If you had to find a sector that is challenged by technology, it would be human and social services (HSS). Governments and providers have consistently responded to increasing demand by spending more on direct services, with the consequence being that they have rarely taken a comprehensive approach to technology investment.
This approach was reasonable until about five years ago, but the speed of change, increasing consumerism, coupled with COVID-19 impact, now means that HSS organisations not investing in technology likely will be left behind.
Client or customer expectations of organisations in the sector are increasing dramatically. People expect to be able to go online, get the information they need and interact with services at any time. In many jurisdictions, HSS organisations compete in markets, so those that are not able to provide access to services, good information and responses in a timely fashion will miss opportunities.
HSS organisations that get left behind will be damaged and may not survive. But those that improve their use of technology should enjoy greater efficiencies, such as by standardising processes, operating services online and assisting customers who can self-manage to use technology to access resources.
