Rapid advances in technology over the past thirty years are driving a shift towards digital government in Canada. Facility managers in the private sector don’t want to spend hours searching through messy piles of drawings. Neither do facility managers in public service.
As the drawing specialists, we at DCM Inc. have seen the positive impact embracing cloud storage has for companies. We know that cloud technology has the potential to greatly improve digital government services for Canadians as well.
The Government of Canada recognizes this, and has put a Digital Operations Strategic Plan (DOSP) in place. The plan aims to work towards creating a more effective digital government to serve Canadians. The Government of Canada’s original DOSP lays the groundwork for a planned shift towards digital government. The 2021-2024 DOSP provides an update to the original plan.
The updated plan accounts for the rapid shift towards digital services that was required in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. But while the unplanned pandemic accelerated the Government of Canada’s adoption of digital services, many change-driving factors were already pushing Canada towards digital government.
Why Is The Government of Canada Going Digital?
As the leading Drawing Management Company, we at DCM Inc. understand the benefits of going digital. We also know a thing or two about taking old and outdated facility drawing messes to convert them into an organized digital database in echo. Let’s start by taking a look at the change drivers encouraging the Government of Canada to adopt digital technologies:
The Divide Between People With Internet Access is Fading
Over the past decade, an increasing number of Canadians have made Internet usage a part of their daily lives. There used to be a large gap between Internet usage by lower income and middle-to-upper income households. Now, the rate of Internet usage is now within just a few percentage points regardless of average household income.
The fact is that Internet access has become a regular feature in the majority of Canadian households. Internet usage by Canadians of all ages has risen significantly in recent years. Today, most Canadians use the Internet either frequently or daily. Smartphones and computers have become a standard part of society, which has enabled instant connectivity between people and information.
Canadians Expect and Deserve Digital Services at Their Fingertips
The fading digital divide has enabled private sector services to be better, faster, and more responsive to clients. Canadians can use their smartphone to order a package, hail an Uber, or do online banking. As a result, they naturally expect that government services should be just as convenient to access.
Citizens typically want more digital government services, but are discouraged by difficulties in accessing services. Canadians want services and programs that provide the best, client-centered experience for them. Responsive digital services designed to cater to users’ needs are what Canadians expect and deserve.
The Growth of Data Enables Powerful Services for Canadians
With increased computing power and decreased costs of data storage, there is more data than ever before. Service providers can use this data to bring higher quality services to their users. For example, the United Kingdom uses data from employment records to remove the need for most income tax submissions. There is potential to leverage data in similar ways to provide services that make Canadians’ lives easier and more convenient.
However, data management can be a big hurdle to overcome: 59% of public service leaders and 56% of private sector leaders say that managing data is a major challenge. By forming a business relationship with DCM Inc., data management is taken off the shoulders of facility staff and taken care of by our team of software experts and advanced data management algorithms.
Workplaces are Evolving to be Digitally Enabled
Workers who have access to convenient digital services in their personal lives naturally expect their workplaces to be digitally enabled as well. It is jarring for Canadians to have their digital family photos automatically organized by facial recognition by Google, while using a 60-year-old filing cabinet to manage physical drawings and documents at work.
This creates a frustrating juxtaposition for employees. They can see the missed potential for technology to improve their workflow and help them excel at their careers.
The Government of Canada is beginning to build a workplace where many employees can step away from their desk. Digital collaboration spaces allow them to work with colleagues from other departments or even other regions.
Working together with DCM Inc. will even further facilitate interdepartmental mobility, by giving government-employed facility managers and their teams access to drawings from anywhere in or out of the field or office.
The Rapid Evolution of Technology
Technology is still rapidly changing in ways that will continue to affect the market well into the future. New technologies and business models are changing the ways private and public sectors operate. Advanced technologies are also becoming more cost-effective to adopt. This means more people will be able to take advantage of the benefits they offer.
By transitioning into a digital government, the Government of Canada is ensuring it will be able to continue to provide excellent services and programs to Canadians as technology continues to evolve into the future.
A Vision for a Digital Government in Canada
The Government of Canada describes a vision for digital government that aligns with values we share at DCM Inc. The Government of Canada envisions a service-oriented government with a user-centred approach that ensures the needs of the people they are serving are the primary focus.
Likewise, DCM Inc. understands that each of our clients have their own specific needs. We take a user-centred approach in ensuring our services meet and exceed the expectations of each of our clients.
The Government of Canada envisions providing digital services that are available anytime and anywhere, and on any device. At DCM Inc., we are committed to make echo, our leading engineering drawing management software, accessible and hassle-free for all our clients’ users.
A digital government will be efficient, cost-effective, and convenient for Canadians using government services. DCM Inc. can help make the transition from traditional hard copy documentation to digital information structures smooth and painless.
How DCM Inc. Can Support a Transition to a Digital Government in Canada
The Government of Canada has a strategy for transitioning to a more digital government. Two main aspects stand out for where DCM Inc. would be ideal for helping to enable this strategy: modernizing legacy IT systems and implementing enterprise.
Modernizing Legacy IT Systems
In order to deliver better digital services, the Government of Canada is modernizing its outdated IT infrastructure systems. Shared Services Canada is closing legacy data centres and switching to a Cloud Adoption Strategy. The strategy will require government departments to partner with external cloud storage service providers to store, manage, and process data whenever possible.
At DCM Inc., we’re no strangers to the benefits of cloud-based storage. As the leading drawing management company, we aim to provide facility managers with a complete suite of features that will take their existing paper and digital drawings, and seamlessly integrate them into echo, our cutting-edge drawing management software. DCM Inc. meets and exceeds the criteria the Government of Canada is looking for in Software as a Service provider
Implementing Enterprise
The Government of Canada is looking to make its operations more effective and efficient, to lower costs, and to reduce the duplication of effort. With DCM Inc. and echo, the path to the most efficient drawing management strategy is easy to achieve!
With echo, public servants will have access to an accessible, modern, and secure suite of tools that enables productivity and collaboration. Our specialized software is ideal for the Government of Canada’s facility drawing management needs.
Facility management data will be easily shareable between relevant individuals and departments across government. And, this is all at a vastly cheaper cost than drawing management being done in-house.
A Rich History Working With Canadian Health Care Facilities and a Bright Future Working with Canadian Government Services
We are the Drawing Specialists. Since our inception in 2004, we have worked closely with Canadian health care facilities and hospitals to create drawing management strategies that improve the services they provide.
We look forward to future opportunities to build on this rich history towards a bright future for Canadians across the nation, expanding our relationship with Canadian public services. Our team would be happy to discuss how we could best serve the Government of Canada’s needs.
Book a discovery call today for more information about echo from DCM Inc.