WashingtonExec speaks with leading government technology executives about the latest trends in digital solutions for improving agency operations and serving constituents better. These interviews showcase new capabilities that can transform the way organizations leverage technology to execute their missions.
Here, Jason Adolf, industry vice president of global public sector for Appian, shares insights on a new technology framework for optimizing case management in the public sector.
Why is effective case management an imperative for government organizations, and where are they running into challenges?
Case management is a universal style of working in agencies across government. Approving a benefits claim, resolving a tax issue, processing a funding request, conducting an investigation ⏤ all these kinds of activities fundamentally are case management.
A major challenge for agencies is that case management processes are growing more complex. Meanwhile, their fragmented, siloed legacy systems aren’t flexible enough to adapt. Many case workflows are handled manually, which leads to slow processes, extra work, errors and omissions, and poor citizen experiences.
Your company provides a platform for automating and improving workflows. Are you now introducing capabilities specific to case management?
Appian offers a comprehensive process automation development platform. The Appian Platform enables organizations to use flexible visual models, rather than clunky custom code, to build fit-for-purpose applications quickly and cost-effectively. Organizations use the platform to build applications that automate operations and serve constituents more effectively.
Many agencies use the Appian Platform to build case management applications. We realized that embedded in our platform are the capabilities of a world-class case management solution, fine-tuned over decades of experience. So we’re surfacing these capabilities as the Appian Case Management for Public Sector solution.
Appian Case Management is a first-of-its-kind Case Management as a Service, or CMaaS offering, built with process automation as its foundation. The new solution offers agencies the simplicity and speed of a FedRAMP- and StateRAMP-authorized, commercial-off-the-shelf product with a modular base for any case management use case. It will include modules for common case management functions such as workflow, reporting, data management, and case history.
What does it mean that the new offering is a low-code solution?
Low-code application development allows developers to build applications by combining prebuilt software components in a drag-and-drop interface. It replaces the cumbersome, time-consuming coding of traditional development.
We’ve typically marketed the Appian Platform to professional application developers, and it’s become an essential part of the developer’s toolkit. But Appian Case Management for Public Sector is equally suited to empowering nontechnical team members. Experienced business users can design and build fit-for-purpose case management applications. They can digitize and automate robust, end-to-end processes, complete with data management and reporting.
This capability is especially useful in large federal agencies where the IT department receives far more requests for software functionality than it has capacity to deliver. With a low-code solution, the IT department retains governance of software policy and security, but it can allow users to design and create their own purpose-built applications.
You mentioned Case Management as a Service, or CMaaS. How does CMaaS represent a new approach or framework?
Gartner identified CMaaS as one of its Top 10 government technology trends for 2023. CMaaS provides a modular – what Gartner calls “composable” ⏤ way to build case management applications. Gartner predicts that by 2024, agencies using composable case management will implement new features 80% faster than their peers.
CMaaS enables organizations to break down complex processes into smaller, interconnected components. They can quickly develop, test, and deploy each module independently, combining functions such as workflow, commenting, reporting, auditing, and AI-powered process automation. When needs change, they can modify specific modules without affecting the rest of the application. This is really a game-changing approach.
When you talk about AI-powered process automation, what are some ways agencies can leverage AI for case management?
AI can optimize case management in a variety of ways. One is document classification. Let’s say a constituent applies for benefits and submits documents such as passport, employment history, financial records, and so on. AI can automatically identify, categorize, and process those documents.
AI can also group cases to handle them more efficiently. Let’s say multiple constituents submit a request about a pothole. AI can show the agency that all the requests relate to the same pothole. When a new constituent submits a request, AI can inform the user that others have submitted the same request and ask if they want to continue. This allows agencies to reduce duplicative work, saving time and effort.
Going forward, we could take advantage of generative AI, like a ChatGPT capability, but in a private environment. Let’s say an agency has long-running, complex cases with extensive case notes written by multiple case managers. Gen AI could summarize those notes while maintaining data privacy.
Gen AI could also become a tool for staff development. The workforce has many experienced professionals with a wealth of experience. It’s difficult to transfer that knowledge to the next generation. But AI can observe how experienced team members work and, based on what it learns, assist more entry-level employees. There’s tremendous promise in AI-powered case management to solve government’s most pressing challenges.
Appian Government is holding their public sector summit on Nov. 29. For more information, visit the event website.