Public Sector

On May 25th, 2018 the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will become effective. Adopted in May 2016 this newly harmonized data protection law will be a directly applicable law in all EU and EEA Member States. See my recent blog on specific aspects of GDPR for Public Sector authorities: https://blogs.sap.com/2017/12/21/ready-for-christmas-and-gdpr-in-2018-a-perspective-on-gdpr-for-public-sector-authorities./ …

It is Christmas time. Time that is all about love and family. So it broke my heart when reading the story about that Australian couple Hayley and Jamie that couldn’t get married because government processes are not yet ready to handle same gender marriages after promising immediate recognition of marriages …

With Christmas and the holiday season approaching quickly most of us take a rest and reflect on what has been important in the year coming to an end. At the same time, we think about important events in the New Year 2018 as well as how to get best prepared …

I attended the 2017 Smart City Expo World Congress. As in previous years, this was a great learning experience. Of all the interesting things I heard, the shiny new toys and the fancy demos that I saw, five attributes clearly stood out as key success factors for Smart Cities. The …

  With 2017 coming to an end it is time to reflect on where progress was made by leveraging technology to deliver better outcomes in Social Protection and what to expect in 2018. As the Global Lead for Social Protection at SAP’s Public Sector Business Unit I had the opportunity to …

I attended the 2017 Smart City Expo World Congress. As in previous years, this was a great learning experience. Of all the interesting things I heard, the shiny new toys and the fancy demos that I saw, five attributes clearly stood out as key success factors for Smart Cities. The …

Co-written with Jonathan Weinert, Lighting + IoT, Philips Lighting City leaders are empowered by citizens to address local, regional, and even global challenges. The challenges city leaders face worldwide are similar and tied to their timeless mission of public service. City leaders and civil servants aim to improve public health …

With the rapid increase of customer interaction channels and the digital transformation imperative, customer service contact centres need to evolve to omni channel customer engagement centres, blending high-touch assisted and low-touch/un-assisted services in order to meet the needs of digitally connected mobile taxpayers. Often Taxpayer engagement is used as a …

Risk Management in Software Development Projects There are many benefits to complex risk management solutions such as Monte Carlo Risk Analysis or probability theory. On large projects technical risk management tools can be invaluable; however risk management in software projects requires a level of risk analysis more suitable for small …

Digital Disruption in Tax and Revenue Tax and revenue agencies around the globe are telling SAP that digital transformation is opening up immense opportunities to deliver better outcomes. Machine learning, the Internet of Things, blockchain and other innovations have the potential to disrupt the way governments provide services to taxpayers …

We have always talked that the governments’ mission ever is to Protect – keeping people safe and protected from disasters, economic shocks, crime and terrorism –, Provide – more and better services for their constituents, communities and businesses, improving how people work, live and enjoy – and Prosper – economy …

Looking across many of the current Policing vision statements both inside and outside of the UK we see a common set of themes that set out the digital agenda for Policing and Public Security. The four most common being: – Digital Engagement – multi-channel approach to communication with the public, …

SAP continues to invest to improve user experience for its public sector S/4 HANA users so that they can perform their daily tasks in a more convenient and efficient way. In fact, after providing Fiori applications for the Budget Responsible we now provide a set of Fiori applications for the Budget …

The Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning are expected to transform both public and private sectors, probably in ways we have not yet imagined. A leading expert on the business of IoT, Bruce Sinclair of Iot-Inc recently discussed his latest book, “IoT Inc: How Your Company Can Use the …

Higher Education institutions are facing mounting pressure in the face of issues such as Brexit and worries over declining student numbers – particularly the fall in lucrative international student applications.   Earlier this year I read that the total applicants to universities from prospective students in the UK, EU and …

With living spaces becoming increasingly populated and life moving faster than ever, we’re seeing a ream of cities turning to digital technology to make citizens’ lives better and safer.   I’m seeing more and more inspirational stories of reimagined, reinvigorated Smart Cities all over the world that are realising the …

I have one of those jobs that puts me on a plane, regularly.  My wife and kids accept it because it is my choice of job – it has its ups and downs (pardon the pun).  In fact, I’m writing this blog entry on route to Japan having had a …

Leading-edge technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning, has the power to transform public and private sectors alike. Always curious to learn more, I jumped at the chance to hear Bruce Sinclair of Iot-Inc discuss his latest book, IoT Inc: How Your Company Can Use the …

At Smart Cities Connect in Austin Texas, a panel of city Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) shared insights from their collaboration to drive smart cities forward. The panelists are members of the Council of Global City CIOs (CGCC), founded in September 2016 to share data and …

Seemingly spontaneous acts of terror have become an insidious threat that confounds public security stakeholders today. The terror effect on a population is greater when the act is carried out by an individual than by an organized network. In these cases, neighbors become suspects and society fractures. In a network …

Written by Mary Leong – PlaceSpeak and Dante Ricci – SAP For more than two decades, governments across the globe focused on standardizing processes and introducing online services. This generated some return on investment. But with digital technology, governments can achieve so much more.  Putting the constituent’s point of view …

Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited by TechUK to an event at the House of Commons in London for the launch of their new report. Policing and the Internet of Things. This is a very relevant document that lays out the challenges of IoT for Public Safety and …

The Tax Gap is one of the main focuses for any Tax Agency meaning that actual revenue collected in comparison to what is expected, if all tax obligations would be fulfilled as per current legislation, is a concern in any given country. Before tackling the issue and define measures to …

IBS Future Cities team is committed to align at the end its solutions to global trends and standards. Therefore, we base them on one of the most accepted industry standards: ISO 37120. This time I would like to address Wastewater aspects. Smart Cities Wastewater Context. When we talk about wastewater, …

One of my favourite subjects at school was Chemistry, My teacher at that time was Mr Ramsden, someone who really knew how to make experiments and learning fun, he was a great teacher.  I still remember to this day, the definitions of Brownian Motion (The random motion of particles suspended …

The definition of Interopability is – ‘the ability of computer systems or software to exchange and make use of information” Interoperability in Public Safety and Security has been at the top of the agenda for many years and covers a huge span of requirements at all levels within the security …

Financial factors are a key priority in any digital transformation process. Guaranteeing a return on investment and ensuring great citizen experiences is crucial for Public Sector decision makers to make a business case for new technology and get it approved by senior management. Given the greater focus on how Public …

SAP’s vision is to help the world run better and improve people’s lives. This is our enduring cause; our higher purpose. So says the SAP website. But I must admit that, despite the stories of SAP’s benefaction of worthy causes, I was unsure if the company I work for truly …

Job done! So, what did we actually do? Well in my assessment, our team of three delivered in two short weeks what would typically take a month for a team of team of half a dozen! How did we do it? We were super motivated to make a difference for …

Your public sector agency is looking for new ways to better manage ‘government business’ and to provide products and services to your citizens in an easy to consume and more citizen friendly way? You heard about the potential and benefits of SAP S/4HANA but don’t know how to leverage this potential for your organization? There’s …