Successful Implementation of Low-Code Platform for UK Government
Organisation Profile
|
Industry: |
Government |
|
Client: |
A department of the Government of the United Kingdom |
|
Use Case: |
Moving manual processes which involved both expert, legal and ministerial review to a case management platform on the cloud to give a standardised workflow, process and notification automation, secure audit history, role-based permissions and reliable reporting and exports to other government departments and stakeholders. |
The Challenge:
Agility in Case Management Workflow
The UK government department required a platform to deliver modern information management. The challenge was to provide enterprise-level workflow management, case handling, consistent data quality, aligned data structures, and the security and protection of sensitive information.
The government department must ensure a smooth and efficient flow of information, documents, and approvals between individuals and offices. This includes coordination and collaboration of legal and ministerial reviews among multiple stakeholders.
To manage these processes, the department relied on document templates and spreadsheets to track the progress and status of various tasks. These documents often contain extensive information and require regular updates.
Furthermore, the government department needs reliable exports of the processed information, which can be further published on the GOV.UK site for external stakeholders. It requires ensuring the exported data’s accuracy, integrity, and proper formatting. This requires the department to invest significant effort and resources to maintain reliable data exports that meet the standards expected by external stakeholders.
The Approach:
A Robust Workflow Process for Departments and Stakeholders
To address these challenges, the government department must establish robust workflows, streamline case management and document management processes, and implement appropriate data security measures including role and group-based permissions.
The project’s objective was to transition the manual processes of case building, legal and ministerial review within a UK Government department to a digital case management platform.
| Automation and digital management must be employed to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and data integrity. | |
| Collaboration platforms and document management systems can facilitate communication and provide a centralised repository for document storage, version control, and access control. | |
| The platform should implement stringent data protection measures, such as encryption, access controls, and enable staff training on data handling and security protocols. | |
|
Audits and reviews should be conducted to identify and address any process vulnerabilities. |
The Solution:
A low-code platform for the UK government
Finworks Workflow replaces manual processes and allows digital transformation within the organisation. The team implementing the system was composed of a mixed team from Finworks and ministerial department staff – (PMs, BAs, Account manager, Service designer, DevOps, technical staff)
The project milestones included
| A discovery phase to map existing processes to the application workflow. | |
| Data cleansing and migration (made more difficult as it was not system-system database migration but spreadsheet/documents to a database). | |
| Data migration of tens of thousands of records. | |
| Configuration of an alpha, beta, and live system, all with cloud-based architecture | |
| Significant beta testing incorporating dual running with internal and external stakeholders. | |
| Business change or change management activities include creating in-application guidance, external guidance documents, communication planning, webinars/workshops, blogs, guided testing, and formal announcements. | |
|
Time to include adjustments to the process and the system with prioritised development. |
System rollout and post-implementation support.
The ability to have phase 2 or change control tickets for development.
The Outcome:
Robust and Agile Data Process
The results of the project were highly successful, delivering the following key outcomes:
Standardised Workflow: The UK Government department has established a standardised workflow for case building, legal and ministerial review processes. This brought consistency and clarity to the procedures, ensuring that tasks and approvals were executed in a structured and efficient manner.
Process and Notification Automation: Tasks previously performed manually were now automated, reducing the risk of human error and accelerating the overall review process. Automatic notifications kept relevant stakeholders informed about the progress of cases, facilitating timely actions and decision-making.
Secure Audit History: The digital case management platform provided a secure audit trail for all actions and changes made during the review process. This feature allowed the UK Government department to maintain a detailed record of activities, ensuring transparency, accountability, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Role-Based Permissions: The platform implemented role-based permissions, granting access and specific privileges based on the roles and responsibilities of individuals involved in the review process. This ensured that only authorised personnel could access sensitive information, guaranteeing data security and confidentiality.
Reliable Exports for External Stakeholders: The implemented system generated reliable exports of processed information that could be seamlessly published on the GOV.UK site for external stakeholders. The exports met the required accuracy, formatting, and data integrity standards, enhancing transparency and accessibility for external parties.
Outcome Focussed: The low-code platform was implemented successfully, adhering to the predefined schedule and budget. The UK Government department immediately utilised the system, showcasing its effectiveness and meeting stakeholders’ expectations.
Continuous Collaboration: The robustness and agility of the case management platform is evident in the continuous improvements that have been made to the system based on the department’s changing and growing requirements.
The Client's Feedback:
“We cannot recommend Finworks highly enough. The team are highly motivated and collaborative. Throughout the contract, Finworks kept our departmental priorities in mind and utilised their experience in project management to support the delivery of our strategic objectives.”
“The Finworks Platform product has allowed our department to move from the world of thousands of Word documents and manually created Excel spreadsheets to modern information management.”
“The senior civil servant overseeing the project highlighted, “The contractor has gone above and beyond the terms of the original tender.”