved vendor catalogs, including El Paso Office Products, into one searchable on-line site by partnering with EqualLevel, a flexible e-commerce platform. With no supplier transaction fees or incurred costs for integrating a supplier’s existing e-commerce site, the district found EqualLevel’s platform to have similar advantages as large on-line competitors, but with greater local business focus. Through a special feature, as shoppers placed items in their carts, the EqualLevel Savings Advisor (ELSA) feature suggests best value substitutions, ensuring district purchasers were making the best possible selections.

According to EqualLevel Founder and CEO Orville Bailey, “This platform gives small businesses and distributors with limited IT capabilities the opportunity to establish a punchout catalog that integrates with most financial systems used by local governments and school districts. This increases the ability for small companies to appear in searches alongside their larger competitors to create an equal playing field.”

Increasing fleet productivity
Whether it is police cars, utility vans or heavy equipment, a range of vehicles is required to meet the operational needs of most municipalities. As fuel and equipment costs rise, greater attention is paid by fleet managers to improve efficiency.

Jason Hurdis, global market professional for Caterpillar Inc., offers three ways that a simple onboard system provides efficiencies and lower costs:

Increasing safety and minimizing risks is also a high priority. According to a recent Forbes article, “Fleet Management 2022: Top Challenges and Opportunities,” “By leading with technology to improve incident prevention, fleet managers can more reliably do their jobs. With the factors at play, organizations that wait to modernize their safety strategy and processes will be the first to experience high-impact losses from more accidents, rising insurance premiums and driver retention issues.”

Core for student learning
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a New York state university, offers a variety of programs in design, art, fashion, business and communications. With an unconventional approach to teaching and problem-solving, graduating students gain degrees, taking them into fields such as fashion, broadcasting, marketing, public relations and business.

Michael Cokkinos, assistant chair and professor in the Marketing & Communications department has witnessed tremendous change in the use of technology over his 33-year tenure. Starting his career, their video production studio was a repurposed classroom with simple cameras and lighting. Situated next to the shoe design classroom, Cokkinos chuckled about those early days when attempting to capture audio moments while the sounds of pounding cobblers resonated through the walls.

The studio was relocated and renovated in 2006 when the university took a huge step forward in converting a former two-story cafeteria space, creating a sound-proof, stateof- the-art professional video studio. With this resource in place, professors tie video production with other required classes to reinforce learning concepts. Cokkinos explains, “Today, video is king of all media.” Renovations during the summer of 2022 included new cameras, switcher and audio controls to complement portable cameras, lighting and sound equipment for field production.

Students are taught to use different programs, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe CC, and professors assign projects to apply the learned concepts. “Students are given three projects: interview; product demos and a social media short to reinforce the lessons learned in lower division classes,” Cokkinos shares. “Outside the technical aspects learned, students gain skills such as project development, assignment management and meeting tight deadlines.”

The university partnered with B&H Photo Video, who provided consultative services and a wide range of audio-visual products. The technology includes features such as smooth image stabilization with DJI gimbals for mirrorless cameras and mobile devices, Bluetooth audio transfer with Rode shotgun and lavalier mics, powerful yet portable lighting from Aperture. New field kits allow students to create video content comparable to contemporary online news and media outlets.

“Creating informative content with authority can be difficult as people look past information not presented with quality aesthetics,” shares Bridget Haggerty, B&H business development account manager. “FIT students learn how to share their voice and create effective media. We take pride that tools and creative solutions ensure all students, regardless of their personal resources or background, have access to gear.”

With the introduction of artificial intelligence and new products coming on the market, the university faculty and B&H Photo Video continually strive to meet the future needs of student development through technology. “Even if these students never work with video production after graduation, the concepts of time management, communication and leadership serve them well in any future career choice,” Cokkinos says.

Government spending patterns
It is difficult for a small town, rural county or school district to know what their counterparts are doing across other political subdivisions or states. Learning from one another—through failures or successes—can be an important tool for local leaders.

Following the December 2020 acquisition of The Atlas by GovExec, the company explored ways to expand its online community to assist local government leaders, providing education, forums to share best practices, and collecting data for informed decision making. According to Erik Caldwell, director of data strategy for The Atlas, “As a free online community for government leaders, the system allows the ability to browse case studies and for municipalities to share their data and experiences.”

“This is a unique way to share lessons learned,” Caldwell says. “For instance, purchasing new technologies can be an uncharted territory for many jurisdictions. As many move to telework environments, agencies were flooded with requests for Wi-Fi and interconnectivity projects. Writing the specifications, and fully understanding what to include, can be overwhelming. Sharing success stories with best practices from entities who have already procured those services is helpful to those doing it for the first time.”

The data entered in the system can go even further. The Atlas removes personal data and uses behavioral data on current and past purchases from government teams to power its MarketEdge platform, providing insights into future local government spending patterns. In a typical government procurement process, when a need arises, a formal solicitation is issued for the supplier community to respond. However, Caldwell states, “When the bid is advertised, a decision may already be made on the expected path or resolution. Suppliers who analyze spending trends, can possibly propose new strategies and solutions.”

Rather than being overly prescriptive in their specifications and scope of work, many organizations are moving toward a problem defined solicitation, allowing suppliers to bring forth possible products and solutions. In this way, government teams can become more innovative and take advantage of technological advances.

Flexibility through cooperative procurement
No individual procurement or IT team can possibly keep up with all new ideas, products and technological breakthroughs. A cooperative organization and its contract offerings might provide contract flexibility, be wider in scope and incorporate consulting with new technologies. Through a public solicitation process, a resulting cooperative contract can be used by multiple public entities across a region or entire country.

Richard McVay, IT subject matter expert with OMNIA Partners, a cooperative organization, weighs in on the changing technology landscape and benefits of utilizing cooperative purchasing. “Cybersecurity is a high priority for government teams,” he says “According to a November 2022 survey conducted by Gartner, 64 percent of respondents will spend more on cybersecurity products and solutions in 2023 than previous years. With additional federal funding coming in, OMNIA Partners and industry-leading IT suppliers, are increasingly working in tandem to help public agencies build security frameworks for data protection and governance within budget/resource requirements.

“State and local governments are also looking to sunset archaic and vulnerable technology systems with new digital services through technology modernization or digital transformation, as well as providing a better citizen experience. During the disruption of the 2020 pandemic, many municipalities needed new ways to connect with their constituents, prompting the evolution of digital government CX programs. As these programs continue to grow, several OMNIA Partners key strategic IT suppliers have been instrumental in helping local governments implement their smart cities initiatives.”

Tammy Rimes, MPA, is the executive director of the National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP). She formally served as purchasing agent for the city of San Diego, the ninth largest city in the nation, and emergency logistics chief during the 2007 Witch Creek Fires. Under her leadership, the city consolidated its warehouse operations, centralized all purchasing and contracting operations, and moved to a more customer focused approach.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the June 2023 issue of Government Procurement.