Improving Efficiency in Local Government with Digital Document Management

The UK government spends millions of pounds every year on manual processes and paper documents. However, with increasing urgency to reduce carbon emissions and streamline services for the public, many local councils have started looking for digital solutions to optimise their document management. In this article, we explore how effective digital document management can support local governments in improving their efficiency through valuable tools like electronic signatures.

Can local councils use electronic signatures?

Yes, electronic signatures are legally valid and binding for local councils as long as they meet the relevant eIDAS regulation requirements. E-Sign works with several UK councils, providing secure, advanced electronic signature solutions to support their digital transformation and document management. 

How can digital document management increase efficiency in local councils?

Developing and optimised digital eco-system in local government can be extremely beneficial in various ways including:

Meeting consumer demand

As the world becomes increasingly digital, the expectations of public sector services have changed, with consumers demanding the same standard of convenience and efficiency that they get in other areas of their lives. This puts local governments under a lot of pressure to optimise their workflows and processes. 

By transitioning to digital document management, local councils can focus more on their citizens and less on paper. Through automated processes that take the hassle out of acquiring signatures. With the ability to create, send, and sign documents in just a few clicks. As a result, there is less stress on staff and citizens can have a more seamless experience when working with their local councils. 

A key part of this is the ability to sign documents remotely, from anywhere at any time. This makes it much easier for citizens to finalise the documents they need without having to be physically present. Remote signing is invaluable for effective document management, avoiding delays and streamlining workflows. 

Citizens often approach councils with some of the most important aspects of their lives. Such as buying or renting a property, paying taxes, etc which typically cause heightened emotions. Meeting their needs quickly and effectively through organised digital document management will help the government avoid any frustrations and bad publicity.

Supporting better collaboration

Digital document management platforms make it much easier and smoother for internal teams to collaborate on important documents. For example, cloud-based systems allow several individuals across different departments to access and share information seamlessly. 

Additionally, documents can be sent to greater quantities of people with E-Sign’s bulk send features and a specific signing order can be established. If certain recipients need to apply their signature before others. This ensures greater communication and accuracy on local council documents, allowing teams to increase their productivity and maximise efficiency in their workflows.

Environmental sustainability

In 2021 the UK government announced its plans and strategy for the country to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This ambitious target requires all government departments to re-evaluate their paper use. And look for new ways to reduce manual processes with physical paperwork. 

Enter digital document management. Implementing an effective digital document and e-signature solution is the best way for local councils to not only make their processes more efficient but also increase sustainability by removing the need for paper-based documentation. This aligns with the UK’s net zero commitments and supports local councils in their carbon reduction goals.

Improved security and compliance

Paper documents severely lack suitable security measures which is problematic for local governments as they regularly handle sensitive personal data for citizens. All it takes is for one document to be lost or tampered with during transportation. Or a handwritten signature forged and there could be serious risks of data breach and ramifications for the council involved. 

Whereas digital document platforms like E-Sign provide secure encryption, malware protection, access controls, and many more important measures to ensure that all data is protected, in compliance with regulations like GDPR. All the technical bits are handled for you behind the scenes of your platform, allowing you to simply focus on sending, signing, and managing your documents.

E-Sign’s advanced electronic signatures are fully compliant with the eIDAS regulation which outlines criteria for legally binding e-signatures. So you can feel confident that any document completed through E-Sign is legally valid and compliant. With clear evidence confirming the signer’s details and their intent to sign the document.

Time and cost savings

Switching to digital document solutions can also increase efficiency in local government, by reducing costs through less reliance on physical storage, printing, ink, and postage fees. These costs can quickly accumulate over time and making these savings will free up budget that can be allocated to more important areas. So local councils can continue enhancing the services they provide. 

Also, managing physical paperwork can take up a lot of time for council staff, taking them away from other more high-value tasks. However, when going digital, a quality digital document management platform will allow you to automate parts of your processes, relieving the administrative burden from staff. 

Automation can be made even simpler by integrating your existing systems with E-Sign, allowing you to seamlessly create automated workflows that save your team time.

How to implement digital document management

There is a lot to consider for local governments when deciding to transform their document processes from paper to digital. In order to make the transition successfully, the steps below should be followed:

Assess current systems

Before going full steam ahead on a digital solution, local councils need to assess the systems they currently have in place in their daily operations. This will allow them to identify any inefficiencies and potential areas for improvement. As well as get a clearer insight into exactly what they need from a digital document platform. 

Does it need to be integrated with other applications? How many documents are being processed on a yearly or monthly basis? What features are most important that the solution must have? These are all questions you may want to ask before you start looking for a management system.

Choose the right technology

Once you have evaluated your existing systems and identified your specific needs. The next step is selecting the right digital solution. Regardless of the platform you choose, it’s essential to ensure that it fully complies with all regulatory requirements to maintain security and legal compliance.

For example, local councils need an advanced e-signature in accordance with eIDAS, a simple signature does not have suitable security or identity verification methods and therefore is not legally binding.

Staff training and adoption

When implementing a new digital solution, it is essential to ensure staff are trained in using the system and feel confident in doing so. If they are unable to maximise the new tools and features then you will be missing important value for your council. 

Every team member who uses the platform should be equipped with an understanding of all relevant features that can help improve efficiency within the organisation. In addition to having a basic knowledge of how it works.

Data migration strategy

It’s a big transition moving from paper to digital. So it’s important to implement a structured approach to digitising existing documents and ensuring data integrity. This will help to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible without compromising any key documents. 

Ongoing review and optimisation

Once the new system is fully up and running, it’s good practice to regularly evaluate its performance within your organisation. By doing so you can make any necessary adjustments to ensure the system is helping you maximise efficiency in your document workflows.

E-Sign’s work with local councils

E-Sign has extensive experience working with local councils up and down the country, transforming their workflows with an efficient and user-friendly digital document and electronic signature solution. Some of the councils we work with include:

• Mid-Devon District Council
• Cambridgeshire County Council
• London Borough of Wandsworth 
• Hillingdon London Borough Council 

Our work with Mid-Devon achieved some impressive results, and significantly reduced document turnaround time. Due to the in-person processes involved, documents that previously took 2 hours to complete now only take 5 minutes!

The future of digital local government

As technology evolves, local governments must take a proactive approach to adopting modern solutions. Implementing digital document management now will help councils streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and effectively meet the changing needs of their communities in the years to come.

Optimise your document processes today with E-Sign’s secure e-signature and digital document solution. Contact us to discuss your requirements, or you can get started with E-Sign by registering for our 14-day free trial. This will allow you to explore the easy-to-use features of our business plan.