Government system integrators have a difficult job. On the one hand, they have huge expectations and burdens. On the other hand, they also face more regulations and rules than many of their private-sector counterparts. At the same time, this reduced flexibility sometimes comes with fewer technology options. The reason for this is simple: Many solutions aren’t built with government customers in mind – use cases, security, and understanding of how government programs differ from B2B or B2C businesses.
Here’s the good news: With the right solution, government contractors can incorporate many of the best practices other industries use, knowing their needs regarding configurability and security will be met.
Challenges
Many government contractors face severe challenges with data entry and reporting. These challenges can make it more difficult to perform work efficiently. Examples of these issues include:
- Users continue to manage data manually via Excel spreadsheets. This data entry leaves room for error and reduces efficiency. It also makes it more challenging to gain insight and run customized reports on the data in your systems.
- Manual data entry makes using advanced relationship tools impossible. This approach can silo relationships and data. It also creates more opportunities for vendors to increase the costs of their services.
- Government rules and regulations sometimes reduce innovation opportunities. This rigidity may cost government system integrators the chance to deploy more useful tools.
- Security issues remain major challenges, as doing business with any branch of government often requires meeting extensive and inflexible security requirements. In these instances, having Salesforce-backed security can be particularly helpful, as Salesforce has undergone repeated and extensive security reviews.
These challenges can be a major hindrance to government contractors. Fortunately, they are not insurmountable.
The Power of Automation
The manual entry used by many government SIs can make their life much more challenging. However, properly configured platforms can allow them to enter data automatically. Automation enhances accuracy and reduces staff’s time to focus on data entry. These changes allow users to spend their limited time in more productive pursuits. Time spent performing analysis and building relationships is always better than time spent doing data entry. The right technological platforms, like Salesforce and Next Quarter, can enable this improved time use.
Furthermore, you can enhance your efficiency and reporting with the right account planning tools. For example, Next Quarter works with the data you already have in Salesforce and provides reports, insights, and next best actions to achieve your goals. This, in turn, enables users to gain deeper insight, save time, and create a more useful work product.
The Latest in Artificial Intelligence
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence impacts businesses and governments in various ways. There is no question that AI can provide the insight necessary to improve the productivity of government contractors.
Examples include:
- Increasing their ability to identify less expensive products and services to purchase.
- Finding areas of connection between private vendors and public ones.
- Conducting white space analysis with vendors. This allows users to reduce costs by buying more of a certain product or service.
- Performing an in-depth analysis of various data systems. This allows users to identify increased efficiency methods.
As noted by numerous experts in the field, AI has the potential to impact government services in many potential ways. Potential improvement methods include price reductions, digital marketing, workforce automation, and more. However, government system integrators need the right tools to advance their ability to perform an AI-based analysis. Leaving these platforms on the table means losing access to otherwise useful information.
Managing Programs and Forecasts
Forecasts of revenue and expenditures are critical in government. Government contractors that rely on manual data entry and Excel spreadsheets lose access to stable, predictable, and accurate forecasting models. Our complex, interconnected world means revenues and expenditures are constantly changing. Government SIs require forecasting predictability that can give financial clarity. This clarity ensures users can manage programs within expected financial constraints.
Government SIs need real-time revenue forecasts, an up-to-the-second perspective on where revenue is being spent, and the ability to analyze any potential problems or shortfalls immediately. Excel data cannot give this insight. If data is going to be a single source of truth and guide government revenue and expenditures, users need solutions to manage all programs and forecasts.
Finally, government SIs also need robust security protections. A Salesforce-native solution already undergoing security reviews can give a prospective contractor a leg-up on the competition.
Consider Next Quarter For Your Sales Needs
Next Quarter empowers organizations to uncover account growth, accelerate their pipeline, and provide data-driven insights to predict with confidence. That experience has given us the ability to help government system integrators improve their forecasting tools, map relationships better, and identify internal efficiencies. At Next Quarter, we believe that data can be a single source of truth. More to the point, we know that by breaking down silos, the government can save taxpayer money and do great things. Ready to learn more about how Next Quarter can help improve your efficiency and generate more insight from your data?
Contact us today to schedule a demo and learn more about how Next Quarter can partner with you.
